PLATZ, a model manufacturer from Shizuoka, Japan, previously released a gashapon product in 2018 commemorating the "Chibi Maruko-chan" manhole covers. With this year marking the "100th Anniversary of Shizuoka City Sewerage Works," they are once again launching the latest "Chibi Maruko-chan Manhole Cover Collection Gashapon"! Now featuring 5 types, each gashapon is priced at a reference 500 JPY and is scheduled for release in December 2023.
Manga artist Momoko Sakura, born in Shizuoka, Japan, created the classic manga "Chibi Maruko-chan," which enjoys worldwide popularity. To give back to her hometown, before her passing in 2018, Momoko Sakura personally designed two unique "Maruko-chan manhole covers" – the only ones in the world – and donated them to Shizuoka City. In addition to the iconic Maruko-chan, these designs incorporated local features such as Mount Fuji, tea, and Suruga Bay, adding more tourist appeal to the town; these were also Momoko Sakura's final works. To commemorate the "100th Anniversary of Shizuoka City Sewerage Works," nine new Maruko-chan designed manhole covers were released again in 2023, now featuring Maruko-chan's family and friends!
This "PLATZ Chibi Maruko-chan Manhole Cover Collection Gashapon" combines the Maruko-chan manhole cover with the gashapon capsule. Besides the super cute Maruko-chan, it also features a movable mechanism to display a little worker beneath the manhole cover! It includes the previously released, commemorative Yellow Hat Maruko-chan and Red Hat Maruko-chan manhole covers, and additionally features new designs launched this year: Maruko-chan and Tama-chan, Maruko-chan and Grandpa Tomozo, and Maruko-chan and Hanawa, allowing fans to collect both old and new designs at once!
Chibi Maruko-chan Manhole Collection
All five types
Size: Main body diameter 62mm
Reference Price: ¥500 / Gashapon
Scheduled Release Date: December 2023
via： platz