Japanese Gifts for Kids

Japanese masks are a fun gift for kids who like to sing, dance and act.

Japanese toys make great party favors or gifts for children who are interested in Japanese history. There are a select few toys that are used by children today in Japan or hold tradition in Japan. Many of the toys are made by famous Japanese artists or are made from bamboo, as they always have been made because of Japan's abundance of bamboo. When you're looking for a Japanese toy, make sure that it is not a cheaply made toy with no tradition, and give the child a brief history lesson to go with the toy so she can enjoy it more.

Children's Masks

Kagura is a Japanese mask made for children and young teenagers for dress parties, Halloween or as a gift. The masks are named after a style of traditional dance and music, Kagura, which means "music of the gods." The masks come in many styles to look like animal faces. Kagura is offered as an entertainment to the gods at shrines and gatherings in Japan. These masks, accompanied with a story of their name, can give the children receiving them a history lesson and a reason to play, have fun and dance with the mask on.

Dolls and Figurines

Papier mache or clay horoscope dolls are common in Japan. Although these horoscope dolls are made in Japan, they are made into the shape of 12 animals that follow the Chinese new year tradition and often have a Chinese character on them that means "good luck." Tanzor Z is a traditional brand of figurine doll that is made by the artist Go Nagai. The dolls are dressed in different themes and have names. They are popular in Japan and once had a cartoon that was made about the dolls. They look very similar to Japanamation cartoons that air in the United States. There are other dolls made in Japan, but these hold the most tradition and meaning.

Toys and Games

A taketombo is a small bamboo propeller painted in bright colors. They are used at parks or at the beach much as Frisbees are used in the United States. Taketombos are fun for kids to play with, or you can buy a craft kit for kids to make and paint their own. Mahjong is a very popular game played in China, Japan and other areas in the far east. The game is somewhat like Monopoly. A kit from Japan comes with the mat, dice, Chinese symbols and game tiles. Go is another popular game played in China, Japan and Korea. A game set comes with a wooden table or slate and plastic pieces that are referred to as stones. Shogi is very similar to chess, but it is a traditional Japanese game with Japanese characters on the game pieces and with rules that vary slightly from chess. A set comes with a game board and pieces. Many other games and toys can be found today in Japan, these however are popular in Japan today or have history there.

Kites

Japanese kites were flown for religious purposes, originally, to symbolize good luck, fertility and prosperity. The kites were flown to scare away evil spirits; therefore, they have a samurai worrier or kabuki character on them. The faces on the kites are mean and mad looking to scare away the spirits. They are usually a simple square or rectangle shape, made of paper with colorful painting. Miniature kite sets are also available for kids to use as decoration or play with, but they are not made for flying.

References

• Goods From Japan: Children's Masks
• Goods From Japan: Chinese Horoscope Dolls
• Goods From Japan: Japanese Figures
• Goods From Japan: Kites
• Goods From Japan: Toys and Games
• Goods From Japan: Taketombo