On my journey in Japan I bought a cat hat, that is a hat for your cat, in this case to give them rabbit ears. Loki was not impressed so I took it off him after taking the photo. He’s the most tolerant of my four cats so it may not be worn much #gatchapon #cathat #gatcha #cat #CatsOfMastodon

Also wish i got at least one more cat in a vegetable box gatchapon toy… the box it came with could probably fit 1-2 more cats.

RT @debaoki@twitter.com

#osaka #gatchapon - oooo! Cats in boxes! Some look like my cats! Ok, you got me. Wanted tabby or b/w tuxedo cat. Got tuxedo cat! A rare 1st time try win!

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/debaoki/status/1594578174926794752

Now that i’ve set up my lil gatchapon veggies on my desk shelf, i’m glad i got 3, am a little sorry i didnt buy more.

RT @debaoki@twitter.com

More weird #gatchapon finds: the sitting, chill-out vegetables. Wanted turnip/daikon, got it on 3rd try after the pumpkin and cabbage. I’ll call that a win. 😅 Found near Kokusai-Tenjijo station near Tokyo Big Sight

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/debaoki/status/1597705024792309760

What’s the main takeaway from Japan #gatchapon quest nov 2022 edition? Sure, the popular anime stuff is fun, but the best finds are the weird, quirky ones that you’ll only find in Japan, like the propane gas tanks, the badly folded origami birds, social media amulets & meat tape

And the #gatchapon hack I’ve used on past trips: if there’s a toy you’ve badly wanted to get, but couldn’t get out of the machine, you might find it for sale in Nakano Broadway! (Tho if it’s rare, the markup might be a bit steep)

#gatchapon quest lesson 4: dont snooze on the unique gatcha finds in some specialty boutiques and museums. I got two hand-painted, hand-crafted mini daruma at the Beams store in Kyoto for 500 yen ($3.60) each

#gatchapon quest lesson 3 - sometimes (like at this big batch of machines at Yodobashi Umeda in Osaka), machines are grouped into themes! Kid-friendly toys, weird stuff only eccentric adults would like is its own group, cute animals, k-pop/j-pop idols, latest anime tie-ins etc

Lesson 2 from #gatchapon quest: if you or anyone you know loves BTS, you will go broke on gatchapon toys. Those guys are (almost) everywhere.

So what did i learn during this trip’s #gatchapon quest? 1) the weirder it is, the greater the chance that you’ll only see it once, so buy it then. I regret not cleaning out the “social media omamori” machine because an amulet for “likes” and “shares” is pretty genius

And finally, the cats in weird poses #gatchapon toy. Also seen near Kokusai-Tenjijio station. Maybe someone csn explain the concept behind this one for me?

More weird #gatchapon finds: the sitting, chill-out vegetables. Wanted turnip/daikon, got it on 3rd try after the pumpkin and cabbage. I’ll call that a win. 😅 Found near Kokusai-Tenjijo station near Tokyo Big Sight

More weird #gatchapon finds! The VERY angry birds! As seen at Kokusai-Tenjijo station near Tokyo Big Sight

More random #gatchapon finds: the happy hot dog octopi! (Seen at Nakano Broadway)

RT @debaoki@twitter.com

Okay, i think *this* is the weird #gatchapon find of this trip. Really bad origami animals folded by an oshare gyaru with long fake fingernails. 😂 in retrospect, i probably should have bought this one.

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/debaoki/status/1594972170945380355

Acrobat cats that you can stack or combine #gatchapon toys. Clever, but at ¥300 (~$2) each it looked like i’d need to buy at least 3-5 to get the fun combos shown in the photos. Pass for now

Birds hugging riceballs #gatchapon toys! Cute concept, but i passed on it for now

Another quirky, tech-oriented #gatchapon find: error messages hand towels! Another one that I only saw once amongst all the gatchapon machines i checked out in #osaka today

Animals smiling and making peace signs #gatchapon find! Wanted cat or dog. Got rabbit, which was maybe a 3rd choice.

RT @debaoki@twitter.com

Not enough cat clothes in #gatchapon machines now! Only found this one with cat nurse hats and collars near Dotonbori in Osaka. Would have bought if i thought it’d stay in my cats’ heads long enough to photograph them. 😼

🐦🔗: https://twitter.com/debaoki/status/1595023527618686977

Seen near Dotonbori- grumpy cat ramen chef #gatchapon toy! Wanted tabby cat or black cat, got grey cat. Head does move!