More tales from Akihabara. The Gashapon machine. I caught the gashapon fever and it was sort of embarrasing, like discovering a new weakness. Maybe it was like discovering one liked to gamble in Las Vegas, which I wouldn't know because I haven't been there. And that sort of gambling is not as satisfying as a gashapon, I think. In a gashapon machine, one can get a toy from 100 to 500 yen. If you are particular about getting a certain one, then it gets expensive and it is a little like gambling. But I beat the system by playing only at machines that I would be satisfied with any toy I received. I guess this is where I am not a real otaku. In Akihabara there are countless of these machines, which can be found all over Japan. The beauty of Akihabara is that there are rows and rows of them in stores like Yodobashi Camera, or a little store with only gashapon machines.

I felt like I hit jackpot when I found a store that sold the gashapon toys without playing with the machine. Some of the toys were discontinued items, so I was able to by Dr. Slump toys. At the time I felt I was buying too much, now I wish I had bought more.