A roundup of nostalgic toys for people born in the ’90s [Trends]
Weren’t birthdays and Christmas special when we were kids?
They were those rare days when you could finally get the toy you wanted.
Of course, some people looked forward to things other than toys, but I’m sure you can still relate.
You wanted the same things your classmates had, or you begged for the latest gadgets everyone was talking about.
So this time, I’ve put together a list of toys that sparked nationwide crazes—ones that people born in the ’90s will find nostalgic!
How about we take a little trip back to our childhood?
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A roundup of nostalgic toys for people born in the ’90s [Trends] (11–20)
kick scooter
A kickboard developed based on a three-wheeled scooter created by the German scooter manufacturer Ciro.
It has wheels at the front and rear, and you steer it by gripping the handle located on the long, extended main frame bar.
You place your foot on the deck and propel yourself forward by kicking off the ground.
Kickboards gained popularity among young people in the late 1990s, and by the 2020s they came to be used as convenient items for getting around town.
They are enjoyed in a wide range of settings, from casual fun to attempting technical tricks.
Koeda-chan
Koeda-chan is a toy series aimed at girls.
Launched around 1977 by Takara Tomy, it featured a charming, fairy-tale world themed around nature, with a tree as the house, and it was hugely popular.
There were many characters, making it perfect for group doll play! This one is a Koeda-chan toy that lets you enjoy doing laundry.
The fact that it’s a twin-tub washer, with a wash tub and a spin-dry tub, really gives you a sense of the era.
But the amazing thing is that you could actually do laundry with it using detergent and water.
It was an excellent product that helped kids practice helping out and supported learning.
Butaminton
The badminton-style competitive sports game “Butaminton” is a nostalgic toy for those who spent their childhood from the Showa into the Heisei era.
In badminton you use a racket to hit the shuttlecock, but in Butaminton you use a pig toy! You squeeze the pig to puff out air from its snout, and that force launches the shuttlecock.
Revived in the Reiwa era, it won the Grand Prize at the Japan Toy Awards 2025.
Truly a wildly popular toy that transcends generations!
Cabbage Patch Kids
Released by an American toy manufacturer as dolls born from cabbage patches, the Cabbage Patch Kids came with birth certificates and names, and each one had unique features like different facial expressions and hair colors, making every doll one of a kind.
While the head is plastic, the body is made of soft cloth, offering an ideal tactile feel for children.
Since each one is different, some children may have wanted to collect many of them! Their individual personalities likely made doll play even more engaging.
Gunpla
Even as adults, countless people find themselves completely hooked! Some enjoy painting them, combining different parts, or customizing them as they go.
Commonly abbreviated as “Gunpla,” these Gundam plastic model kits let you build the mobile suits that appear in the anime Mobile Suit Gundam.
First released in 1980, they gradually gained popularity and are now loved overseas as well.
With so many different types available, they really stoke your desire to collect.
Their appeal isn’t just for skilled model builders—products are also thoughtfully designed for beginners.
Pachin Gum
If you reach out your hand, tempted by the kind offer of “Here, have some gum,” your fingers will get snapped with a sharp “snap!” This is a prank toy that was popular from the Showa era into the early Heisei period.
It looks like a stick of chewing gum, but you can’t eat what’s inside.
It’s an easy-to-understand prank, yet it has a certain charm that makes you want to try it over and over.
If you really want to catch someone off guard, surprising them out of the blue might work best.
A roundup of nostalgic toys for people born in the ’90s [Trends] (21–30)
Sylvanian Families
Sylvanian Families are anthropomorphized animal dolls released by Epoch in 1983.
They gradually grew in popularity and were even sold in the United States and Europe in the 1990s.
Their greatest appeal is that you can buy small houses, furniture, and clothes to play with alongside the figures.
Many of the products released in recent years include mechanisms and features that didn’t exist back then, so if you pick them up again you might discover something new.
They were also adapted into a TV anime, so now’s a great time to check them out.
