Gachapon shops are rare outside of Japan but we have the only one in Europe right here in Amsterdam. Nipponophiles (people who love Japanese culture) will adore this place, filled with a huge variety of tiny toys in capsules for you to enjoy.
Gachapons are toys that come from iconic vending machines in round plastic containers and if you get a good one they can be worth quite a lot of money. Generally, these toys portray characters from video games, anime and manga.
However, you’ll also find characters from big, non-anime or manga films and series like Star Wars. There are a variety of characters and colours in each machine so the thrill of it is the surprise. Who knows what you’ll get once you’ve inserted your money and turned the crank, which makes that satisfying clicking noise.
At The Otaking, you can expect hundreds of different gachapons, including those from series like Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z. They also have lots of stuff from Spy Family, Neon Genesis Evangelion, One Piece and Demon Slayer, to name just a few.
On a rainy day, it’s the perfect place to entertain yourself and pick up a few gachapons. At The Otaking they also have plenty of figurines and plamo, which are plastic model kits alongside tshirts and plenty of artwork, too.
Whether you’re a manga or anime enthusiast, self professed fantasty nerd or just wanna check it out, we’d recommend visiting. You’ll find this central shop at Spuistraat 84A, 1012 TX and it’s open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm.