Celebrate 60 years of Gachapon Toys
Gachapon, or capsule toys, are a staple of Japanese pop culture. The tiny toys get their name from the “gacha gacha” sound the trinkets make when they come out of their machine’s chute. From miniature figurines and plush toys to bizarre treasures, gachapon have extended to a wide array of goods throughout their history. In 1965, Ryuzo Shigeta, later nicknamed “the Grandfather of Gachapon,” set up the first gachapon machine in Japan with each product in a plastic ball.
Marking the 60th anniversary of gachapon in Japan, the Marunouchi Building is hosting a special exhibition —the Gacha Gacha Exhibition— highlighting the evolution of the toys and some of the biggest names in the industry.
Exhibitors
The exhibit will feature a variety of gachapon creators and manufacturers, including:
- Kitan Club
- Kenelephant
- Qualia
- K2 Station
- Studio Sota
- Stand Stones
- Tarlin International
- Toys Cabin
- Toys Spirits
- Bushiroad Creative
- Brightlink
The exhibition will display over 400 toy series, along with explaining the production process. “Phantom gachapon,” toys that for various reasons never made it out to commercialization, will also be on display.
Gacha Gacha Street
The heart of the venue will be Gacha Gacha Street, housing over 200 gachapon machines from the exhibitors. Dispensers will have both popular past collections, and also new toys that have not been released yet. Visitors can be the first to see and buy the latest products.
Workshop and Presentations
The venue will host exclusive talk events and presentations.
Katsuhiko Onoo, president of the Japan Gacha Gacha Association, invites guests to join in on an in-depth discussion on gachapon.
- July 26: 14:00 – 15:00
- Guests: Brightlink Co., Ltd. Representative Director Akari Sato and Brightlink Inc. Director Mao Tomita
- July 27: 14:00 – 15:00
- Guest: Collector Kaori Watanabe
- August 3: 14:00 – 15:00
- Guest: Kitan Club Founder Daiki Furuya
Guests can also participate in a workshop to experience being a professional gachapon creator. Participants will draw out their designs and discuss their ideas with professionals who will give tips on how to turn them into reality. Then, they will create a display sign for their gachapon concept for everyone to see. Up to 10 people can participate in each workshop session. Reservations can be made here.
- August 4: 11:00 – 12:00 (Registration begins at 10:30)
- Instructors: Taro Takekasa and Yoshitane Sakamoto (Crayfish Works)
- August 12: 11:00 – 12:00 (Registration begins at 10:30)
- Instructor: Keiko Otohata (Mousou Kosakusho)
