ガシャポン

Japanese

ガシャポン (gashapon) vending machines in Nara, Japan

Alternative forms

• ガチャポン (gachapon)

Etymology

Likely from ガシャガシャ (gashagasha), an onomatopoeic word indicating noisy rattling, and ポンと (pon to, “pop, emerging suddenly”, adverb).

Noun

ガシャポン • (gashapon) 

1. a vending machine selling small toys in plastic capsules
   • 2018 September 8, “ホンモノそっくり！「ガシャポン」が話題の月刊誌『幼稚園』、SNSでバズる付録連発のワケを聞く [Just like the real thing! Monthly magazine ‘Yōchien’ with its much-talked-about Gashapon. We asked it the reason to produce a series of free gifts that have been buzzing on SNS ]”, in Oricon News‎^[1]:

     紙(かみ)の部(ぶ)品(ひん)を組(く)み立(た)てていくと、本(ほん)物(もの)そっくりなガシャポンの筐(きょう)体(たい)が完(かん)成(せい)する上(うえ)、付(ふ)属(ぞく)のカプセルも本(ほん)格(かく)的(てき)なプラスチック製(せい)と、まさにホンモノそっくり。

     Kami no buhin o kumitateteiku to, honmono sokkurina gashapon no kyōtai ga kansei suru ue, fuzoku no kapuseru mo honkakuteki na purasuchikku-sei to, masani honmono sokkuri.

     Construct from paper parts a complete gashapon machine just like the real thing, plus the included capsules are also just like genuine plastic ones.

2. the toys sold in such machines, or toys of a similar type
   • 2019 January 17, “ガシャポンを展開するとガンダムの頭部が完成！ “RX-78-2ガンダム”など3種類のカラバリで1月第3週より順次発売 [Unfold the gashapon to reveal the Gundam's head! Available in three different colors, including RX-78-2 Gundam, from the third week of January]”, in Famitsu.com‎^[2]:

     株(かぶ)式会(しきがい)社(しゃ)バンダイ　ベンダー事(じ)業(ぎょう)部(ぶ)は、機(き)動(どう)戦(せん)士(し)ガンダムシリーズに登(とう)場(じょう)する主役(しゅやく)モビルスーツ「ガンダム」の頭(とう)部(ぶ)を精(せい)密(みつ)に再(さい)現(げん)したディスプレイモデル『機(き)動(どう)戦(せん)士(し)ガンダム EXCEED(エクシード) MODEL(モデル) GUNDAM(ガンダム) HEAD(ヘッド) 1(ワン)』（1(いっ)回(かい )500(ごひゃく)円(えん)・税(ぜい )8(はち)％(パーセント)込(こみ)、全(ぜん)3(さん)種(しゅ)）をカプセル自(じ)販(はん)機(き)専(せん)用(よう)商(しょう)品(ひん)（ガシャポン）として、全(ぜん)国(こく)の玩具(おもちゃ)売(うり)場(ば)、量販店(りょうはんてん)、家電店(かでんてん)などに設置(せっち)されたカプセル自販機(じはんき)で、2019(にせんじゅうきゅう)年(ねん )1月第3週(いちがつだいさんしゅう)より順次発売(じゅんじはつばい)します。

     Kabushiki Gaisha Bandai bendā jigyō-bu wa, kidō senshi gandamu shirīzu ni tōjō suru shuyaku mobirusūtsu “gandamu” no tōbu o seimitsu ni saigen shita disupurei moderu “Kidō Senshi Gandamu Ekushīdo Moderu Gandamu Heddo Wan”(ikkai gohyaku-en zei hachi-pāsento komi, zen san-shu) o kapuseru jihanki sen'yō shōhin (gashapon) toshite, zenkoku no omocha uriba, ryōhanten, kadenten nado ni setchi sareta kapuseru jihanki de, nisenjūkyū nen ichigatsu daisanshū yori junji hatsubai shimasu.

     The vendor division of Bandai Co., Ltd. will sequentially release “Mobile Warrior Gundam: Exceed Model Gundam Head 1” (ea. ¥500, incl. 8% tax, total 3 pcs), a display model that precisely reproduces the head of the main mobile suit "Gundam" that appears in the Mobile Suit Gundam series, as an exclusive product to capsule vending machines (gashapon) at toy dealers, mass retailers, and consumer electronics stores nationwide from the third week of January 2019.

Usage notes

Both ガシャポン (gashapon) and ガチャポン (gachapon) are widely used for either the vending machines or the toys sold in them; both words are attested from around the same time, in the last decades of the twentieth century. The name ガシャポン (gashapon) appears in a patent application for plastic capsule vending machines filed by the Bandai corporation in 1982 and issued in 1984.

Synonyms

• (vending machine): ガチャガチャ (gachagacha), ガチャ (gacha), カプセルトイ (kapuseru toi)
• (toys sold in such machines): カプセルトイ (kapuseru toi)

References

• 2003, 新和英大辞典 (New Japanese-English Dictionary), Fifth Edition, Tōkyō: Kenkyūsha, →ISBN
• “がちゃぽん”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎^[3] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
• Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
• 1984, March 9. 日本国特許庁. 昭５９－５２５９４. 株式会社バンダイ. おもちゃ、その他本類に属する商品. ガシャポン.

[Japan Patent Office. Showa 59-52594. Bandai Co. Ltd. toys, other types of related items. Gashapon.] (patent announcement)