First imported from America in 1965, capsule toys – or gachapon – really caught the Japanese imagination in the 1970s. Machines dispensing these treats-in-a-pod were initially set up in front of sweet shops, with toys intended primarily for kids, but in recent years they have grown up – with everything from cheeky treats for adults to scale models inside. The very embodiment of an unexpected pleasure, the joy of capsule toys is that you don’t know what you’re going to get until you crack that ‘egg’.
You can spin for a surprise across the city, but if you're looking for convenience, head to #C-pla in the famous Shibuya 109 mall. Here you’ll find a wealth of machines offering everything from Hello Kitty minis to disturbingly detailed models of toilets (complete with flushable contents).