Today’s selection spans four decades of Japanese anime and game culture, from a 1960s menko card to gashapon figures and a One Piece collectible. Each item points to a different corner of the country’s pop-culture history.
Pisces Saint Seiya Mini Figure (Bandai, 2003)
A mini figure from Bandai’s 2003 MFS Collection featuring Pisces from Saint Seiya. Saint Seiya is a long-running manga and anime franchise created by Masami Kurumada, centered on warriors who don zodiac-themed armor called Cloths.
Price: $20.54 AUD | View on eBay
Chun-Li Gashapon Figure (Capcom Girls Collection 2)
A Chun-Li figure from Bandai’s Capcom Girls Collection 2 gashapon series, depicting the Street Fighter character in her signature pose. Gashapon are capsule toys dispensed from coin-operated machines, a fixture of Japanese hobby culture since the 1970s.
Price: £14.45 GBP | View on eBay
Harris no Kaze Vintage Menko Card (1960s)
A 1960s menko card from the anime Harris no Kaze, featuring Ishida Kunimatsu. Menko are traditional Japanese collectible cards used in a flipping game played by children, and printed editions tied to popular anime and sports figures became a cultural staple in the mid-20th century.
Price: £6.01 GBP | View on eBay
Kaku One Piece Playing Card (Clubs 9)
A single playing card from a One Piece deck, featuring the character Kaku as the nine of clubs. One Piece is the best-selling manga of all time, created by Eiichiro Oda and serialized since 1997.
Price: $12.86 AUD | View on eBay
About This Collection
These four items trace how Japanese fandom has expressed itself across formats — from paper cards exchanged in postwar schoolyards to capsule figures and modern character merchandise. Together they offer a small window into the breadth of Japan’s collectible traditions.
