After a lull of about 10 years, Japan is once again seeing a boom in magic, with department stores reporting sharp rises in sales of paraphernalia for the sleight of hand.
The allure of magic shows and tricks has even gripped young children, who often spend most of their time glued to TV or computer screens.
Magician Shohei Moriyama said the number of people coming to see his demonstrations at Mitsukoshi Ltd.'s flagship store in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district started to grow around summer.