Here's another beautifully decorated postcard from Japan, and another beautiful map - this time: toys!

All of them seem interesting, but the one that caught my eye first is the bear with a salmon in its mouth, "kuma no kibori", a famous souvenir from Hokkaido. Another toy from the same island is the Ainu-ningyou, traditional dolls made in the style of the Ainu ethnic group.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the archipelago, children of Okinawa play with shiisaa, traditional decoration picturing a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology.

Intriguing is also the Inuhariko, a paper-mâché good luck dog (inu), not only a toy but also a talisman for children's health.

These are all of course traditional toys, often associated with legends or myths, but there are of course plenty of other toys, too.

Some of them are cute, but many are intriguingly weird. Here you can find some examples of "weird and wonderful" Japanese toys, featuring such things as "fruits zombie" or "fat cute soldiers". Would you play with them ;)?

Thank you JC Liu for the lovely card!

Toys of Japan

postcard sent

21.04.2015

distance travelled

~8910km

sent from

Kyoto