Information for the newest large scale Bandai Official Gashapon opening in Japan in summer 2023.
Gashapon Bandai Offical Kawajima Branch
A Gashapon, also known as Gachapon, is a vending machine dispensed capsule toy. The term refers to both the machine and the capsule it dispenses with a miniature toy or item in it. Bandai, the toy manufacturer giant, own the trademark for the word “gashapon” in many countries. They are not the only manufacturers of the capsule toys, but they are by far the most prolific.
The 68th Gashapon®Bandai Offical Store will open at Tsutaya Kawajima Interchange branch on Friday June 2nd 2023. This branch has 300 capsule machines with all the latest capsule toys from the giant toy brand. They offer a gashapon experience that can only be enjoyed at the official stores. The largest gashapon store opened in Sunshine City in Ikebukuro during the pandemic. It is ten times the size of the Kawajima branch, with 3000 capsule machines.
Tsutaya Kawajima Interchange
The Kawajima Branch of Tsutaya is a medium sized and located in what is known as the Kawajima Interchange Cainz Super Mall. The Kawajima Interchange is an entrance / exit of the Ken-o expressway. Keno expressway links to Tohoku expressway in the East and to the Kanetsu in the West. As such, Kawajima Interchange is used by people heading to Tokyo or Tochigi in the East and to Gunma, Nagano in the West.
Cainz Super mall is an outdoor mall, with – for the most part – each individual shop within its own stand alone building. A lot has changed since this Tsutaya branch first opened as a book and DVD store. For one, they no longer rent DVDs. They still have a large book and magazine sales area. And they have expanded their stationery and interior section. In recent years they opened a Seijo Ishii area where the DVD rental area used to be.
Also at the Cainz Super Mall:
- Starbucks
- Cainz with a
- Cafe Bricco
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Basha Michi
- Tori Sai
- Beisia Supermarket
- Hairdressers and a Barbers
- Seria 100 yen store
- Shimamura – clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories, night wear, bed linen
- Denkichi – electrical store that sells toys as well
- A coin laundry
Bandai Gashapon Information
Event: opening of the Kawajima Interchange Tsutaya branch of Gashapon Bandai ガシャポンバンダイオフィシャルショップ蔦屋書店 川島インター店
Date: Friday June 2nd 2023
Time: Tsutaya is open daily until 10 pm. On weekdays it opens at 9 am and on weekends it opens at 8 am.
Cost: on average, 300 yen per capsule. There are capsules that cost more.
Venue: Tsutaya Kawajima Interchange, 210 Kamiigusa, Kawajima, Hiki District, Saitama 350-0152. View on Google Maps.
Access
The Cainz Super Mall / Tsutaya are located a minute’s drive from the Kawajima Interchange of the Ken’o expressway. There is plenty of free parking.
Kawajima Town, is one of few towns in Saitama Prefecture with neither a railroad nor a train station. The most convenient train station to use is Kawagoe Station. Due to the constant tourist congestion in Kawagoe city, the bus takes about 40 minutes during the day. At night, the bus only takes about 15 minutes! Take a bus bound for “Hachiman danchi” and alight at Kami-igusa bus stop. There is also a bus bound for Saitama Prefecture Drivers License Center (in Konosu) that goes relatively close, but it is very infrequent. If you take the latter, alight at Kaminaka bus stop.
Official web page, from where the featured image at the top of the post was downloaded.