
Some wounds never heal, and some stains never come out.
Capsule toys enjoy seemingly endless popularity in Japan and are a veritable stream of consciousness when it comes to all the different designs and concepts, from bad origami to animals weighing themselves. With new ones coming out almost every day, the total number of capsule toys that have existed is incalculable at this point.
Among all this, though, one new toy stood out to our reporter Mr. Sato. It was called the 1/24 Railroad Crossing Collection 2 and consisted of six scale models of railroad crossing signals. As an added feature, they all make a realistic warning sound, and this is what both intrigued and troubled our writer.
Mr. Sato grew up in a relatively rural part of Japan and while walking back and forth to elementary school he always had to cross some ground level railroad tracks. Normally, it’s a rather idyllic scene, but for safety reasons the bar will lower well before and after a train passes and this can eat up a lot of time for people who want to walk across the tracks.
This was especially a problem one day when little Mr. Sato felt a peculiar rumble in his tummy while waiting for the train to pass. What began as a leisurely walk home became a race against time when the future star reporter began to feel pressure building in his rear end.
Each clang of the warning bell seemed to stretch and echo into eternity and the normally short walk from there to his house became increasingly too far…
After coming back to his senses in modern day Tokyo, Mr. Sato took three spins of the gacha machine for 500 yen ($4.40) each, hoping to at least get one of the big ones. They came in appropriately yellow and black colored capsules.
He opened one and discovered a bag of parts and some instructions. The sizes range from 13.5 centimeters (5.3 inches) to 18.5 centimeters (7.3 inches) tall, so naturally some assembly is required.
The yellow capsule contained an A-Type Railroad Crossing with Old Warning Lights, and the two black balls each had a B-Type Railroad Crossing with Old Warning Lights.
▼ “A-Type Railroad Crossing with Old Warning Lights”
Mr. Sato was surprised at how big it was after putting everything together.
The level of detail was very high and even the length of the bar seemed to be exactly to scale.
Looking at all three together, he regretted not having any model cars to park in front of them.
However, it was their beautiful yet cursed sound that our writer was interested in. He reached to the back of the base and pushed the button…
警報音が鳴る踏切ガチャ。3台同時に鳴らしてみた。音がデカいんだよ pic.twitter.com/CJn1eMvJMK
— 世界の佐藤 (@Foodqueensatou) November 16, 2021
The volume was surprisingly loud too, enough that his neighbors might have even heard it. Mr. Sato did notice much though, his mind was already spiraling back to that overcast autumn day when he lost his innocence and learned that the world can be a cruel and unfair place.
Why did his mother get angry at him? It was a natural bodily function that he simply could no longer contain. On the other hand, he was incredibly lucky that none of the other kids noticed and branded him with a disgraceful nickname like “Mobile Poop Gundam.”
The fact that these capsule toys brought back this childhood trauma clear as day is evidence that they’re really accurately made. We highly recommend any fan of traffic safety novelties to check them out.
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 ]









Mr. Sato visits Gacha Gacha no Mori: The capsule toy store for adult women
Mr. Sato’s day made from this gacha capsule toy with a special surprise【Pics】
Mr. Sato takes on the “Trap or Treasure” capsule machine for 500 yen
How to use Japan’s revolving sushi capsule toy for a literal revolving sushi meal at home
Sushi By Foreigners BC: Japanese gacha capsule toys just keep on getting weirder
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japanese hair salons going bankrupt in record numbers
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Uniqlo’s high-end sunglasses are a fashion minefield for anyone who isn’t Mr. Sato
Beard Papa goes beyond just matcha with its new premium green tea cream puffs
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Eating cheap sushi in a narrow building in Tokyo is an adventure for bold diners
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Hayao Miyazaki’s Whisper of the Heart concept art revealed in new Ghibli illustration book
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Photos of Complete Strangers: Japan’s new strange, and strangely compelling, capsule toys【Pics】
Check out these capsule toy replica old-timey bicycle locks…for some reason?
Japan’s semi-functional air conditioner capsule toys promise to help us cope with the summer heat
Origami folded by gyaru – The first capsule toy it’s impossible to get a complete set of【Photos】
Capsule toy machines in Japan have taken to selling face masks too
It’s a trap (Japanese capsule toy)!
Wild gacha capsule toy machine is one of the most unusual finds in Japan
The perfect work out equipment for your fingers is waiting inside Japanese toy vending machines
We spent over US$400 at a Tokyo premium capsule machine, and we’re not sure how we feel about it
Japanese “Creeper Reply Badge” capsule toys make us cringe with their cliche replies 【Photos】
Poop Flinging Game – Literal weird crap from Japanese capsule toy machines【Photos】
Squeezable tanuki testicle capsule toys, with choking warning for kids, appear in Japan, but why?
We find the crappiest capsule toy out there… literally
The top 7 weirdest Japanese capsule toys of January 2016
Mr Sato shows us how to buy bubble wrap from one of the most unusual vending machines in Japan