Bandai, Takara Tomy get cute in the kitchen

Ever since the Chuboo line of fun kitchen tools caught our eye (and CNN’s too!), we’ve been noticing what can only be described as a boom in cutesy kitchen gadgets that can be enjoyed by moms (or dads) and kids alike. Major toy companies like Bandai and Takara Tomy put out their share of toy like kitchen appliances last year and have plans in the works to release more this year.

Bandai scored big with its Cook Joy series, featuring the Norimaki Makki (available HERE), a device that helps small, uncoordinated fingers roll out near-perfect sushi rolls, and the Ichi Ni Sando (product page here) sandwich press, which makes fun shaped “sandwiches” out of bread or rice. (Product Page).

Meanwhile Takara Tomy had a hit with its Sugar Bunnies-themed Ice Cooking (¥4,200) ice cream maker last summer and now has plans to release an Onigiri (rice ball) Party (¥3,675) making kit with the same character images this June.

All of the above made from colorful plastic and are hand-controlled, electricity and oven-free, focusing on either lunch box material or after school snack foods. Of course what is particularly interesting about these products is that, in contrast to the kiddy cake baking kits popular in other countries, many of these sets teach kids to make traditional Japanese food, which makes me think maybe I should pick one up myself.