Yes, you read that correctly. Cat accessories. Gachapon, or gacha gacha machines, are small prize vending machines similar to a gum ball machine in the US, but they dispense different small items. There are all sorts of gachapon items, from weird keychains for your favorite sushi to small bags shaped like bread and even the occasional lewd anime swag in the back of the gachapon stores. There are ENTIRE STORES filled with gachapon machines, hundreds of them. Usually, you walk in, they have a change machine for you to get coins, and then you go to the gachapons. Each item usually costs about 200 to 300 yen and is more about the collection or fun aspect than it is about buying something.
Since the items are randomly disbursed, and there are usually about 6 different options per one machine, people will spend tons of money on one machine, just trying to get the option they want. For example, if a gachapon is themed with mini figurines from your favorite anime, you might put in coin after coin, just trying to get the main character figurine somewhere in the machine.
Now, we know what these machines are, but let’s talk about my favorite type of gachapon… Cat Accessories. Yes, hats for your cat. I’ve even found wings for your cat. There is usually only one or two of these in a gachapon store, but they are by far my favorite. I’ve found Pokémon cat hats, Sanrio cat hats, fruit shaped cat hats, little cat scarf hats, and, as mentioned, bat wings for cats. Let’s take a look at some of my favorites…
Here is one of the cat bonnets we got from the machine shown in this post’s main image.
Next, here’s a super cute Sanrio PomPomPurin hat.
This one is an Alolan Raichu Pokémon hat.
Here’s a cat accessory haul… A radish hat, a yellow bunny ear hat, and some cat wings. There’s also a few buttons in here, too.
Next time you’re in Japan, keep a look out for these amazing machines. Gachapons are everywhere, but can you find your favorite cat hat?