カプセルトイ

Japanese

Etymology

From English capsule and toy (compare capsule vender “machine selling plastic capsules”, attested in English from the 1950s).

Noun

カプセルトイ • (kapuserutoi) 

1. a small toy sold in a vending machine packaged in a plastic capsule

   Synonyms: ガシャポン, ガチャポン

   • 2019 October 27, Hanshin Yūhei, Katō Hideyuki, “Te ni totte-miru to kawaii ‘niboshi’ o tsukatta akusesarii ya kapuserutoi nado [Cute if you can get it, ‘dried sardine’ accessories and capsule toys]”, in Moneyzine‎^[1]:

     一(いっ)方(ぽう)、「メタルナニボシ」は金(きん)属(ぞく)製(せい)のカプセルトイ（1(いっ)回(かい) 300(さんびゃく)円(えん)）だ。種(しゅ)類(るい)は大(だい)小(しょう) 5種(ごしゅ)類(るい)が用(よう)意(い)されている。

     Ippō,“metaru na niboshi” wa kinzokusei no kapuserutoi (ikkai sanbyaku-en) da. Shurui wa daishō go-shurui ga yōi sarete-iru.

     On the other hand, ‘metal niboshi’ are capsule toys made of metal (¥300 each). There are five varieties in various sizes.

2. a vending machine that sells such toys

   Synonyms: ガシャポン, ガチャポン, ガチャガチャ, ガチャ

   • 2004 April 30, “‘OTAKU Nippon’ vignette”, in Yomiuri Shimbun, page 12:

     ヴィネット（vignette）とは、模(も)型(けい)の世(セ)界(かい)で背(はい)景(けい)付(つ)きミニフィギュア」のこと。アニメやマンガの一(いち)場(ば)面(めん)を立(りっ)体(たい)的(てき)に表(ひょう)現(げん)したものが多(おお)く、お菓(か)子(し)のおまけやガチャポン（カプセルトイ）で、多(た)種(しゅ)多(た)様(よう)な作(さく)品(ひん)が手(て)に入(はい)る。

     Vinetto (vignette) to wa, mokei no sekai de haikei tsuki mini-figyua” no koto. Anime ya manga no ichibamen o rittaiteki ni hyōgen shita mono ga ōku, o-kashi no omake ya gachapon (kapuserutoi) de, tashutayō na sakuhin ga te ni hairu.

     A vignette is, in the world of model building, “miniatures with background scenery”. Many present three dimensional scenes from anime or manga, and they are often included with sweets or sold in gachapon (capsule toy machines), with a great variety available.