Rakuten Books Reveals Findings on Children's Christmas Gifts for 2025

Rakuten Books Reports on 2025 Christmas Gifts for Kids

As the holiday season approaches, Rakuten Books, an online bookstore operated by Rakuten Group, has unveiled the results of its survey conducted among 1,503 users regarding children’s Christmas gifts. This timely research sheds light on what parents plan to purchase for their kids this Christmas and highlights current gift trends in Japan.

Christmas Fair at Rakuten Books

Rakuten Books is currently hosting a special Christmas Fair focused on children's books, toys, and games that runs until December 26, 2025, at 9:59 AM. Among the key promotions, the "Children's Book and Learning Book Fair" offers triple or tenfold Rakuten points for eligible participants. Additionally, during the "Game Christmas Fair", participants can earn five or ten times the points on purchases, with a chance to win a Famitsu Bookend.

Survey Highlights

Most Parents Plan to Gift This Christmas

A staggering 90% of parents surveyed confirmed they plan to buy Christmas gifts for their children this year. The survey identified the top gifts by age group: for children aged 0-2, educational toys were most popular; for ages 3-8, character goods topped the list; and for children aged 9 and above, video games were the favorites.

Comparing Parents’ Choices vs. Children’s Desires

The survey drew a fascinating contrast between what parents want to give and what children hope to receive. Parents ranked educational toys as their top choice at 41.7%, followed by character goods and educational books. In contrast, children favored character goods (37.0%), followed by video games and educational toys. Notably, video games were seen significantly differently between parents and children: while just 5.6% of parents considered them a top gift, 15.4% of kids ranked them fourth.

Factors Influencing Gift Decisions

When deciding on Christmas presents, parents primarily focused on their children's wishes (89.1%), followed by budget considerations (44.5%) and ensuring the gift was age-appropriate (41.2%). The most common budget range for gifts was set between 10,000 and 30,000 yen, reflecting thoughtful purchasing amid rising costs.

Importance of Engaging Toys

In their everyday choices, parents prioritize toys that capture their children’s interest (69.1%), followed by age appropriateness and price. Many parents hope that the toys enhance creativity and imagination, which was the top expected benefit (63.5%) from toy usage.

Conclusion

As Rakuten Books continues to expand services to enhance user convenience through books, CDs, DVDs, and games, these survey findings provide valuable insights for parents shopping for Christmas gifts. The holiday season is filled with joy and expectations, and these insights can help guide those crucial purchasing decisions for this year’s festive celebrations.