/ Art Toys / English
Pokémon Four Seasons Snow Globes: Reading the Chinese Box, Telling the Four Designs Apart, and Why Not to Keep Them on a Sunny Windowsill
A look at the Pokémon four-seasons snow globes listed at Loop KOBE, using the shop's own photos: how to read the Chinese box, how spring Pikachu, summer Squirtle, autumn Charmander and winter Bulbasaur differ, why you can choose a design even though they come from blind boxes, what to check when a liquid-filled ornament arrives, and where not to put it to avoid the sunlight fires Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency warns about.
Written by Koetsu Co., Ltd.
Loop KOBE, our shop on Mercari Shops, has listed snow globe ornaments themed on the four seasons with Pokémon. Each has a Pokémon and a seasonal motif inside a clear dome, and holographic glitter swirls when you shake it. They are the contents of blind boxes sold in China, and the boxes are printed in Chinese. Using photos we took of the actual items, this guide explains how to read the box, how the four designs differ, and what to keep in mind when one arrives and when you display it.
Reading the Chinese box
The front of the box reads 宝可梦系列 and 自然野趣四季水晶球摆件盲盒. 宝可梦 is the Chinese name for Pokémon and 系列 means series. 自然野趣 means something like the charm of nature, 四季 is the four seasons, 水晶球 here means a clear globe ornament like a snow globe, 摆件 means ornament, and 盲盒 means blind box. Put together it reads roughly as: Pokémon series, nature-themed four-seasons snow globe ornament, blind box.
On Chinese toys, 水晶球 (literally crystal ball) is widely used for clear globe ornaments filled with water and glitter. It does not mean the globe is made of natural quartz. The product page also describes it as a snow globe (水晶球) ornament. Whether the dome is glass or plastic cannot be confirmed from the product description and photos.
The four designs
The product page offers four designs: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In each, a Pokémon sits inside the dome with a seasonal motif, above a base in the season's colours. When we checked on 17 October 2026, each was listed at 2,899 yen including shipping, with two left of each. Stock and prices may change.
| Season | Pokémon | Motif |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Pikachu | Cherry blossoms |
| Summer | Squirtle | Beach ball and water |
| Autumn | Charmander | Pumpkin and fallen leaves |
| Winter | Bulbasaur | Snow |
Why you can choose a design from a blind box
A blind box is sold so that you do not know which design is inside until you open it. We opened the boxes and checked the designs before listing, which is why you can choose your season. The trade-off is that the boxes have been opened. The product page gives the condition as new and unused and explains that the boxes were opened to check the designs.
Details often printed on the sides or bottom of a box, such as the maker's name, age guidance and materials, are not shown in the product photos. If you want to check them, for example because it is a gift or will be kept in a home with small children, please ask before buying using the button to send a question to the shop. You cannot comment on Mercari Shops items, but you can message the shop directly.
Why it should not sit on a sunny windowsill
A clear sphere can focus sunlight on one point, like a magnifying glass. In a release dated 26 November 2020, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency warned about fires that start when focused sunlight hits something flammable. It said its accident database had received 20 related reports between April 2010 and September 2020, with mirrors behind six and clear spheres, including glass balls and snow globes, behind four.
The same release describes a case in which a snow globe about 10 cm across, kept on the windowsill of a sunny upstairs room, focused sunlight and burned a hole of about 2 cm in a fabric tote bag behind it. The agency advises not placing mirrors, glass balls and similar objects by windows or where sunlight reaches, and closing the curtains when you go out. It notes extra care is needed in winter, when the sun is low and light reaches deeper into rooms.
What to check on arrival and when displaying it
Because they contain liquid, the product page says they are packed carefully with cushioning before shipping. When yours arrives, first check that the dome has no cracks or chips and that no liquid has leaked onto the box or packing. If there is a problem, contacting the shop through the transaction messages before you complete the receipt rating keeps things simple.
- First check the dome for cracks or chips and for leaks
- Do not place it by a window or where sunlight reaches
- Close the curtains when you go out
- Put it on a flat, stable surface so it cannot fall
- Ask the shop before buying if you want to know the age guidance or materials
According to the product page, items ship by Kuroneko Yamato from Hyogo Prefecture within one to two days. You might pick your favourite season, or collect them and change the display as the seasons turn. Please check the latest stock, prices and photos on the Loop KOBE product page.
Sources and further reading
- Loop KOBE (Mercari Shops): Pokémon four-seasons snow globe product page (Japanese)(Checked: )
- Consumer Affairs Agency: beware of sunlight-focusing fires caused by mirrors and glass balls (26 November 2020, Japanese)(Checked: )
- Consumer Affairs Agency: the full release (PDF) with causes and case examples (Japanese)(Checked: )
