Entertainment

These ingenious Japanese toys are perfect little works of art

Creator Haruki Nakamura says he wants children to be playing with them in 100 years’ time.
Creator Haruki Nakamura says he wants children to be playing with them in 100 years’ time. Creator Haruki Nakamura says he wants children to be playing with them in 100 years’ time.

A Japanese artist’s toys have been captivating people online, and it’s not hard to see why.

Haruki Nakamura uses a variety of mediums to create his masterpieces, and their detail and ingenuity push them beyond the average yo-yo or Beanie Baby – and attracted views in the millions on YouTube.

Although much of Nakamura’s work feels more artwork than toy, his dream is for children to play with the toys rather than a spot in a gallery.

“I want to become standard,” Nakamura told the Press Association. “I want children 100 years later to play my work.”

Nakamura said the Gear’s Heart, seen above, was the most difficult piece he has ever created and that a typical piece takes between one and two months to design.

Despite the pieces’ intricacy, Nakamura said creating the toys from his designs requires only “elementary school” ability – and he has posted videos showing how it’s done.

Nakamura said he has various inspirations, often finding ideas from failure and “trial and error”.

Many of Nakamura’s toys are comical, including a wolf with a sheep’s head hidden inside.

Others use cleverly folded paper to pop open, revealing insides such as a dinosaur bursting out of an egg.

Meanwhile, others imitate the animals they represent – such as the aptly-named Surprised Armadillo.

If you’d like to see more from Nakamura’s collection, take a look at his YouTube channel. Alternatively, you can buy the toys for yourself on his website.