It is estimated that there is a vending machine of some variety for every 20 people in Japan. With Japan’s population in excess of 127 million, that means there are around 5 million vending machines across the country.
This figure might be hard to believe—until you set foot in Japan. There are vending machines for virtually everything, from the expected soft drinks, tickets and food to the more unusual, such as machines that sell underwear or stuffed toy animals. Many drink machines provide both hot and cold beverages, and they are fairly cheap compared to drink prices around the world, with most drinks costing as little as 100 to 150 yen. Iced tea, fruit juice, and flavoured water are just as popular as soft drinks like Coke in Japan.
Something you would rarely see in most countries is a vending machine selling liquor or cigarettes on main streets and in laneways. In Japan, it’s relatively easy to pop a few yen into a machine and grab a cold beer, sake or a packet of smokes. There doesn’t seem to be any visible problems associated with this unrestricted access—you rarely see young people using the machines (although an ID card system has been introduced, many machines still operate without ID readers).
Strangely, there are remarkably few ATMs and virtually no chocolate vending machines—but there are lots of ice cream machines.
Small electronic items like disposable cameras, memory sticks, and music are also available, as are the plastic capsule toys (gachapon). Dozens of these machines are usually grouped together and feature popular Japanese characters, from Hello Kitty to manga icons. Most vending machines accept both coins and small denomination notes.
Even temples have joined in—many shrines offer omikuji (fortune-telling slips of paper) via vending machines.
Some restaurant chains have taken vending machines to a new level with an innovative ordering system. Outside the store is a vending machine where you select your meal and pay with coins. The machine prints out a ticket, which you hand to the waiter who then prepares your food. These restaurants (known as gyudon cafés) are quite popular, cheap, and usually offer tasty meals.
Claw crane vending machines are also extremely popular. Players can win mobile phones, watches, or toys—and in some northern towns like Sapporo, there’s even a claw machine that gives you the chance to catch a live crayfish!
