How to Play: Step by Step, Coins First

From finding a series to opening the capsule — the complete first-play walkthrough.

The five steps

1) Choose by the card. The display card shows the series, the full line-up, the price and the target age. Decide your total budget before the first play (see the budget guide). 2) Prepare payment. Coin machines take 100-yen coins in most cases — premium machines may take bills or cashless; the machine's front panel states what it accepts. 3) Pay and turn. Insert the coins for one play, then turn the handle fully (or press the button on cashless types) until the capsule drops into the tray. 4) Check the tray. Take the capsule out completely — on busy rows, the next player is waiting. 5) Open away from the machine. Step aside, split the capsule, and check the leaflet to identify your item.

If something goes wrong

Capsule jammed, handle stuck, or an empty drop: do not shake or strike the machine. Note the machine's number if it has one and tell staff — stores resolve machine faults on the spot as a matter of course. A capsule that will not open usually twists as well as pulls; ask staff rather than forcing it over the floor, where small parts scatter.

Sources: Bandai / Bandai Namco Gashapon official information and 50th-anniversary growth-strategy briefing (8 October 2026, reported by Mynavi News, Real Sound and Asahi Shimbun); Japan Capsule Toy Association (JCTA) market survey (figures cited via industry reporting — survey scope differs from Bandai's, so market size is given as a range); Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) visitor statistics 2025; official shop pages (Bandai official shops, Gashapon Department Store, #C-pla and other chains); Wikipedia 'Gashapon' (CC BY-SA 4.0, credited only, not a destination). Checked 5 November 2026.