Things I didn't try early on: Gachapon

When I first came to Japan, gachapon were firmly filed in my brain as "kids stuff", and I didn't have kids at that time so I barely gave them a second glance.

It took me a while (realistically, only once my kids were at the age where they were interested in them!) to realize how wrong I was. Gachapon here aren't just toys, but often fall into the realm of collectibles. There are beautifully made miniatures, surprisingly niche themes, and even ones for the "only in Japan" quirky lovers.

I think a big part of the fun is the randomness. You never quite know what you're going to get, and that little moment of suspense doesn't really lose its charm with age. I'm probably lucky that I didn't get into them earlier, because I'm sure my house would be even more full of random little trinkets.