Nintama Rantarō｜Got Chōji Nakazaike & Koheita Nanamatsu from Gashapon Plush Vol.2 (June 7, 2026)
I stopped by the capsule toy corner at TSUTAYA Chūō Store after buying a book, and I noticed a Nintama Rantarō gashapon machine -- one of my daughter's favorites.
The gashapon was "Nintama Rantarō Puchi Plush Vol.2" by BANDAI. Each capsule cost 400 yen (tax included), and it seemed there were five characters in total.
The five available characters were:
- Settsu no Kirimaru（摂津のきり丸）
- Ohama Kanemon（尾浜勘右衛門）
- Nakazaike Chōji（中在家長次）
- Nanamatsu Koheita（七松小平太）
- Yamada Rikichi（山田利吉）
Looking from the side of the machine, it seemed there were about 13 capsules left.
I sent my daughter a LINE message asking, "Do you want one?" She replied unusually fast: "Rokuro, please."
(I didn't know what "Rokuro" meant at first, but after looking it up, I learned it's an abbreviation for "Rokunen Ro-gumi（六年ろ組）" -- Class 6-Ro in Nintama Rantarō. I'm not very familiar with the series, so I had to search desperately to understand her message.)
The first capsule contained Nakazaike Chōji（中在家長次）. When I told my daughter, she replied, "Yes! It came!" and was overjoyed.
(Chōji is a member of Class 6-Ro in the series.)
I asked her, "Should I try one more time?" She replied, "Please," so I gave it another go.
This time, Nanamatsu Koheita（七松小平太） came out. I lined up the two capsules -- Chōji and Koheita -- and sent her a photo. She was thrilled, and our family LINE group (my daughter, my wife, and me) became very lively.
Daughter: "Yesssss!!!!"
Daughter: "So hype!!!!"
Wife: "It came, huh!"
Daughter: "Thank you"
Me: "I thought it was the same one, but maybe not?"
Daughter: "As expected"
Daughter: "Rokuro roommates complete lol"
Wife: "This group chat energy is funny"
Wife: "Let's stop around here"
Me: "Should I pull again?"
Wife: "We must avoid a disaster"
Daughter: "This is enough"
Daughter: "Thank you"
I was ready to spend more money for her, but it seemed she was already satisfied. I was happy to see her so delighted. At the time, I didn't understand why she was so excited, but apparently Nakazaike Chōji（中在家長次） and Nanamatsu Koheita（七松小平太） are a popular pair among Nintama Rantarō fans. She probably felt it was incredibly lucky that I got both in just two tries.
While looking around at other BANDAI gashapon machines, I found another one called Nintama Rantarō Cape Keyholder Vol.3. I sent my daughter a message, but she didn't seem interested. She might prefer more realistic designs closer to the original artwork.
Inside TSUTAYA Chūō Store, there was a Dogo Onsen-themed photo spot, so I took pictures of the two capsules I got today.
Since I wanted my daughter to open the capsules herself, I didn't take the plushies out. I placed Koheita on a sake crate and Chōji on a bench. Arranging the capsules like this made the photo session unexpectedly fun. The Nintama characters have a charming presence.
The combination of Nintama Rantarō characters and the Dogo Onsen Honkan backdrop was perfect. When my daughter comes back to Matsuyama, I'd love to take photos with her and the Nintama figures in front of the real Dogo Onsen Honkan.
"Take your favorite shot and post it with #ガシャ撮り!"
There were three mini photo studios available for taking pictures of purchased gashapon items. My personal favorite was the Dogo Onsen Honkan set, but placing Nintama figures on a drum can, on a concrete pipe, or in a pink girly room also seemed fun.
Next time I come for gashapon, I want to try a different set. Something new to look forward to.
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TSUTAYA Chūō Store Location
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Ehime Prefecture, Matsuyama City, Chūō 1-10-5
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