Gachapon: Capsules of Joy, ¥300 a pop (GUEST POST!)

This week - a guest post from Step Up Japanese student David Sharp! 

I have a bit of a gachapon obsession. There are so many things I love about Japan, but my eyes light up when I see a gachapon machine. I’ve got a sixth sense specifically dedicated to locating gachapon machines and you can guarantee I’ll make a beeline for it, or forever regret not seeing what mysteries they might hold. There’s something very Japanese about gachapon: compact, transient, novel and convenient.

But let’s back up for a second – what is gachapon?

A gachapon machine is a small box, with a mechanism a bit like a gumball machine that dispenses little plastic capsules with some sort of ‘prize’ in them. You’ll usually see them stacked two or three high and accompanied by some either side. You may even find them stretching out across an entire wall, or filling up what might otherwise be wasted space.

To operate them is pretty simple: drop the correct coins into the coin slot and then turn the crank on the front, after a few turns your prize will drop out!

Gachapon 「ガチャポン」as a word comes from the “gacha gacha” 「ガチャガチャ」sound the machine makes as you turn the crank to release your prize. What people actually call them tends to differ.

From my experience "gachapon" is pretty common, however you’re also likely to see “gashapon"「ガシャポン」 or simply “gacha”「ガチャ」 (which are Bandai and Tomy trademarks, respectively), both of which derive from the same onomatopoeia.

Typically, a gachapon prize comprises of three components: the capsule, a little scrap of paper with all the prizes you could have won and your prize itself!

Here's what to expect from your average gachapon machine: a capsule, your prize (in this case a Pokémon pin) and the "here's what you could have won" scrap of paper:

So now we know what gachapon is, let's have a look at some of the prizes on offer!

Phone danglers are quite a common find:

Those on the left are actually designed to fit onto a bottle cap, which is a trend I'm not sure I understand ↓

Sometimes you'll find something a little more traditional ↓

Souvenir gacha aimed at tourists, which look a bit more like gumball machines  ↓

Turns out you can even get watches in gachapon ↓

Deep down I regret not getting a Gudetama watch for 300¥  ↓

Magic sand and pots of slime are pretty common in kid-friendly places ↓

If you're happy to pay a bit more, you might find some of these sofubi (ソフビ "soft plastic") designer toys ↓

Shinkansen themed bags, purses and pouches ↓ 

Hopefully you'll find some cat hats ↓ 

...and more cat hats...

...and dog hats...

...and yet more cat hats...

...and cat wings...

...and somehow still find more cat hats! 

In the contents of gachapon machines, there is a spectrum of target audiences and of usefulness, but one thing all the prizes have in common is the capsule they come in (hence sometimes being referred to as “capsule toys” 「カプセルトイ」)

“But, David”, I hear you say, “if you’re buying so many gachapon, what happens to all the empty capsules?”

Well, while not entirely universal, most places you’ll be able to get gachapon will also have a little basket or bin to dispose of your unwanted capsules.

But if you do find yourself taking them away with you, Bandai’s capsules are all recyclable, and most others will at least be half recyclable. Occasionally though you’ll find a capsule toy where you should keep hold of the capsule, because the capsule is the toy!

The capsule of these gachapon are maneki neko (招き猫; Lucky Cat) torsos!   ↓ 

“I’m sold”, you say, metaphorically, “how much do will these fancy-schmancy capsules set me back?”

Gachapon machines (almost) always only accept 100¥ coins, so will cost a multiple of 100¥. A price tag of 300¥ is most common (approx. £2, at the time of writing) but you’ll likely see a lot of 200¥ and 400¥ machines too.

You might also stumble across a 500¥ gachapon machine, in which case don’t be surprised if it’s bordering on risque!

The only 500¥ gachapon here are these swimsuit-clad women ↓ 

While it’s certainly a matter of opinion, individual gachapon prizes tend to be good value for money. No matter how goofy a gachapon purchase may be, I find it difficult to be disappointed in the prize! Say you find a machine full of cute phone danglers; the quality will be comparable to one you might buy in a souvenir shop, but for cheaper!

However, if there’s one you’re really keen to own, or you want to collect the whole set, you run the risk of ending up with a lot of duplicates! (Although I’m sure you’ll be able to find an unsuspecting friend to offload them onto as “thoughtful gifts” from your travels.)

If you see a machine full of trinkets that you must have in your life and are keen on collecting a whole set– or there’s only one in a set you like the look of and don’t want to risk winning a dud–  you may be able to buy it elsewhere. Akihabara, for example, has a number of shops that sell rows and rows of loose figures usually with very little markup (sometimes you’ll practically just be paying the tax). However, something truly sought after might set you back up to double what you would’ve paid for from the machine!

But now you've booked your flights to Japan and you're wondering “Where can I even find gachapon?”

Everywhere! Although they’re not as common as vending machines, you’ll find gachapon at tourist attractions, train stations, airports, convenience stores, arcades, shopping areas, department stores, sometimes even in temples. The beauty of gachapon is that you don’t need to dedicate a chunk of your day searching for them, or venture too far out of your way to find them. While there are dedicated stores you could keep an eye out for, the truth is there’s such a variety that over your trip you’ll hopefully stumble upon a wide range of potential prizes. (That said– if, at the end of your trip, you find yourself at Narita Airport’s Terminal 2 with pockets full of leftover coins, they have a huge selection just outside the 7-Eleven).

Narita Airport's terminal 2 wants your coins! (Fun fact: I had to get money out so I could get a few more gacha before heading home) ↓

The gachapon on offer are constantly changing and vary from place to place, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up about finding anything in particular, but there’s so much choice you’re bound to find something cool, cute, weird or that makes you chuckle!

Happy hunting!

Find David and tell him what your favourite gachapon prize is at davidsharp.codes. Or check out more of his Japan pics (including even more gachapon photos!) on his instagram.

P.S. Would you like to write a guest blog post for Step Up Japanese? Get in touch! :)

New Year's Resolutions - 2018

明けましておめでとうございます！ (Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu!) Happy New Year!

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions this year?

January is a really good time to think about goals for the year ahead.  Apart from anything else, it's cold! And it's nice to be inside making plans.

Here are my New Year's Resolutions for 2018:

1) blog once a week

This one is easy (I hope!) and a continuation of last year.

In 2017 I aimed to publish a blog post a week. I actually did 26, which is one a fortnight.

That's not bad, but I definitely want to beat that in 2018.

2) play more games

In class, I mean. I want to work on making classes more fun, and one easy way to do that is more games.

My lovely students playing fukuwarai ("Lucky Laugh") game ↓　

When we laugh together, we learn together.

(Cheesy but true).

3) read every day

This is a personal one. Last year I tried to read more Japanese fiction, and kind of failed.

I did find, though, that once I actually start reading I'm ok. It's the getting started that's the tricky part.

This year, I'm going to read some Japanese fiction every day, and keep a note in my 5-year diary when I've done it.

(16 days in, this is going pretty well.)

4) go to more teaching events

This year, I'm planning to go to more Japanese teaching and education-related events in London.

I went to a couple recently - a Japanese grammar teaching workshop at SOAS, and a bunch of seminars at the Language Show London.

I found it super helpful to reflect on my teaching practice and discuss ideas with other teachers and linguists.

I definitely want to go to more events like this in 2018.

...and it's a good excuse to go to London for the day too.

5) track these goals

Waiting until the end of the year to see how your goals are going doesn't really work.

In 2017, I actually completely forgot about one of my resolutions (to watch more drama in class). I'm going to avoid that this time by pinning them above my desk.

I'd love to know what New Year's Resolutions you made. Let me know in the comments!

How did I do? A look back at 2017's goals

It's no use just making goals. You need to assess them.

How did I do with last year's New Year's Resolutions? Let's find out.

I scored myself a pass or fail for each one...

2017's goals were:

1. Blog more

I published 26 blog posts in 2017, up from 11 in 2016.

That's not the one a week I planned (it's literally half that!) but I'm still pretty happy.

I was helped along the way by an adorable twitter bot created by my student @EliteFreq which tweeted at me when I didn't blog that week:

@stepupjapanese What am I meant to read today?! You've not posted a blog post! 😱 (❤️🤖) — David Sharp (@EliteFreq) August 25, 2017

@stepupjapanese Cats in exchange for blog posts? 🐈 (❤️🤖) — David Sharp (@EliteFreq) September 22, 2017

This was genuinely very motivating.

Conclusion: PASS.

Tell your friends your goals, so they can support you along the way.

2. Finish some books

My plan was to read more fiction and to actually finish a book instead of getting excited and moving on to the next one. This didn't exactly go to plan. However, I reckon I read Japanese news every single day in 2017. I'm pretty proud of that. I also completed Zero Escape Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors, and two (nearly three) Ace Attorney games. Visual novels are reading too...

Conclusion: FAIL…but maybe that's fine

3. Watch more drama with my students

This goal didn't come to fruition either. I was on the lookout for things to watch but never found anything "just right".

I planned to use Terrace House (Netflix's Japanese reality TV show - think Big Brother circa 2003), but the logistics of showing Netflix in class got the better of me...

We did watch some Japanese TV ads in class though. That was a lot of fun.

Conclusion: もうちょっと！ (KEEP TRYING!)

4. Have more parties

From Origami Night, to the Summer Barbecue, to the end-of-year Christmas Party, this year has been really busy. Good busy!

We definitely had more parties and attended more events this year. Onwards and upwards!

Conclusion: PASS

And in case you missed it, here's a link to my round-up of 2017, featuring lots of event photos.

5. Be reflective

I think I have actually spent less time reflecting in 2017 than in previous years, and more time actively doing things. This is probably a good thing.

Conclusion: いいじゃないですか？　(That's ok, isn't it?)

How did you get on with your New Year's resolutions in 2017?

And have you made this year's yet? I'm still whittling down my list...

2017: A Round Up

I'll let you into a secret.

I wanted to write an end-of-year "round-up" post last year, but I didn't think I had enough to talk about.

This year there's too much! It's been a busy, brilliant year.

Here's what my students and I got up to in 2017.

I started the year off with a chilly trip to Namayasai, Sussex's very own organic Japanese vegetable farm.

↓　Photo by Shino. Daikon radish by Namayasai.

In March, students and I were invited to the Brighton & Hove Japanese Club Open Day.

We tried calligraphy, made kanji name badges, and ate a lot of Japanese sweets.

The first term of 2017 flew by. In the Easter break we had an impromptu school outing to Hove Park for hanami (cherry-blossoming viewing)...

...and to E-Kagen for noodles and Japanese beer.

May in Brighton brings the Brighton Festival and Fringe Festival. And this year there were a few Japanese events on!

We saw a show by the incredible Rakugo (traditional Japanese comic storytelling) performer Katsura Sunshine...

...and enjoyed the sunshine with a trip to the beach.

Students in my new Pre Intermediate class had an end-of-year visit from a special guest.

Haruna came to chat Japanese with students during the Free Talk section of class.

↓　Haruna-san, arigatou gozaimashita!

In July I also went to the Hyper Japan festival in London for the first time.

That was a frantic day full of shopping, different performances, and Japanese street food.

↓　Domo-kun (NHK mascot) and me at Hyper Japan.

Over the summer I also attended a number of brilliant workshops, as part of Ride the Wave, a business support programme run by the council and the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce.

It was a great opportunity to meet like-minded small business owners!

↓　And I got to wear this red and white badge.

Students and I also went to the Japanese Summer Festival organised by Ohisama Ahaha, a Japanese kids group in Brighton and Hove.

We watched Japanese storytelling, made wishes for the Tanabata festival, and ate even more Japanese sweets.

Summer rolled by and I rolled off to Berlin on holiday.

This holiday is significant because its the first trip I've taken (since starting Step Up Japanese) where I put the "out of office" on and didn't check my emails while I was away.

Working hard is important, but we all need time off too.

Many of my students were off on holiday too, including Step Up Japanese student Daniel who spent the whole month of August in Japan. He documented his travels by taking over my Instagram with the hashtag #DanStepsUp.

In August we also had the first Step Up Japanese barbecue! Students brought lots of tasty food to share.

In October I attended the Language Show London for the first time, including language teaching seminars...

...and Japan Foundation events including a talk from Paralympic Gold Medallist (and fluent Japanese speaker!) Noel Thatcher.

In October half term we had the first Step Up Japanese Origami Night, a relaxed affair in one of my favourite pubs.

In November I went for Japanese Afternoon Tea at Portslade's Café an-an. This was a special event for World Vegan Day.

And before you know it, it's nearly the end of the year!

Students met for noodles and festive fun at the Christmas Party.

Like I said, it's been busy.

I'm really, really looking forward to see what 2018 brings!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to classes, took part in events, and supported me at Step Up Japanese this year.

良いお年を！

Have a good new year!

Christmas Party 2017!

Brrrrrrrr, it's cold. Or as they say in Japan, ブルブル "buruburu".

We escaped from the cold snap on Friday night with a Christmas noodle party!

↓ Off to E-Kagen on Sydney Street. Spot the Step Up Japanese students...

We started the night off with a film title quiz: guess the (non-Japanese) film title from its Japanese translation.

Everybody did well, but there were a few tricky ones in there too.

↓　Intense concentration.

↓　Special thanks to Phil for making an appearance despite having to rush off to host his own event the same night!

It wouldn't be a Christmas party without crackers - these ones had Japan-themed jokes in them too.

I have just realised I didn't take any pictures of the food. Pictures of people are much nicer, don't you think?

The food was great though!

E-Kagen has a real family-style feel, and an open kitchen so you can see your dinner being prepared.

↓　Full bellies. Massive thanks to all the staff at E-Kagen for hosting such a big group of us.

↓　Excellent Christmas jumpers.

↓　Off to the pub for a mulled wine. Or as they say in Japan, ホットワイン ("hotto wain").

↓　Impromptu kanji practice. 

Thanks for another great year everyone! It's an absolute pleasure to work with such wonderful students.

メリークリスマス (Merry Christmas) - and stay warm!

Afternoon Tea at Café an-an for World Vegan Day

2021 update: Cafe an-an has moved! Now at 94 Boundary Rd, Hove BN3 4EF. Make sure to pop in and chat some Japanese with Noriko-san while you buy your sweets. She's always very welcoming! The cafe’s opening hours are changeable, so check their Facebook or Instagram before making a trip.

I was a vegetarian for ten years…then, I moved to Japan. I lasted about two weeks as a vegetarian in Japan, before swiftly abandoning my principles in favour of late-night ramen and fish for breakfast.

That's not to say that being vegetarian - or even vegan - in Japan is impossible. It just wasn't for me.

But did you know that lots of wagashi (Japanese sweets) are naturally vegan?

I hadn't really thought about it, until I learned that Cafe an-an in Portslade was running an Afternoon Tea event for World Vegan Day on 1st November.

Here are some pictures of the tasty food I managed to take on the day - before I ate it all.

I got there super early, partly because I got the bus, and partly because I was trying to run on "Japan time", i.e., if you're not early, you're late.

Cafe an-an is run by the lovely Noriko-san, who you can see selling Japanese sweets at lots of events around Brighton.

I meant to get a picture with Noriko too, but she was very busy cooking! Next time...

Anyway, we arrived and were presented with this cute handwritten menu.

Today's reading practice for you! ↓

We started the Afternoon Tea with a little soy milk and pumpkin soup. Then chestnut rice, nasu dengaku (glazed aubergine), and ganmodoki (tofu fritters) with lotus root.

You can see from the picture how small the aubergine is. It's  a proper tiny Japanese one - sweet and delicious.

I haven't had aubergine that good in a long time...

Next, the sweet bit!Tsukimi dango ("moon-viewing dumplings"), and steamed chestnut yōkan (a jellied sweet made with agar) - that's the purple triangle below.

And pumpkin kintsuba - that's the orange slice that looks a bit like a piece of brie. 

Kintsuba is another type of Japanese sweet, popular with people who like their sweets a bit less sweet.

The last little course was i-no-ko mochi  ("baby boar rice cake"). Tasty, and of course it doesn't contain any boar...baby or otherwise.

And lastly, we had an awesome little maple leaf shaped sweet. Isn't it pretty?

Finally, my little rabbit manjuu (steamed bun) filled with anko (red bean paste).

He was almost too cute to eat, but I ate him head first.

I felt pretty sorry for the cute bunny. But at least he's vegan! Unlike me...

2021 update: Café an-an has moved! Now at 94 Boundary Rd, Hove BN3 4EF. Make sure to pop in and chat some Japanese with Noriko-san while you buy your sweets. She's always very welcoming! The cafe’s opening hours are changeable, so check their Facebook or Instagram before making a trip.

First published November 2017. Updated August 2021.

Summer Barbecue! Or, "Everybody Loves Corn"

Summer can feel kind of long.

For me, the summer break is when I get to reflect on the year gone and think "big picture" thoughts about what we're going to do in the next year.

But I know that the summer break can feel long for my students. I wanted to have an event in the holidays so we could spend time together, catch up on how everyone's summer has been, and hopefully speak some Japanese too.

I also just really wanted to have a barbecue. Everyone likes a barbecue, right?

I brought corn. Everyone else brought corn too. It was great.

An impressive selection of veggie and definitely-not-veggie food. 

David tending the corn.

Phil brought mochi. ありがとう、フィルさん！

Delicious Japanese-y desserts. ニックさん、ありがとう！

After the BBQ, Paul and Will of Sussex Aikido treated us to a mini Aikido demonstration.

There's a little video of this on the Step Up Japanese Facebook page too!

Old and new faces. みなさん来てくれてありがとう！

As usual I was having too much fun (and tending the BBQ too much) to remember to take an actual group photo...

The question is, what shall we bring to eat next year?

Just kidding, I'll definitely bring more corn again.

It was really good to see everyone again, and hearing everyone's news - and speaking some Japanese, of course.

Did you know the Japanese word for corn is... コーン ("kōn")? 🌽