A Glimpse into Fuchiko's Mini World

I've picked up a few new "hobbies" here in Japan. I've always enjoyed singing, so it is only natural that I've gotten into karaoke. And another time (and money) killer is playing the UFO Catcher games at the arcades.

I've written about UFO Catchers before - in the US I always called them crane games - and I have developed enough skill to have an above-average success rate.

One local machine has a bunch of little figurines known as Fuchiko. This tiny girl is designed to sit on the edge of glasses. In addition to Fuchiko, I've seen a bunch of other characters and themes get released.

The machine I've been getting these from is near the office, and I took these pictures at work. I didn't have a cup or mug handy when I won the first three figures last week. Above, my coworker's pencil case serves as a precarious canyon which Fuchiko is carefully trying to survive.

I believe the office suit version is the first (possibly in blue, originally), but other Fuchiko costumes are out there. Here's a beach bikini Fuchiko afraid of the cold water. A couple of her friends are hanging off the back side!

And here they are. The green one obviously belongs upside down, but I believe the yellow suit figure should somehow be sitting.

A Team Japan soccer version first showed up around the most recent World Cup games. This time, she's sitting on the mug properly while another office Fuchiko checks out the coffee level.

And from the back. Or front. I don't know. 

Technically, Fuchiko started as a gacha-gacha capsule toy, and is still available there, but I see her pretty often in crane games too.

The Strange Things You Find in Crane Games...

While in Nagoya over New Years vacation, I checked out a few of the "UFO Catcher" crane games, as I usually do. One particular store had an interesting item...

Stethescopes. For, I assume, playing doctor. I didn't try to play this machine.

I think I've seen other strange things in machines but never took pictures. I have heard of some games holding household goods like dish soap! And recently I've seen those "selfie poles" in a few locations.

More soon, I hope!

It's not Awesom-O. But it is Awesome!

Meet Danboard. He's a robot suit costume worn by Miura Hayasaka in a the Japanese manga series "Yotsuba&!". I don't know anything about the manga, but I've seen products for sale and, as you see above, in arcades.

It's simple - just a few cardboard boxes and a black marker. But there is something special in Danboard's design that makes it very appealing, and the character has slowly grown on me! Sometime soon I'll need to add something from this character to my collection of toys from manga and anime I've never read or watched. I could make my own, which if I wanted something "life size" I could do. But there are small clips, licensed boxes (wow) and even figurines. Yes, plastic figurines of a cardboard costume worn in a manga. Someone even created a 365 Days of Danboard flickr, and it's very nicely done.

I even think this costume is better than Cartman's Awesom-O in the episode of South Park of the same name.

Recent Grabs, Literally (What's a Fundoshi?)

I have developed a kind of addiction to crane games. I don't usually drop much money in there, and I almost always go home with something. I pick and choose carefully! I've assembled a nice collection of goodies, and this Monday resulted in the addition of a few new toys to the pile. This is a keychain of some kind. I don't know the purpose and I'm not sure why I went after it. But here it is. Yeah.

Much cooler are these three fundoshi. If you zoom in on the picture, you'll see the white one says Japan Fundoshi Association. So, what is a fundoshi? It's the traditional Japanese underwear, which was worn by everybody in Japan until after World War II. Well, every man. It's basically a thong and (sometimes) a loin cloth. I've never worn one, as less intrusive boxers and briefs are usually worn today.

The fundoshi is still worn for ceremonial purposes, like festivals. This isn't the same as mawashi, which sumo wrestlers wear, though it is very similar. I won all three of these key straps with one grab. You don't have to put it on your keychain, though:

That's right. Your iPhone can be properly covered. This is on an iTouch, so it doesn't fit quite right. And because this style has the loin cloth it looks bad in this position. It isn't exactly practical for full-time use because the thong blocks the charging port at the bottom. The button is still functional, though!

I haven't seen them in claw machines, but there are iPhone panties too. I saw those in Akihabara. Where else would there be panties for iPhones?

The last thing I won in the UFO catcher (the Japanese name for crane games) was a kitty. This poor guy looks so strained. I wonder why:

I have three of these now in white, grey, and black. They hold iPhones or other smart phones up like a stand, using the suction cup on the back. They're easily movable and removable, which means I can turn my phone horizontal or vertical, and the small size means I can keep one in my bag for use as a stand when traveling.

I might bring you more of my crane game goodies in the future. But tomorrow, I am going to get back to my Nagoya travel posts... Until then!