Coins, IC Cards and QR: How Payment Differs by Store

Cash is the classic, but floors now mix coin, e-money and QR machines. How to arrive prepared.

The three payment patterns

Coins: the traditional machine takes 100-yen coins per play (some older machines take 10/50-yen combinations — the card states it). IC/e-money: newer rows in official and chain stores accept transport IC cards or e-money at the machine or via a per-row terminal. QR/app payment: some chains route payment through their app or a QR scan. The mix differs by store and even by row, so the universal preparation is: carry 100-yen coins, and have one cashless option ready.

Change machines

Every serious floor has change machines (ryogae-ki) that break 1,000-yen notes into coins; large stores add 5,000/10,000-yen changers near the entrance. Airport and station rows rely on nearby shop tills — buy a drink and ask for coins in 100-yen pieces if no changer is visible. See also the dedicated change-machine guide points inside the budget guide: change first, then play, so you never hold a handful of coins as an accidental budget.

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.