Ghost Shrimp in a Machine

Oh, Japanese vending machines, you never cease to amaze and amuse me. And I mean "vending machines" like gumball machines, where you put in coins, turn the dial, and get a little plastic egg with a prize inside.

First there was Grocery Bear and Bear in a Bear Suit (I later realized that both bears have a little plastic zipper in the back of the head, so it's really a person dressed as a bear dressed as a bear).

Then there was the machine devoted to dog wigs.

The latest item to make us literally stop in our tracks for a double take is a Ghost Shrimp kit. As far as I can tell it includes salt, eggs, food, and an itty-bitty magnifying glass with an ittier-bittier spoon on the end.

I have since had a friend read the directions for me, but I'm going to pretend I don't know what it's about so I can interpret the pictures.

Step 1, put water in a jar.

Step 2, add a packet of something.
Step 3, an itty bitty scoop of something else, then wait 2-3 days.

Step 4, poof! Happy Ghost Shrimp appears!
Step 5, Happy Ghost Shrimp clothes itself in grapes and gloats.


A very small log book is also included to track the progress of Happy Ghost Shrimp.

It also looks like we got one of three kits available from this dispenser. I have no idea what the other two are. I'm going to say one is brine shrimp and the other is teeny tiny scientists.

More on this story as it develops.