In Vol. 3 of the JOL Newsletter, we talked about vending machines in Japan. Today we would like to talk about what is called “Gachapon” or “Gach-Gacha”- which are capsule toy machines that look similar to vending machines.
The way a Gachapon works is that you put money (it usually costs about 100-300 yen) into it and twist the handle, a capsule toy will then come out. You can’t choose what you get from Gachapon, while you can buy an item of your choice from vending machines.
There are many kinds of Gachapon such as anime figures, keychains, cute and funny animal toys, car toys, small bags, and small stationery items.
It’s exciting to get something expected or unexpected, and it’s fun to collect a series of toys and items you like. Which is probably why Gachapon continue to attract people to them.
Japanese-Online offers a complete Japanese video course for only $14/month! Learn more at Japanes-Online.com\ Free sign up for the Japanese-Online Newsletter /
Since 1996, Japanese-Online has been provided as a free service from PSPinc with the purpose of providing resources to individuals interested in learning about the Japanese Language and culture.
Japanese-Online has content suited to varying levels of study, including lessons for beginners as well as lessons tailored for those who need grammar and writing resources. Lessons are best suited to those who have basic understanding of hiragana and katakana alphabets before moving on to the more advanced grammar and particle lessons. Grammar lessons focus on learning about writing and creating more complex sentences and most lessons will not use romaji (Japanese sounds written with roman letters). Kanji is used in the lessons with hiragana and English translations provided.