Glossary: Capsule Toy Terms in English and Japanese
The words on display cards, leaflets and shop signs, translated and explained.
| Series / line-up | The full set of items a machine can dispense, pictured on the display card and leaflet |
|---|---|
| Secret | An unlisted rare variation included in some series |
| Duplicate (dabu) | Receiving an item you already have — a normal outcome of random sale |
| Mini book | The paper leaflet inside the capsule listing the series |
| Face / bank ('men') | One machine unit in a row — fans count big stores by faces, e.g. 'over 3,000 faces' |
| Premium band | Higher-priced series (toward JPY 800-1,500) with larger or more detailed items |
| Target age | The maker's stated age for the series, printed on the card; small parts make most series 15+ or 6+ rather than toddler-safe |
How to use this glossary
Machine cards are in Japanese even in tourist areas, so the highest-value skill is recognising the line-up pictures, the price and the target-age mark rather than reading every word. Shop staff are used to visitors; showing the display-card photo of the series you want is a normal way to ask where it is stocked in that store. For current availability, the makers' official shop pages and in-store stock displays are the authority — this guide does not state stock.
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.