Sometimes it’s the small things that light up our day.

It was a typical, sleepy morning when Mr. Sato‘s life changed. He was taking his usual breakfast at a local family diner, and as he stood up to leave after finishing his meal, Mr. Sato noticed a couple of gacha capsule machines near the diner entrance. While he would usually pass by unfazed, given how ubiquitous gacha capsule machines are in Tokyo proper, this time his eyes were snared by this beauty:

Featuring figurines of tamagokake gohan, or raw egg cracked over a bed of freshly cooked rice, the gacha toys were not what they seemed. These weren’t just run-of-the-mill toys to be bought then set onto a shelf to collect dust—they were specifically light-up toys.

▼ “Tender eggs. Press yolk to light up!”

Like reading and savoring poetry, Mr. Sato repeated the tagline imprinted on the gacha capsule machine’s front in his head until it became a chant, then a mantra, then an impulsive decision to drop 300 yen (US$2.74) for one of the figurines. Once he coaxed the capsule out of the machine, Mr. Sato swiftly returned home to crack it open, brimming with curiosity.

Produced by Kitan Club, a whimsical gacha toy manufacturer, the tamagokake gohan figurine fit neatly into the palm of Mr. Sato’s hand. There was the figurine itself, a ring-like object which was the bowl’s koudai, or the small circlet of wood on the bottom of traditional Japanese bowls, and a mini pamphlet with all the tamagokake gohan variations. There were three in total, with the only difference being in the color of the bowls, and Mr Sato’s was the gold one.

For the most part, the figurine was already assembled. All Mr. Sato had to do was attach the koudai, and the plastic piece snapped easily into place.

Mr. Sato set the tamagokake gohan down to admire it in its full egg-y glory. Upon closer inspection, he realized how meticulously made the figurine was. Though it was just a plastic cover attached to the bowl, the fake rice had each individual grain detailed, and the rubber texture making up the egg whites felt oddly realistic. Mr. Sato had to resist the urge to pour soy sauce onto his newly bought miniature.

Temptations aside, there was only one thing left to do and that was to see if the bowl would actually light up. Mr. Sato delicately placed his finger on top of the egg yolk.

▼ And with a single press…

▼ … let there be light!

Mr. Sato couldn’t help but gape as the tamagokake gohan’s yolk emitted a soft, orange glow. While it was no replacement for a sturdy flashlight, and perhaps it would only make for a good portable night light when one had to endure the journey to the restroom in the dark, Mr. Sato sat in complete awe of the wonderful miniature before him, and he was so moved that he even posted a video of the whole process to his Twitter account.

▼ “This tamagokake gohan light with a light-up yolk is absolutely genius.”

Besides now having a super cool figurine, Mr. Sato also received a revelation. Sometimes things can feel tedious or dull, especially when embroiled in the routine rigors of daily life, but thanks to this tamagokake gohan figurine, he was reminded of all the small, wonderful possibilities out there in store for him, whether it was in the form of a gacha toy or perhaps a freshly made buttermilk fried chicken sandwich.

Photos © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]