In Tokyo, gachapon machines were never just a kids' thing. Salarymen in suits crouching by convenience store entrances to give the crank a spin, girls with bags dripping in charms lighting up at a fresh drop — it's just part of daily life at this point. Starbucks Japan clearly caught on to the trend, especially with the recent surge of people stacking their bags with all kinds of charms, and decided to get in on it themselves with their very own gachapon machine.
The timing wasn't random. August 2nd marks the anniversary of Starbucks' official entry into the Japanese market, and that's exactly when the first capsule series, "スターバックス ジョイフル カプセル" (STARBUCKS JOYFUL CAPSULE), dropped. Each capsule measures roughly 75mm, small enough to hold in one hand, and is designed to clip straight onto a bag or be popped open and linked with other charms as a keychain.
There are five designs in total: a Grande Iced Latte (to-go version), a Caramel Macchiato (for-here version), TOKYO ROAST, a Matcha Frappuccino, and a glazed donut. The key thing that hasn't changed is the classic gachapon rule — you have no idea which one you'll pull until you crank it. That gamble is really what this whole series is selling.
For those who want to level up, STARBUCKS RESERVE ROASTERY TOKYO has prepared a more elevated version: STARBUCKS RESERVE JOYFUL CAPSULE. The designs draw directly from items exclusive to the Tokyo Roastery experience, including an Americano (to-go), a Latte (for-here), the TOKYO ROASTERY MICRO Blend, and a Custard Danish Croissant — four designs in all. Compared to the everyday street-store lineup, this set feels more like a souvenir reserved for those who've made the pilgrimage to the Roastery.
Combined, the two lines add up to nine designs, all following blind-box logic — pulling a duplicate is just part of the fun. No word yet on pricing or where exactly they'll be available; anyone interested will have to wait for on-site details.
