Japan’s Tamagotchi turns 30, this is what you need to know about the craze

“Mummy I don’t want a shirt; I want a Tamagotchi.”

This was the plea from a child to his month at a clothing shop in Lenasia, Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990’s.

Craze

The little boy didn’t get his way that day, but perhaps his tenacity paid off, and his parents succumbed to his pleas and got him the little gadget that was an absolute craze at the time.

Almost every child in Lenasia dreamt of having the virtual pet today and the little boy did not want to be left out.

Tamagotchis were a 1990s sensation with almost every child and even adults drawn to taking care of a virtual pet that demanded food, love and attention.

Nearly three decades after it first hatched in the palms of children across the globe, Tamagotchi, the iconic handheld digital pet returns to the spotlight in its 30^th anniversary.

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Tamagotchi hit

Despite, the technology advanced world of smartphones, other high-tech toys, Tamagotchi’s are still a hit among retro-loving Gen Z and nostalgic parents.

Since its debut, more than 100 million of the pocket-sized plastic eggs have been sold worldwide.

Manufacturer Bandai Namco is showing off the Tamagotchi’s evolution from bouncing black-and-white pixelated characters to colour screens and Wi-Fi connectivity at a special 30th anniversary exhibition that opens in Tokyo on Wednesday.

Fashion accessory

Swinging from keychains, the Tamagotchi – whose name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words for “egg” and “watch” – has become a popular fashion accessory among young people in recent years, according to Bandai. AFP reported.

Sales of Tamagotchi merchandise, not including video games, rose around sevenfold in five years from 2019, Bandai said.

Top retailer

Last year British retailer Hamleys ranked the Tamagotchi in its list of the top 100 toys of all time, alongside the likes of Lego and the Rubik’s Cube.

The digital pets, which need attending to when they are hungry, sick or have defecated on the virtual floor, grow up as users care for them — but can die if they are neglected.

Exhibition

Entering the exhibition through a giant white egg, visitors can view various photo-friendly displays and a history room where they can play with some of the dozens of different models released over the years.

Nearly half of all Tamagotchi unit sales were in Japan, with 33 percent in the Americas but just two percent in other Asia-Pacific countries, Bandai Namco says.

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