Gacha gacha exhibition mirrors growing creativity in capsule toys

TOKYO, Japan Wire - As gacha gacha culture looks back on 60 years in Japan, an exhibition in Tokyo celebrates the growing culture and creativity behind the toys confined to capsules.

At the Gacha Gacha Exhibition in Roppongi, Tokyo, visitors can see one of the early capsule toy vending machines first brought to Japan from the U.S. by Penny Sales Co. in 1965. The machines and toys became known as “gacha gacha,” after the sound of the handle being turned to dispense the toys within.

More than 60 years later, capsule toy culture is thriving in Japan. In an increasingly digital world, more and more people are turning to the analogue pleasures of gacha gacha.

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The capsule toy market surged to an estimated 141 billion yen ($918 million) in 2024, almost double the estimated 72 billion yen in 2022, according to surveys by the Japan Capsule Toy Association. Makers were producing around 700 new products each month, typically priced between 400 yen and 500 yen.

Katsuhiko Onoo, representative director of the separate Japan Gacha Gacha Association -- one of the Roppongi exhibition collaborators -- says that while the rise in shops and spaces dedicated to capsule toy machines is driving the boom, the improved quality of the toys themselves is behind gacha gacha’s longevity.

Once seen as something for children, capsule toys are now created by skilled craftsmen and artists, displaying incredible attention to detail. “Japan has long had a culture of appreciating tiny, detailed objects. That sensibility can be found in gacha gacha today,” Onoo, 60, told Japan Wire at the exhibition.

The Roppongi exhibition, which runs through March 2 at the Roppongi Museum, features capsule toys from over 400 series and 13 makers. Themes are wide-ranging, including retro electronics, food samples, and even fishing gear. Onoo says he wants visitors to see how many of the toys are unique to the world of gacha gacha.

Displays include the Koppu no Fuchiko series from maker Kitan Club Co. Released in 2012, the popular series depicting an office lady perched on the edge of a mug marked a turning point for gacha gacha, according to Onoo. Where toys were typically adapted from existing characters and products, the series was unique to gacha gacha and sparked an increase in makers producing toys exclusively for the genre.

Around the same time, makers found a growing audience among women, driven by the trend of sharing content about the toys on social media. They began designing products targeting the burgeoning demographic, with series like Kitan Club’s onigiri fillings -- rings decorated with ingredients used in rice balls, including salmon roe and pickled plum -- proving popular.

The Roppongi exhibition is an expansion of one marking the 60th anniversary of gacha gacha held in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district in July and August last year. Of the around 38,000 visitors to that event, 70 percent were women, according to Onoo.

Kiyone Okumura, who went to the 60th anniversary event, was visiting the Roppongi exhibition after work. The 24-year-old said she follows news of capsule toy releases on Instagram. “If I see something that looks interesting, I’ll check a capsule toy corner and go straight for the toys I had my eye on.”

Okumura said she has recently been collecting toys from the Tamagotchi electronic pet series and even miniatures of gacha gacha machines. “I’ve lost count of how many I have,” she said. “I put them on display but I’m running out of wall space.”

Haruka Inamori, 26, was visiting the exhibition in Roppongi with a friend after reading about it on the social media platform X. Inamori said she has enjoyed capsule toys for a long time, collecting a large number over the years. “I have a ridiculous amount. I’ve probably spent around 200,000 yen on them,” she said.

Inamori said she became a fan of the toys through collecting boxed miniature models as a child. “As I grew up, my love for miniatures naturally moved toward capsule toys.”

Such is the appeal of gacha gacha in Japan, people even want to put their own image in the capsules.

A series based on ID photos is among the more curious on display at the exhibition.

What started in 2022 with the “complete stranger series,” featuring capsules containing driver license–style ID photos donated by their owners, expanded to include photos of cats and dogs, and even old graduation photos. The series has sold over 500,000 capsules, according to the exhibition organizers.

Onoo, whose own photo is part of the series, works full-time promoting, sharing research, and writing books about gacha gacha culture. Despite the size constraint of the capsules, Onoo believes the market has yet to hit its ceiling. “Right now, it’s around 140 billion yen, but it could grow to 200 billion yen,” he said.

This article was submitted by a contributing writer for publication on Japan Wire.