Appropriate for All Ages.(Brief Article)

Much has been made in Japan of the clout of teenage girls, the arbiters of taste and uncrowned queens of the fashion industry. But when it comes to toys, a radically different demographic is beginning to call the shots.

Japanese toymakers now see senior citizens as their most dynamic market. Nearly 22 million Japanese--17.4 percent of the population--are over 65, and that number is expected to top 25 percent by 2020. Three million senior citizens live alone, and 1.55 million Japanese are senile (their numbers are also expected to grow rapidly). This aging population presents a huge "silver market"--estimated at 50 trillion yen ($416 billion)--for everything from beds to cosmetics to home-care nurses and helpers.

Major industries such as electronics, construction and foodstuffs have already began developing products tailored to old folks: robots to help out around the house, homes that have no steps or stairs and healthy, oil-free foods. The toy industry wants a piece of the action. "There is a great potential," says Yoshinori Haga, an official at Bandai, the biggest toymaker in Japan. "Toys can be used for entertainment, to give the old people nostalgic feelings or to be a companion for those who live alone."

Indeed, playthings are not just for fun anymore. Toshimitsu Musha, president of the Brain Functions Lab near Tokyo, argues that playing with toys can help human brains stay active and sharp. While researching Alzheimer's disease, Musha found that art therapy such as painting and claywork helped to prevent the brains of Alzheimer's patients from deteriorating. "What works best for the elderly is something that they enjoy, where they have to use their brain and which requires concentration from 30 minutes to one ...