7 Great Gachapon Spots in Akihabara
Here are seven gachapon spots in Akihabara, where large sales floors and specialist shops sit within walking distance of the station. Covers the official Bandai shop with about 800 machines, Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan, known as a pioneer among capsule toy specialists, and KENELE STAND Akihabara inside the ticket gates, with the location, size, and features of each.
Japan's market for gachapon, or capsule toys, keeps growing, and specialist shops now number more than 900 across the country (as of January 2026). Akihabara is among the easiest places to go from one gachapon spot to the next, with large sales floors and specialist shops gathered in an area you can walk from the station.
Here are seven gachapon spots in Akihabara, along with where each one is, how large it is, and what makes it special.
What Is Gachapon?
Gachapon refers to a machine that gives you a toy or an accessory in a capsule at random when you turn the lever. The word can refer not just to the machine itself but also to the experience of using one.
In Japan it started in 1965, imported from the United States. The appeal is entertainment built on two sensations: the gacha gacha rattle of turning the lever after you drop your coin, and the suspense of the seconds before you crack open the round capsule to see what's inside.
The usual price is ¥200 to ¥500 per turn.
Akihabara, the Place for Gachapon?
In Akihabara, gachapon sales floors large and small are gathered together, from inside the station ticket gates to street-level shops in Electric Town.
In the acclaimed adventure game STEINS;GATE, which is set in Akihabara, the main character's childhood friend Mayushii is famously shown collecting Upa, a capsule toy character.
Gachapon turns up again and again in anime and manga, and character merchandise often becomes the prize inside, so it is no surprise that specialist shops gather in Akihabara, a district filled with otaku culture.
Gachapon Spots in Akihabara
From here, we introduce the shops in Akihabara best known for gachapon.
The products in the machines change quickly, so it is worth checking each shop's official website or social media for the current lineup.
GASHAPON Bandai Official Shop Akihabara
A one-minute walk from JR Akihabara Station, this official Bandai Gashapon shop is on the fourth floor of the entertainment complex namco Akihabara. With about 800 machines, it is one of the largest in Akihabara.
New Gashapon releases from the Bandai Namco Group reach the shelves here early, and the official website lets you search stock by store.
The same fourth floor also has a sister shop, Gashapon Department Store Akihabara.
Akihabara Radio Kaikan
Right in front of the Electric Town Exit of JR Akihabara Station, this is a 10-story hobby building filled with specialist shops for figures and trading cards. On the capsule toy side, the fifth floor has Kaiyodo's own shop, Kaiyodo Hobby Lobby Tokyo.
On the sixth floor, Yellow Submarine Akihabara Main Store ★ Mint not only has machines to turn but also sells items individually, so you can buy the one you are after directly.
Radio Kaikan as a whole is open from 10:00 to 20:00, and Kaiyodo Hobby Lobby Tokyo opens at 11:00.
Bic Camera AKIBA
This electronics store is about a two-minute walk from the Electric Town Exit of JR Akihabara Station. The capsule toy machines are not inside the store but out front facing the street, where about 150 of them are lined up (based on one count from October 2025).
The store is open from 10:00 to 22:00, so you can stop by while shopping for electronics or games.
Yodobashi Camera Multimedia Akiba
This large store stands on the Showa-dori Exit side of JR Akihabara Station. The capsule toy machines are in the hobby and toy section on the sixth floor, and on the first floor at the second entrance and along the public passageway (as of October 2025).
It is open from 9:30 to 22:00 every day of the year. The early opening helps on days when you want to start the day early.
Gacha Gacha Shop Akihabara
This capsule toy shop is on Chuo-dori, toward Suehirocho Station. Machines fill both adjacent units, and signs mark the new arrivals.
It is in the same Suehirocho area as Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan, close enough to visit one after the other.
Akihabara Gachapon Kaikan
About 500 machines are lined up at this shop, known as a pioneer among capsule toy specialists. New arrivals come to roughly 50 titles a month, and the arrival schedule is published on the official website.
Payment is cash only, and the shop has a change machine that takes ¥1,000 bills. The opening hours are 11:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and 11:00 to 19:00 on Sundays and holidays. It is a two-minute walk from Suehirocho Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, and five to seven minutes from the Electric Town Exit of JR Akihabara Station.
KENELE STAND Akihabara
This capsule toy specialist is inside the ticket gates at JR Akihabara Station, in the concourse behind the Sobu Line platform. It is run by the miniature maker Kenelephant.
The lineup centers on finely made miniatures for adults, such as Karimoku60 furniture and the cat character Shigotoneko, across about 150 to 170 machines. It is open from 10:00 to 21:00, so you can stop for a turn while changing trains.
What to Watch Out for When Playing Gachapon
Most gachapon specialist shops post their own rules and notices. Checking them on the spot is the surest approach, but here are the points worth knowing in advance.
Some Places Take Cash Only
Most gachapon machines are the kind you turn after putting coins in.
Without 100-yen coins, you cannot turn the machine you came for. Almost everywhere has a change machine, so bills can be broken into coins, but turning electronic money into cash is difficult.
Beyond gachapon, plenty of shops in Japan take cash only, so carrying a little extra cash is a good idea.
Limits per Person May Apply
Gachapon tied to popular characters or titles sometimes has a limit on the number of turns one person can take. In most such cases there is a line, so check the notices posted around the machines.
If the notices are only in Japanese and you cannot read them, an app such as Google Lens may solve the problem.
Unwanted Capsules Go in the Trash
Specialist shops usually have a box for collecting empty capsules. If you would rather not carry the bulk, open your capsule on the spot and toss the shell in.
Of course, taking it home as a keepsake is fine too!
Plenty to See in Akihabara
This is a town where you can enjoy scanning the new releases all at once on the big sales floors by the station, or hunting for an older release you are curious about in a specialist shop. Each shop has its own flavor, so you can pick where to go based on how much time you have.
Beyond gachapon, there are plenty of anime shops, which makes this an area anime fans find hard to resist.
Maid cafés, full of entertainment built around KAWAII, are recommended too.
If you are looking for somewhere to stay, be sure to take a look at this as well.
The cultural background of Akihabara is covered in more detail in the glossary entry for Otaku.
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