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The Problem: Chiikawa Is Everywhere in Japan, but Its Figures Are Scattered All Over the Place
If you’ve never been to Japan, it’s hard to explain how much Chiikawa is part of daily life here right now. Over the past year I’ve seen the characters wrapped around trains, on convenience store shelves, on post office stamps, and on the posters for the movie that opened in July 2026. You really can’t walk through a big station without bumping into Chiikawa, Hachiware, or Usagi somewhere.
Shopping from overseas is a different story. Type “Chiikawa figure” into a marketplace and you’ll get a pile of plush, keychains, mystery boxes, and listings with no maker name at all. The real figures are out there. They’re just split across five different product types, sold through different channels, and a few of them were never meant to leave Japan in the first place.
In my experience, the fans who get burned on Chiikawa usually didn’t have trouble finding something to buy. They bought the first cheap listing that looked right. Chiikawa is one of the most copied characters on the market at the moment, so a little caution goes a long way.
Who This Article Is NOT For
- Collectors looking for scale statues. Chiikawa has no 1/7 or 1/4 scale figures. The characters are small, round, and two heads tall, so every manufacturer sticks to chunky, palm-sized formats.
- Fans who mainly want plush. Plush is the biggest Chiikawa category by far, and it deserves its own guide. This one is about figures.
- Anyone who needs articulated action figures. There’s no figma for Chiikawa. The Nendoroids can pose, but they use magnets instead of joints.
- Brand-new collectors who don’t know the format names yet. Read my Nendoroid vs figma vs scale figure comparison first, then come back. It’ll make the rest of this guide much easier to follow.
How I Judged Each Type of Chiikawa Figure
Chiikawa figures come in five formats, and they’re all small and cute, so “which one looks nicest” doesn’t get you very far. These are the three things I look at instead.
1. How easy it is to get the real thing. Chiikawa caught on in China and other East Asian markets before most of the world, and a lot of unlicensed copies came with that boom. Some formats are copied far more than others, and some are easy to buy from a trusted store while others only turn up secondhand. If you’re unsure about a listing, my guide to spotting bootleg figures covers the checks I use.
2. The real cost once it reaches you. A 400 yen capsule toy sounds cheap until you add international shipping, or until you open three duplicates in a row. I compare formats by what you actually end up paying overseas, not the sticker price in Japan. For the full picture, see how shipping and customs work for figures from Japan.
3. How it looks on a shelf. Detail, size, and whether you can choose your character all matter here. A figure you picked yourself and can pose usually earns its spot on the shelf longer than one that came out of a random box.
Chiikawa Figure Types Compared
| Format | Main maker | Typical price overseas | Choose your character? | Display detail | Fake risk / availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nendoroid | Max Factory / Good Smile Company | $40–55 each | Yes | High: 3 faces, accessories, posable | Often copied, but easy to buy from trusted stores |
| Soft vinyl figure | Licensed goods makers | $30–80 each | Yes | Medium: solid, no parts | Low risk, steady stock |
| Prize figure | Taito and other prize makers | $20–50 (secondhand only) | Yes, per listing | Medium, some fun gimmicks | Secondhand only, prices vary |
| Candy toy (shokugan) | Bandai Candy | $40–80 per complete set | No (random) | Low to medium, palm-sized | Buy complete sets from stores |
| Capsule toy (gashapon) | Kitan Club, Bandai and others | $20–50 per complete set | No (random) | Low, keychain-sized | Buy complete sets from stores |
Each Type Up Close: Pros and Cons
Nendoroid
The first wave of Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi came out in October 2023, and Kurimanju and Shisa are now up for pre-order. Each one stands about 7 cm tall, poses with magnets in the arms and legs, and comes with three faceplates plus little accessories like Chiikawa’s sasumata and pochette.
- Pros: The most detailed Chiikawa figure you can buy. You choose the character. Swappable faces let you set up small scenes. Re-releases come around regularly.
- Cons: The most expensive option per figure. The trio sells out fast between re-releases. It’s also the format counterfeiters copy most, so where you buy matters.
Soft Vinyl Figure
These are solid figures with no moving parts. They fit the round Chiikawa look nicely.
- Pros: Nothing small to lose, easy to dust, and sturdy enough for a desk or a shelf kids can reach. You pick the character.
- Cons: No expressions or poses to change. Prices swing quite a bit depending on stock, so it’s worth checking more than one listing.
Prize Figure
Prize figures come from Japanese arcade crane games and never go on sale in shops. Some of them are a lot of fun, like the swaying solar-powered ones that rock back and forth on a sunny windowsill. My prize figure and Ichiban Kuji guide explains how this market works.
- Pros: Unusual poses and gimmicks you won’t find in the other lines. Often cheaper than a Nendoroid.
- Cons: Overseas, you can only buy them secondhand, so prices jump around. Less detailed than a Nendoroid.
Candy Toy (Shokugan)
Bandai Candy’s box figure collections come with a small piece of gum or candy, and you don’t know which character is inside until you open it.
- Pros: The easiest way to get side characters like Momonga and Rakko in figure form. A complete set makes a cheerful little lineup.
- Cons: Random draws. Buying single boxes from overseas rarely makes sense once shipping is added, so you’ll want a complete set.
Capsule Toy (Gashapon)
Capsule toys come out of vending machines in Japan. For Chiikawa, many of them are tiny figures on keychains.
- Pros: Very small and very cheap in Japan. Great for a bag charm or a small desk display.
- Cons: The least detailed option. Random draws again, and from overseas a complete set is the only sensible way to buy.
Which Type Fits You: Recommendations by Use Case
Your first proper Chiikawa figure: Go with the Nendoroid of your favorite main character. If your budget allows, get all three of the trio. They’re made to stand side by side, and in my experience a shelf with just two of them always looks like it’s waiting for someone.
Your favorite is Kurimanju or Shisa: Pre-order the new Nendoroid now. Pre-orders opened on September 28, 2026, and the release is currently listed for around May 2027. Chiikawa Nendoroids tend to sell out early, and a release that far off is easy to forget, which is where a pre-order tracking system comes in handy.
You love Momonga, Rakko, or the wider cast: Buy a complete candy toy or capsule set. For most side characters, it’s the only realistic way to get them in figure form.
A gift for someone who loves cute things: A single Nendoroid or a soft vinyl figure. Both are easy to display, and neither needs any figure-collecting knowledge to enjoy.
On a tight budget: A complete capsule toy set or a secondhand prize figure. From what I’ve seen, these give you the most Chiikawa for the money, as long as you skip single random pulls.
The Bottom Line: Where to Buy Your Chiikawa Figures
If you only take one thing from this guide, make it this: buy from a store that gets its stock in Japan and ships from Japan. That alone takes care of most of the counterfeit risk. From there, start with a Nendoroid or two and grow your little Chiikawa corner at your own pace.
Solaris Japan carries the Nendoroids, the soft vinyl figures, and the new Kurimanju and Shisa pre-orders. It also sells pre-owned copies, which comes in handy when a Nendoroid is sold out between re-releases.
- Browse all Chiikawa items at Solaris Japan
- Nendoroid Chiikawa (2026 re-release)
- Nendoroid Hachiware (2026 re-release)
- Nendoroid Usagi (2026 re-release)
- Pre-order Nendoroid Kurimanju
- Pre-order Nendoroid Shisa
CDJapan works well as a second option, especially if you already buy manga, Blu-rays, or music there and want everything in one box.
Ordering from Japan for the first time? My step-by-step first-time buyer’s guide walks you through it, so your first Chiikawa order goes smoothly.