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Delve a Little Deeper into Japan’s Attractions!
New Japanese Culture: The World of Capsule Toys
Ubiquitous in Japan
Capsule toys, which generally go bysuch names as Gashapon, Gachapon,and Gacha Gacha in Japanese, areubiquitous throughout Japan. There arecapsule-toy

vending

machinesinsupermarkets, candy stores, shopping
malls, drugstores, restaurants, tourist
sites, art museums, expressway parking
areas---almost everywhere. When I wasa child, I used to beg my grandparents
to let me have a go. Kids can be seen
standing

in

front

of

the

vending

machines sobbing, “Just once more!”
When I became a parent myself, I had a
hard time steering clear of the machines
when we were out. For Japanese, these are familiar experiences.
Capsule toys are stored in small vending machines. Each machine has several
different products of the same series, and they come out randomly. The name Gashapon
is onomatopoeic. Gasha refers to the clanking sound when the handle of the machine isturned; pon is the sound of the capsule falling into the collection tray.
Operating the machines is quite
simple. You just insert coins and turnthe handle. The price is reasonable.
Usually it costs 100–500 yen, andmostly 200 yen or 300 yen. But you do
not know what will come out, so it is asuspenseful moment. And of course,
you want to try “just once more” andcollect the whole series, so your purse
gets lighter and lighter.

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International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)History of capsule toys in Japan
Capsule toys have evolved in an original way in Japan. The prototype of the current
machines is said to have been a vending machine dispensing candies and bubble gum
that appeared in the United States around 1880. That evolved into what was known as
the gumball machine. This machine was improved, and free gifts came to be supplied
together with the candies and bubble gum. At first these free gifts did not come incapsules but were bound in with the candy or whatever. For that reason, apparently
there were a lot of breakdowns. So in 1956 a capsule was developed in the United Statesthat was both hygienic and less breakable, and capsule toys were born. Then Americanmakers of that time looked to Japan and Hong Kong in search of highly skilled artisans
capable of making toys that could fit into these capsules.
In response to their popularity in the United States, Japan began to import capsule
toys from that country in 1965. At that time almost all the toys were cheap, lightweight,
and designed for kids. They spread throughout the country in the 1970s, with such items
as supercar erasers and Kinnikuman erasers becoming all the rage in the late 1970s and1980s. Among them, there were some toys that were rather dubious, such as erasers
looking like (but not quite the same as) popular characters and oddly transforming robots,
but most kids did not seem to bother and became hooked.
In Japan, things like anime and manga, which in other countries were thought tobe only for kids, had developed into new and high-quality forms of culture. Likewise,even though they were seen in other countries as nothing but inexpensive toys forchildren, in the 1990s and thereafter not only capsule toys for children but also moreelaborate and high-quality items for adults were planned and manufactured in Japan.
In 2012 a series called Fuchico on the Cup was launched. This series, which becamea huge hit, featured a female figure in a variety of unique poses, sitting or hanging,designed to be placed on the edge of a cup. The series was so popular that later Fuchicobooks were published and exhibitions held. Around this time, lots of items considered to
be interesting and topical for young people and adults were developed.
Traditionally Japan excels in miniaturization. Since ages ago there have been sealcases with fine decorations made by lacquer or gold techniques, as well as netsuke
ornaments, tiny dolls and their accessories, and bonsai. More recently we have seentransistor radios, the Walkman portable audio player, plastic models, and figurines. The
capsule toys made by Kaiyodo, which is famous for its figurines, include Buddhist statues,
local toys of Japan, dinosaurs, and tanks. They are tremendously popular for theirelaborate detail. Capsule toys began as toys for children, but nowadays they seem to beenjoyed even more by teenagers and adults as collectors’ items.

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International Hospitality and Conference Service Association (IHCSA)As of May 2022, examples of especially popular items include the Ikimono
Daizukan (The Diversity of Life on Earth) series, a cat penholder, push-buttons, anditems in which the capsule itself is part of the figurine. In addition, as one genre,collaborations with other companies are popular as well. For example, collaborations
with restaurants and food product makers have produced miniature food samples, and atie-up with a camping-gear maker has led to miniature items for camps.
New products are being developed one after the other, and once they are sold out,
they are replaced by new ones. So if you see something you like, you have to purchase iton the spot, otherwise you may never see it again. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance!
Unusual capsule toys that have become topical recently include such usuallyinconceivable items as ID photos of complete strangers and letters from a grandpa andgrandma. Such items often become talking points on social media. There are also items
limited to certain tourist spots and limited-time offers, which are popular amongcollectors.

New hub of capsule toy culture
The Gashapon Department Store Ikebukuro Main Store opened in February 2021. It is
the flagship store of Gashapon department stores deployed around the country. The
concept of this flagship store inTokyo’s Ikebukuro, which is a hubof art and culture, is to update
Japan’s

capsule-toy

culture,which is representative of thenation’s toy culture, with anexperience-oriented sales floor
proposing new ways of enjoying
Gashapon. The store boasts more

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than 3,000 machines, the largest number in the world. Indeed, in March 2021 it waslisted in the Guinness World Records as having the largest number of Gashapon
machines in a single location. Incidentally, Gashapon is a registered trademark ofBandai. (Gachapon is also a Bandai trademark, Gacha Gacha is the trademark of several
companies, and Gacha is a trademark of Takara Tomy Arts.) Bandai entered the capsuletoy business in 1977, so this year marks its forty-fifth anniversary in this domain.
Overturning the conventional image of Gashapon, the store, right from its entrance,
evokes a theme-park-like feeling of fun. The exhibition changes every so often. As of May
2022, it features the history of Gashapon. Beyond the entrance there is a Gashapon
Odyssey machine, one of only
two of their kind in the world
developed as concept models of
futureGashaponvending

machines at a total cost of morethan 100 million yen. Thismachine will be on display
until the end of February 2023.
Visitors can actually insert
coins and experience operatingit.
A wide range of people visit the store, including groups of junior and senior highschool students, couples on dates, and nostalgic adults. The spacious interior of the store
is packed with Gashapon machines. It really does seem like a maze. Just looking aroundis fun in itself. What surprised me as I walked around was the unexpectedly large variety
of machine types. As befits a so-called department store, the product lineup is plentiful.
There are kids’ characters and toys, novelty goods, and elaborate figurines of anime and

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manga characters, animals, insects, dinosaurs, and so on, as well as practical items likeclear file folders featuring well-known characters, pouches, and eco-friendly bags.
Unusual items include miniature push-buttons, traffic signals, and train seats. They are
all so charming and desirable. One recent hit is the Onigiring series, which features aring mounted with sample rice-ball ingredients inside a rice-ball-shaped case. It has
become a talking point on social media.

New experiences to enrich daily Gashapon hunting
The Bandai Gashapon Corner inside thestore sells Premium Gashapon items that
would

be

difficult

to

find

elsewhere,

including high-quality capsule toys priced inthe

800–1,500

yenrange.

Premium

Gashapon items are top-quality capsule toys
with amazing product specifications goingway beyond conventional wisdom.
In addition, recently Smart Gashapon
machines have been introduced, especiallyat railway stations. These machines, which
offer cashless operations with IC cards, canbe experienced at the store too. And thestore’s stock of items in the Bandai
Gashapon Corner can be checked on its
website, so shoppers can confirm theavailability of their desired products before going to the store.

Clinching a 100-yen coin and having a go myself!
After much hesitation, I decided to have a go for a capsule
toy imitating, in commemoration of the forty-fifth
anniversary of Bandai’s Gashapon, past Gashapon
vending machines. There are a total of six types of these
Gashapon vending machines of the past in this machine. I
inserted the coin and turned the handle. My heart
pounded as I opened the capsule. When I returned home
and assembled it, I was surprised to find that there was

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actually a tiny capsule included. And when I rotated the small handle, the capsule evencame out. The elaborateness was simply amazing! When I stuck on the seal, it was justlike the real thing. I highly recommend this item for people who like miniature things. I
also tried the Ninja Cat. The capsule contains a small ninja cat figurine, which can be
disguised using the small mask that is included. This is a highly elaborate piece too.

Ideal as souvenirs as well
Gashapon are attracting attention in some foreign countries too. At the moment
apparently it is mainly anime and manga characters that are popular among foreigners.
But Japan has a tradition of excellence in the elaborate manufacture of small products,
and various miniature goods would probably make good souvenirs. Traditional Japanesefigurines or unique goods, such as traffic signals, might be just the thing. Or such items
as food-sample keyholders.
For tourists visiting Japan from overseas, such items are reasonably priced andwould be perfect as bulk souvenirs for friends back home. There are many to choose from,
including haniwa stuffed dolls that are sure to make you smile, uniquely Japanesemerchandise that conjures up images of everyday life in Japan, such as Japanese train
seats, signals, and food samples, and nostalgic items, such as vintage cars and a pouchIHCSA Café

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shaped like a cassette tape. When they are carried home, they can be put back into thecapsules, so there is no need to worry about them breaking.
In addition, the capsule-toy department store is indoors, so fun can be had whatever
the weather. Another attraction is that it is located in a shopping mall alongside otherpopular anime character stores, boutiques, variety stores, restaurants, and so on. What’smore, while many museums, art galleries, landscape gardens, and other such facilities
are usually open only until around 16:30, this capsule-toy store remains open until 22:00,
and admission itself is free. Even if you just intend to take a little peek, half an hoursoon flies past.
Visitors to the Gashapon Department Store Ikebukuro Main Store can also makefree use of the Gasha Photo Spot, where
you can have fun photographing items
that catch your fancy. Scenes of Tokyo canbe used as a background, so they would
make a good memento. Coins are used
when buying Gashapon toys. But don’t
worry if you only have 1,000 yen, 5,000
yen, or 10,000 yen banknotes, because
there are change machines in the store.
While capsules can be taken away, they arereusable, so the store also provides a place where
they can be returned. This Gasha Point Station
for retrieving empty capsules has a charming toylike design itself. So while enjoying some playful
fun, children can learn about recycling capsules
too.

I had a talk with Mr. Tomohiro Tsuruta, manager of the
Gashapon Department Store Ikebukuro Main Store.
Q: Do you get many visitors from overseas?
A: We opened in 2021 amid the Covid-19 pandemic, so as yet
we have had almost no visitors from overseas. But someforeigners who are living in Japan do come here.

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Q: I would like to ask you to convey the attractions of the
Gashapon Department Store to foreigners coming toJapan from overseas. What is the main selling point?
A: I think maybe it’s the thrill of thinking that some time
you will be able to encounter something you like. We havea wide variety of products available, so it’s easy for
absolutely anyone to find something they like. I think’s
it’s a place where the possibility of encounteringsomething you like is expanded. I would like foreign customers to find what they likehere and take it home with them as a memento of Japan.
Q: Do you have pamphlets in foreign languages or a foreign-language website?
A: At present we don’t have any foreign-language pamphlets. But I don’t think words arethat necessary, because really all you have to do is look, insert a coin, and turn a handle.
Visitors can see in an instant how to play and what products are on offer, so they can justgo round and have fun as they please. First of all, foreigners should come to the store
and see for themselves. We are the only place in the world with more than 3,000
machines. With such a large variety, they are sure to have a lot of fun looking aroundand maybe finding something quite unexpected.
Q: What is the age of your customers?
A: We get a really wide range of visitors, from families with small children to elderly folk.
Kids naturally have an interest mainly in popular characters, but older people seem tohave an interest in nostalgic things from the past. Moreover, many items are very
elaborately made, so one way to enjoy a visit is to look at the products and think, “Thisis how it used to be!” Our store is a place where a wide variety of customers can have fun.
Q: Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, I realize you haven’t had many visitors from overseas
yet. But when the pandemic subsides, the number of foreign visitors to Japan is going torise. What is your message to foreigners coming from overseas?
A: I think this huge boom in Gashapon is a unique culture of Japan. You will find many
surprising products here, so by all means come and visit us once and look around. And if
you tell your friends and acquaintances about us, Gashapon will become even more
popular. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

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Visiting this store, you encounter all kinds of things. You see Japan’s passion anddevotion to craftsmanship and its affection for small things, as well as glimpses ofJapanese life. You also see what interests the Japanese and their sense of humor.
Apparently, if you are in Japan, you can now enjoy Gashapon online too. Going forward,
capsule toys are going to continue evolving and transcending the times. You simply can’t
afford to take your eyes off Gashapon!
********************************************************************************

Cooperation:
Gashapon Department Store Ikebukuro Main StoreSunshine City World Import Mart Building 3F
3-1-3 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013
Tel.: 050-5835-2263
Business hours: 10:00–22:00
Holidays: Open all year roundhttps://bandainamco-am.co.jp/others/capsule-toy-store/store/ikebukuro/*Notification of sudden changes in business days and hours will be posted on Twitter(@gasha_ikbkr).

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