The International Tokyo Toy Show began on Thursday with a selection of products on offer that make use of artificial intelligence and other leading digital technologies.

Japanese and foreign makers are showcasing about 35,000 items at the annual event.

A toy PC equipped with AI makes learning subjects
such as arithmetic and the Japanese language seem as if the user is playing a game. AI chooses questions based on the results of their past learning.

A communication toy comes loaded with about
1,400 original emojis. Users can create messages by combining the characters and exchanging them using Wi-Fi.

Fujii Daisuke of the Japan Toy Association said "In order to grow, Japan's toy industry needs to target adults and foreigners in light of the country's declining birthrate. It also needs to accelerate the trend of developing items for overseas customers. Japanese toys are for all age groups, so the sector still has potential to expand."

There are also products aimed specifically at adults.
One of them is a racecar course that has steeper ups and downs.

The toy show will run through Sunday.