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Miso Soup Capsule Toys Look Like The Real Deal, Includes Recipe For The Perfect Bowl Of Miso Soup

Miso soup capsule toys


Gashapon machines, also known as capsule toy machines, are found all over Japan. These machines dispense a variety of things, including miniature food models such as canned food rings and sushi keychains. Now, you can also get your hands on mini miso soup food models from gashapon machines.


Mini miso soup capsule toys


miso soup capsule toy - poster for miso soup capsule toy
Image adapted from: @SOTA170317

On 28th January 2021, Gakken, a book publisher in Japan, released a collection of mini miso soup gashapon toys in partnership with SO-TA, a company that sells capsule toys. These mini models are designed to look just like a real bowl of miso soup, which you can recreate using recipes from one of Gakken’s award-winning cookbooks.

miso soup capsule toy - recipe book by gakken
Image credit: PR Times

In 2017, Gakken released a book on simple miso soup recipes. Written by celebrity chef Yukiko Seo, the book won the Cooking Recipe Book Award in 2018 and continues to be a popular recipe book today. 

miso soup capsule toy - set of 5
Image credit: @SOTA170317

The miso soup capsule toys are now available in gashapon machines throughout Japan. Each capsule contains one mini miso soup model and costs ¥400 (~USD3.81).


5 designs available


miso soup capsule toy - set of 5
Image credit: @onekosama_ozabu

The collection features 5 different types of miso soup, each made with different ingredients:

  • Pork, bean sprout, and spring onions
  • Poached egg and onions
  • Cabbage, fried tofu, and carrots
  • Tomato and perilla
  • Pumpkin, chicken thigh, and green onions

miso soup capsule toy - pork with beansprout and spring onions
Image credit: @gachagacha_blog

miso soup capsule toy - poached egg with onions
Image adapted from: PR Times

Although the toys are small, look closely and you’ll notice the details that make each bowl so realistic. They’ve also managed to replicate how the particles of miso paste fall to the bottom of the bowl when the soup is left to settle.

In the bowl of soup with poached egg and onions, the egg yolk looks perfectly half-cooked and the dash of pepper looks as if it was just sprinkled prior to serving.


Capsule toys come with miso soup recipe


miso soup capsule toy - miso soup recipe
Image adapted from: PR Times

Besides getting the miso soup capsule toy itself, you’ll also get a recipe from Gakken’s miso soup recipe book. The recipe corresponds to the type of miso soup in the capsule. Although the recipe is in Japanese, it’s simple and there are pictures to guide you along.


Life-like miso soup capsule toys


If you’re currently in Japan, you can try your luck at getting one of these mini miso soup models from a gashapon machine. For those who aren’t in Japan now, you can purchase a full set of the toys on Yahoo, Amazon Japan, or Rakuten, and then use a freight-forwarding service.

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Cover image adapted from: @SOTA170317 and @gachagacha_blog