SNA (Tokyo) — The thrum of animatronics and squeals of dolls rang in the air of Tokyo for the week of June 8th, yet no children ran around with excitement. Instead, an army clad in business attire was present, though the feeling of youth remained within the customarily stoic Japanese air.

This event, the annual International Tokyo Toy Show, took place at Tokyo Big Sight and showcased about 35,000 products. It demonstrated just how massive the Asian toy industry is. Last fiscal year, Japan’s domestic toy market accounted for 800 billion yen (almost US$8 billion), which it has maintained for four years straight. The expo itself, though, felt quite recreational.

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