Following Fioko Shop (Sonny Angel), Miniso and PopMart (Labubu), the Rue de Rivoli is gearing up to welcome a fresh wave of capsule surprises. Starting Saturday, April 4, 2026, it kicks off a highly addictive new ritual: the gashapon. Translation? Japanese capsule toy machines where each piece promises a little surprise.
At 37, in a 150 m² pop-up store, 300 machines are ready to be activated. The move is simple: you slide in tokens, turn the dial, and click… the capsule drops. Inside, luck does the rest. Figurines to collect drawn from manga, Japanese animated series, or pop culture, mini gadgets, brand-licensed items or miniature cameras: each ball hides a collectible surprise with high value.
With nearly 3,000 different items—roughly ten per capsule machine—it's hard to resist going back for a "just one more." The very premise of gashapon rests on this deliciously frustrating mechanic: you don’t choose, you discover. Born in Japan in the 1960s and perfected in the late 1970s by a icon of Japanese toys, the concept now appeals to a generation of adults who openly embrace their love of play.
€5 per capsule, the pleasure stays affordable, but the lure is seductive: once you start the machine, it’s hard to stop the momentum. Designed to last at least a year and a half, this first French pop-up — already the sixth in Europe — becomes the latest playful pause at the heart of the 4th arrondissement of Paris. Spoiler: you won’t walk away empty-handed!
