Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan: The Best Gachapon Store in Japan

Japan is well known for its incredibly bizarre culture ranging from its traditional foods and snacks to the Gachapon, or capsule toy machines. Gachapons are one of the most entertaining to spend your spare change in Japan. The great gifts inside this plastic frequently make for excellent keepsakes, including kid-friendly trinkets and collectibles, small artwork, and even face masks. There are several places to buy gachapon in Tokyo, including the airports of Haneda and Narita, where you've probably seen many of these toy vending machines. But the Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan is the best go-to place if you want greater value for your money.

Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan

The Japanese term for capsule toys is "Gachapon," and the Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan is its heaven base in Japan. Many gachapon vending machine capsule toy stores may be found in Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan, five minutes on foot from the Electric Town Exit of Akihabara Station and a 2-minute walk from Exit 3 of Suehirocho Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line. Any visitor can quickly become lost in the maze of gachapon machines in Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan because there are so many things to do there. This is a small shop filled with only gachapon from floor to ceiling where you may get some of the strangest capsule toys because of the variety on offer.

Around 450 different machines can be found here. The shop may have everything you need, including common and uncommon capsule toys. There are roughly 50 new gachapon series added to Gachapon Kaikan each month, so you'll never get bored! Every time you visit, it's essentially a brand-new store. You can choose from various well-known Japanese characters and rare figures, such as Sailor Moon or Pokemon, or you can find something a little stranger. Indeed, the best spot to get a bunch of goods at a low cost is Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan if you're in Akihabara and looking for inexpensive keepsakes.

How to Use Gachapon Machines in Akihabara

Using a gachapon machine in Akihabara is similar to using a gumball machine. To get your capsule toy, just keep adding a few coins until you reach the value indicated on the machine, turn the crank, and wait. A tiny plastic capsule will drop into the can. Grab it and unwrap it to reveal the toy you received. Gachapon machines are a fantastic method to use up any extra change before you leave for home by purchasing some inexpensive souvenirs since large sums and credit cards aren't required or accepted.

What are the capsule toys in Akihabara Gachapon Hall?

Although there are machine clusters all over the place, Akihabara Gachapon Hall has the largest selection. You will undoubtedly experience some hard-core selection paralysis when facing hundreds of machines. Practically anything is available, although merchandise with an anime or manga theme is the most popular. Animals, animals acting oddly, such as bowing or acting like office workers, food, insects, dinosaurs, and even little household appliances and electronics are cute options. Moreover, there are many with a culinary theme like sushi keychains, Japanese cup ramen, and onigiri Japanese rice balls. Here are some of the best and most interesting gachapon items that you can collect.

1. Fuchico on the Cup

Fuchico on the Cup wasn't one of those typical magnets or keychains but something practical for daily use. She was a petite office worker perched on your cup's rim. Katsuki Tanaka, a manga artist, created the Fuchico on the Cup. He wanted each post to look more intriguing because he had noticed that many people posted uninteresting food images on social media. Fuchico on the Cup sold millions of records and became an overnight sensation. Fuchico is still widely popular on Japanese social media. Thanks to Fuchico, people who had never been interested in gachapon began to learn about it.

2. Gundam Figures

With literally hundreds of small figures available covering every phase of the anime's history, Gundam gachapon is maybe the ruler of all gachapon. Some of the earliest figures ever sold inside a gachapon were these Gundam Figures. There are a variety of figurines available, including characters, freestanding figurines, and ones that need assembly similar to the hugely popular Gundam model kits.

3. Kinniku Man Keshigomu

Kinniku Man Keshigomu, named after the protagonist of the same-named manga series, was one of the first gachapon toys to become very popular. These collectible erasers come in various poses and variations, while the Muscle Man himself sports a lot of brawn topped off with a small spike and the character for meat on his head.

It's Japan Crate Time!

Japan Crate offers a gachapon lucky bag, Sugoi Mart Gachapon Lucky Bag, which features the best assortment of 13 gachapon capsules, animal figures, toys, collectibles, & more direct from authentic Japanese gachapon machines. Each Gacha Gacha lucky bag provides you with the most exciting and fun surprise, staying faithful to the gachapon purpose. For more entertainment, mystery, and fun Japanese products (like sweet and savory snacks), subscribe right now to Japan Crate for exciting monthly deliveries.