“The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest…” Isaiah 11:8
Gift shopping for nine grandkids is no small task. Birthdays, Christmas, graduations and other lesser milestone events sometimes seem to occur on an almost daily basis. Therefore, as my wife and I cruise through life, we strive to keep our eyes open for appropriate, unique and inexpensive presents for our grandchildren. Frequent trips to Japan helpfully expand our potential for finding gifts that meet these guidelines and the current favorable exchange rate certainly makes them more affordable. With this objective lurking in the back of our minds, I thought we had hit pay dirt when we recently stumbled upon gachapon, which now seem almost omnipresent in Japan.
Gachapon is a universal term for small toys, popular figures, cute key chains or any other object of fun that can be stuffed into a small egg-sized plastic capsule and dispensed through a simple vending machine. The unusual name of this item is onomatopoeic in origin and is derived from two different sounds. The “gacha” portion is the noise created when one turns the knob on the vending machine, which then produces the “pon” sound when the capsule drops down into the receiving tray. These capsule toys are relatively inexpensive, ranging from 200-500 yen (less than four dollars maximum). Pictures attached on each individual machine indicate the possibilities of what the buyer may receive for their investment, thus adding an element of chance to the purchase and increasing its appeal. The choices offered by the machines are seemingly endless and the items are periodically updated to keep up with popular fads* and cultural trends. Children are not the only customers as many adults are also keen to collect certain novelties or objects that have special appeal.
The popularity of gachapon is greatly enhanced by the Japanese penchant towards vending machines,** that seem essential to life in Japan. Gachapon were actually introduced in 1965 when an enterprising businessman, Ryuzo Shigeta, converted several American gumball vending machines to dispense small plastic capsules containing toys. This novel idea soon caught the public’s attention and expanded even further after the toy giant Bandai purchased the rights and now controls much of the market. Since the takeover, the company has subtly rebranded its own line of toy capsules, calling them “gashapon.” Vending machines containing these tiny gifts are now found everywhere in stores. Some shops are dedicated entirely to the sale of gachapon, housing over 3,000 machines in the larger venues.
Our foray among the gachapon machines became rather overwhelming (and noisy!) so we ultimately left the store empty handed. But this got me to thinking later about the concept of “play” in the Bible. A quick survey identified only one example, Isaiah 11:8, where the actual word “play” is used in association with children engaging in fun activities. Having fun seems to be an inordinately high priority in today’s culture, but in this passage referring to play, the prophet Isaiah points to something far more consequential. He graphically describes children entertaining themselves near a poisonous snake and then lists other incongruous scenarios within the natural world. The wolf will live with a lamb. The leopard will lie down with a goat. The calf and the lion will be together. The cow will feed with the bear. The lion will eat straw like an ox. These unnatural and strange occurrences all serve as dramatic evidence that justice, righteousness and peace will typify the reign of the Root of Jesse, or the Messiah who will redeem both creation and mankind when he returns. Certainly, this is the best gift of all.
* See previous blog on Japanese Fads
** See previous blog on Vending Machines
