Looking out on Osaka from inside the capsule of the Hep Five Mal
Japan Japan in Haiku Travel

Japan in Haiku 25: Gacha City

Gacha City

Inside brittle shell
of urban gacha gacha
lies Kitty city.

Our kids love Japan’s gacha gacha balls. These plastic shells with tiny toys inside are available from vending machines at service stations and convenience stores everywhere for the small change in your pocket.

For me, Japanese cities are a bit like gacha gacha balls. Like any industrialised country, Japan is all hard surfaces and modern materials. On first appearance it’s not the fragile tea ceremony or bamboo glade that you see in the guide book inserts. Don’t get me wrong, this stuff is here, but you have to work hard to get inside the exterior shell, and even then you can’t totally predict which novelty you will be gifted.

But when you get the equivalent of the prize kitty or the rare Pokemon, you feel like a child who has spent the day in a toy shop. That’s Japan.

About the author

Kirstie Pelling

Kirstie is the creative force and chief poet in residence of poetinmotion.org She is available for residencies, as a conference poet and wedding poet. She is also co-founder of The Family Adventure Project and a regular contributor to many online travel communities.

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About Author

Kirstie Pelling

Kirstie is the creative force and chief poet in residence of poetinmotion.org She is available for residencies, as a conference poet and wedding poet. She is also co-founder of The Family Adventure Project and a regular contributor to many online travel communities.

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