Getting what you want out of a gachapon machine is all about luck, and in reality there isn’t any real skill involved.
You’ve probably been there – having inserted a 200 yen coin for the third time in a row, you enthusiastically turn the handle, only to find yourself with yet another ‘golden poop’. Now, whilst there is nothing wrong with a golden poop – or even three of them – (if you haven’t caught on already, we’re talking about capsule toys here...), let’s face it, you probably wanted one of those ‘flying pastel’ ‘colourful painting’ or ‘galaxy volcano’ poops, cause you know; who wouldn’t?.

Before diving into any ‘gachapon challenges’ this year, why not spell out your luck for 2021 with these ‘fortune telling’ capsule toys.

Created by designer Taishi Arimura, the toys combine designs of typical lucky charms and legendary creatures often associated with positive folktales in Japan. The idea behind the mythical mashup toys is that ‘if you combine them, surely your fortune will double?’

The capsule toys are available in 5 designs. Each design comes with theory for what the future will hold;

Daruma x Maneki Neko = recovery from misfortune & prosperous business

Lion Dance x Tanuki = elimination of sickness & prosperous business

Fukusuke Doll x Inu Hariko = happiness & protection

Akabeko x Sea Bream = apotropaic magic protection & success

Uchide no Kozuchi (magic hammer) x Kokeshi Doll = wealth & amplified energy


The fortune-telling toys are available for 300 yen a piece at Tama-Kyu Gachapon vending machines nationwide.

If you haven’t learned the hard way that completing a capsule toy collection is no easy feat, then you may be tempted to collect all five fortune-telling capsule toys. If however, you

are a superstitious person, we suggest treating this particular set as you would a fortune-reading from a temple – one per try – as you wouldn’t want to jinx the luck of your charms by overdoing it.
Then again, if luck is truly on your side, having all five can only mean great things for the upcoming year.


By - Connie Sceaphierde.