Why these adults are suddenly obsessed with a kids toy from the 90s | CNN

The buzzing of needles and gasps of pain fall silent, replaced by the clacking and rattling of steel and plastic colliding. Normally, visitors to this small tattoo parlor tucked away in the backstreets of Hong Kong’s bustling nightlife district, are looking to be inked with tigers and dragons, representing the halcyon days of the neon-lit metropolis. But it has drawn a vastly different crowd. With the tattoo tables pushed to the side, the room becomes a coliseum for adults going to war with Beyblades, a children’s toy made popular a quarter of a century ago. The customizable spinning tops, launched from a plastic strip, have made a whirlwind comeback in popularity in Asia –– from Japan to Thailand and Taiwan to Hong Kong. “I’m ready to put up a fight,” said Tiff Tam, 28, as she showed off the arsenal of “Beys” (as fans call them) that she’s splurged almost $400 on. Tam works at The 59 Tattoo in Wan Chai, which has started wrapping up business early on select nights to host community tournaments, welcoming tattooists from other studios and people in the neighborhood. “At first, I just didn’t see the appeal,” she said. “But as soon as I started playing, I

Jun 24, 2026 → Jun 24, 2026