There are many toys that are diverse in both appearance and features, attracting a large number of loyal buyers, including Gashapon toys. So what is Gashapon that can make young people so fascinated that they don't even hesitate to spend a lot of money to collect it? Please join Mykingdom to find out through this article.
What is Gashapon?
“Gashapon” is originally an onomatopoeic word taken from Japanese, consisting of two syllables: “gasha” (or “gacha”) symbolizing the sound of the crank of a toy vending machine, and “pon” the sound of plastic capsule when falling into the machine's extraction slot. In short, the word “Gashapon” is used to describe toy vending machines or the toys themselves that come out of them.
Gashapon, also known as capsule toys, are machines that sell toys placed in capsules. Players must put coins into the machine to "spin the prize". Different from toy vending machines in the West, Gashapon's main target not only includes children but also attracts a diverse audience from teenagers to the elderly.
Gashapon is a passion of many generations of Japanese, and gacha toys have absolutely no limits, from characters from anime, manga, and video games to everyday items shrunk to size. With a capsule shell on the outside, Gashapon is a shocking surprise that makes participants want to stop but can't.
However, spinning your favorite item is not always easy and often depends on the player's luck. This increases the appeal and excitement when participating in the game.
What is Gashapon's development process?
Capsule Toy originated in the United States in 1907. At first, its shape was a gum vending machine produced by the Thomas Adams Gum company. However, it was not until 1965 that Capsule Toy was officially imported into Japan and quickly spread throughout the country. At that time, the price of one spin was only 10 yen, creating favorable conditions for people of all ages to participate in this game.
Depending on the period or the name of the manufacturing company, Capsule Toy is called by many different names such as Gashapon, Gacha Gacha or Gashapon. Among them, the name "Gashapon" is the most popular. These names are both inspired by the "clicking" sound when turning the lever and the word "Pon" which describes the sound of plastic capsules falling into the slot.
For children of that era, the Gashapon vending machine was truly a treasure. Inside Gashapon often contains toys such as the tiny gun that every boy dreams of, erasers shaped like supercars, Gundam models, electro-optical superhero Ultraman, and more. Gashapon capsules are often designed to be half transparent, creating excitement and curiosity when children can see part of the toy inside. They are constantly guessing and looking forward to the next toy that will fall into the slot.
Thanks to the large number of players, the number of manufacturers participating in the Gashapon market is also increasing. In addition to the usual small toys, limited edition plastic toy balls also drove participants crazy. The toys inside Gashapon are increasingly diverse, such as miniature models with amazing meticulousness, produced by the world's leading brands such as Kaiyodo, targeting the Otaku world.
In addition, there are models with unique ideas that everyone from children to adults like, such as the "Goddess Too Free" model set with images of the Statue of Liberty in many different photo poses, or "Koppu no Fuchiko-san" cup mouth decoration model set. Each product line also has a "secret version" that is not announced, causing Gashapon fans to try play after play to find this rare version.
Since the 2000s, the number of Gashapon machines has increased significantly. Gashapon stores were born and inside them there were hundreds of Gashapon machines. Not only toys, local products are also scaled down in model form and put inside these plastic capsules. Many Gashapon machines are also installed in tourist areas, attracting the attention of a large number of visitors.
What is the attraction of Gashapon?
The interesting thing about Gashapon is that you will never know what surprise those colorful plastic balls will contain. Even when the transparent Gashapon appeared, knowing in advance what toy was inside, it still couldn't stop the children's curiosity and excitement.
Gashapon balls are usually made from high-quality PVC, with many creative details and colorful colors. Many types of Gashapon bulbs are also considered collectors' items. For particularly rare balls, their selling price is very high and can only be found in second-hand stores.
What do you get in Gashapon?
The toys inside Gashapon capsules are often famous characters from manga, video games or Japanese anime franchises. These toys are highly detailed and shaped exactly according to each character, thanks to which the plastic toy balls have attracted a large number of players of all generations in Japan.
Most Gashapon toys are released in sets - each set will have a certain number of characters to collect. They are essentially "secret items" hidden behind the capsule's coating; Players insert money and hope the machine will spin the item or character they desire. However, sometimes this random element of entertainment can be frustrating, because the machine can continuously spin out items that the player already has.
Avid collectors will often buy complete sets from Gashapon stores in locations such as Akihabara in Tokyo or Nipponbashi (Den-Den Town) in Osaka. Depending on the store, buying in sets is often cheaper than buying randomly from the machine.
Mykingdom hopes the above article has answered your question about what Gashapon is . Today, Gashapon has become part of Japan's distinctive consumer culture, attracting the interest of players of all ages and locations around the world. If you want to buy anime character models or toy models from POP MART to collect, don't forget to order at Mykingdom or Hobiverse!
