The 'Gacha Department Store' in Osaka's Umeda is Super Fun♪

📍 Osaka · 👁 1327 reads

A comprehensive investigation of capsule toy specialty stores! The 'Gacha Department Store' in Osaka's Umeda is Super Fun♪

"GACHA," "GACHAGACHA," "GASHAPON," "GACHAPON"—capsule toys go by many names. These are small vending machines where you insert coins and turn a handle to get a small prize inside a capsule.

Capsule toy machines originally came from the United States, where they started as machines selling gumballs. They later made their way to Japan, with their quality and variety improving year after year.

In recent years, the range of capsule toys has expanded to include character figurines from manga, anime, and movies; miniature food replicas; and unique original toys shaped like animals. Some items even showcase the craftsmanship of artisans, with a level of detail that is truly moving!

The biggest appeal of capsule toys is the chance to encounter that "just right!" item among countless options. The desire to collect a full set creates a thrilling sense of anticipation, not knowing if your favorite will pop out—much like buying a lottery ticket. As a subculture that people of all ages can enjoy, it's currently riding a wave of popularity!

More and more capsule toy machines are appearing in airports and commercial facilities, and they have become a convenient souvenir option, popular among tourists! This time, I decided to investigate a popular capsule toy specialty store～👍

I headed to "HEP FIVE," about a 5-minute walk from Exit 1 of "Higashi-Umeda Station" on the Osaka Metro Tanimachi Line!

Inside HEP FIVE, there's a store that opened with great fanfare in March 2023: "Gacha Department Store HEP FIVE." It boasts an incredibly extensive lineup of capsule toy machines, from the latest models to classics, and it's super popular✨

So let's head straight to the 9th floor where the "Gacha Department Store" is located and check out the capsule toy machines♪

The first charm of the Gacha Department Store is the sheer variety. The installation area and number of machines are said to be the largest in the Kansai region—when I visited, there were about 600 faces! From the latest models to character, food, and animal categories, there's a bit of everything, so you're sure to find something you like👍

To play Japanese capsule toy machines, you just need coins. Almost all items require 100 yen coins, so if you don't have any, you can use the change machine in the store to exchange bills for 100 yen coins.

I wonder what kind of items I'll encounter? Nervous and excited! With my 100 yen coins ready, let's first check out capsule toy machines related to anime, manga, and movies♪

I immediately spotted the super popular series "One Piece Fruits!" Popular characters from "One Piece" become figurines about 3 cm tall, popping out from capsules shaped like Devil Fruits!

I actually wanted Chopper, but this time I got Charlotte Linlin, one of the Four Emperors! Big Mom!!!

The capsule itself is a Devil Fruit—pretty fun, right? You can also place the figurine inside the capsule for display, making you want to collect them all.

There are also machines for Chiikawa, Disney movie villains, Sanrio characters, LINE original characters, and other popular characters lined up one after another♪

The super popular food miniature model series includes items from chain restaurants like Saizeriya, Denny's, and Mister Donut, arranged like a department store. The retro café melon soda and pudding are so adorable♪

As a bread lover, I checked out Pasco's "Mini Bread Series." Actual products like dinner rolls and melon buns have been turned into realistic keychain models—so fun! This time I got the "Super Rich 6-Slice Toast"♪

And the bread can be taken out of the bag! The cross-section of the 6-slice toast and the rough texture of the bread surface are perfectly reproduced. When you actually touch it, it feels as soft as real toast—so pleasant～

Up to now, I've been looking at classic items, but there are also some uniquely interesting capsule toy machines that feel completely different!

Wooden puzzles, plastic model sets of zookeepers and animals, 1/25 scale miniature utility poles, 1/12 scale miniature muscle training equipment—just to name a few.

There are also many quirky capsule toy machines that make you smile and wonder, "They even have this?!"

One that I think would make a great souvenir to give as a gift is the game category!

World-famous card game "UNO," the speed game "Hashi no Drill" where you use chopsticks to move sushi as fast as possible, the mahjong-like board game "Donjara"—these would be fun to play with family and friends♪

Inside the "Gacha Department Store HEP FIVE," there's also a new concept in capsule toys: high-quality "Premium Gacha Machines" priced between 800 and 2,500 yen, higher than regular machines. I'm curious to see how good the quality is～!

※Playing Premium Gacha Machines requires 500 yen coins, so remember to use the change machine to get 500 yen coins.

The "Bio Great Picture Book Advanced" series, which reproduces creatures like insects and reptiles, is a hot seller! I'll try my luck with the Hercules beetle.

Wow, this is amazing! Opening the capsule, I find the assembled parts of the Hercules beetle, and it's already incredibly realistic!

Once assembled, the gloss of the shell, the transparency of the wings, the joints of the legs, and even the sharpness of the leg tips are so lifelike that it feels like it's about to move—truly stunning.

Anime "Demon Slayer" premium gacha machine!

I got a figurine of Sanemi Shinazugawa, one of the core "Hashira" of the Demon Slayer Corps! Placing it on my office desk feels like it will boost my work motivation♪

Found a favorite capsule toy series—collecting the whole set is another way to enjoy them! This time, I wanted to collect the "Animal Camping" series. Miniature models of rabbits, foxes, bears, and other animals reenacting camping scenes.

The "nervous excitement" of not knowing what you'll get is the charm of capsule toy machines! So what will I get? Let's spin together～🎵

This time, I successfully collected three pieces from "Animal Camping." The three together look even cuter♡ Camping chairs, cups, a lantern, and even a campfire—so awesome♪ I wonder what they're chatting about?

There are also a rabbit and an elephant—next time I see them on the street, I'll definitely give it a spin and try to collect the full set!!

Ta-da! These are the capsule toys I got this time. Since childhood, I've wanted to play with them, and now as an adult, I enjoyed the luxury of spinning one by one instead of buying a whole set♪

Because you spin it yourself and don't know what'll come out, you experience that nervous anticipation. Capsule toy machines are like a theme park that brings us joy.

Now you can check some of the items available in the store via the official website. If you're curious about what's on offer, be sure to take a look!

Everyone, come here to get a souvenir and create a memory of your trip!

Travel Diary Table of Contents:

1. ● What are Japan's super popular "capsule toy machines"?

2. ● [Access] Take Osaka Metro to "Gacha Department Store HEP FIVE"

3. ● [Change] A wide variety of capsule toy machines! Exchange bills for 100 yen coins!

4. ● [Classics] Figurines of popular manga, anime, and movie characters

5. ● [Classics] Exquisite miniature food models

6. ● [Novelty] Creative, fun, and unique novelty capsule toys

7. ● [New Concept] Too realistic!? High-quality "Premium Gacha"

8. ● [Collecting] More adorable when complete! What's inside the gacha you spin while praying...?

9. ● [Summary] Get both memories and souvenirs in one go♪