Gashapon: a pop-up that includes 300 Japanese capsule machines (collectible figurines and devices) opens in Paris

Following Fioko Shop (Sonny Angel), Miniso and PopMart (Labubu), the Rue de Rivoli is gearing as much as welcome a recent wave of capsule surprises. Starting Saturday, April 4, 2026, it kicks off a extremely addictive new ritual: the gashapon. Translation? Japanese capsule toy machines the place each bit guarantees a little bit shock.

At 37, in a 150 m² pop-up retailer, 300 machines are able to be activated. The transfer is easy: you slide in tokens, flip the dial, and click on… the capsule drops. Inside, luck does the remaining. Figurines to gather drawn from manga, Japanese animated sequence, or popular culture, mini devices, brand-licensed gadgets or miniature cameras: every ball hides a collectible shock with excessive worth.

With almost 3,000 totally different gadgets—roughly ten per capsule machine—it is laborious to withstand going again for a “just one more.” The very premise of gashapon rests on this deliciously irritating mechanic: you don’t select, you uncover. Born in Japan within the Sixties and perfected within the late Nineteen Seventies by a icon of Japanese toys, the idea now appeals to a technology of adults who overtly embrace their love of play.

€5 per capsule, the pleasure stays reasonably priced, however the lure is seductive: when you begin the machine, it’s laborious to cease the momentum. Designed to final a minimum of a yr and a half, this primary French pop-up — already the sixth in Europe — turns into the newest playful pause on the coronary heart of the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Spoiler: you gained’t stroll away empty-handed!