I always thought of cheap porcelain beads when I thought of decal beads. I realized it would be hard to get a decal to lay flat on a round bead.  I figured this problem was solved by jresting the the decal on the center of the bead or by placing the decal on a flat bead.  Smiley faces and peace signs came to my mind.

But one look at Tensha beads challenged every illusion I ever had of decal beads.  The decal covers the whole bead. The bead is acrylic, not porcelain.  Gold and/or silver foil are sometimes part of the decal. 

Tensha beads have been made in Japan for several decades.  To date, they have been more or less collector's items with a limited audience.  However, that is all about to change.  Toho, the Japanese seed bead maker, is starting to produce Tensha beads.  That means the beads will be readily available to western markets.

I expect the beads to take the country by storm.  They have a lot going for them.  They are beautiful, and lightweight.  The design doesn't peel or scratch.   These beads are great focals.   They tend to be between 10 and 16mm round.  Frequently sold in pairs for around 2.00 a pair, they make perfect  earrings.  Just sandwich them between crystal spacers and they're good to go.