Japanese Key Chain Toys / Mascots / Widgets

Japanese Key Chain Toys / Mascots / Widgets

My last post was kind of serious, so here is a fun one!  The Japanese have the best key chains, although I can't see using them as such as it would kind of wreck them in short notice. In the photo above, I have a number of different key chains shown that were purchased and came in blister packs or as gashapon prizes.

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can get apps that simulate the soybean popper and the bubble wrap popper from the Apple Appstore.  Have a look at my Anime / Manga iPhone Apps page for the links to the Appstore.

Starting from the bottom left hand corner and going clockwise I'll describe them.

1. The big red brick is an electronic toy which simulates the pull tab on a cardboard shipping box or shipping sleeve.  You can basically open boxes all day with this.  Little magnets give it resistance and every so often you'll get a surprise noise!
2. This purple egg thing is one of a set of Evangelion voice eggs.  You push the button in the middle and you'll get the voice of one of the Evangelion characters speaking some lines from the remake movies.
3. Yes, the green soybean looking thing is a soybean popping toy. You can squeeze out little green edamame beans, one of which will have a funky looking face on it, kind of like an emoji.
4. The next item is a taiyaki fish mascot made out of a gummy rubber material.  You can squeeze it and a little red bean paste fish pops out.  This one is a little gross as the little fish kind of looks like fish guts.
5. The blue box with what looks like little bubble wrap bubbles on top is a bubble popping toy.  You push to bubbles to make little popping noises and every so often you get a mystery sound!
6. This one is one of my favourites.  It is a fake can of beer.  You pull the pop tab and get pop -> hiss -> pour noises.  Again, every so often you get a mystery sound.
7. Finally, a nifty Zaku head from Gundam.  The monoeye moves back and forth when you push a lever underneath and the eye lights up! Fun!

Anyhow, these are pretty fun little toys from Japan and some of the reasons why I like Japanese pop culture!