Vending machines

There has been much written by foreigners about vending machines in Japan, but generally by way of highlighting some of the more unsavory items that can be purchased from them, such as the stories that the Western media love to tell about the machines in Tokyo that deliver soiled schoolgirls underwear to deviant patrons. I have only ever seen one of those machines, in a fairly sleazy part of Tokyo, in all my time and travels here.
A range of 24 hour drink vending machines on a suburban street corner in Nagoya.

And that would compare to the hundreds of thousands of very convenient, and very useful vending machines that one can find all over Japan. The vending machines I am talking about are mainly drink machines, stocking all kinds of hot and cold beverages, from cold beer, sake, soft drinks, cold and hot tea and coffee, sports drinks and vitamin tonic beverages. There are food machines that deliver rice balls, sandwiches, noodle packs, etc., but they are not that common, and are often installed inside premises such as shopping centers, and roadside stops. It is the hot and cold ordinary beverage vending machines that are most common, and most convenient.

Cigarette vending machines located outside alcohol retailers premises, or on railway stations are fairly common, too. One interesting factor about alcohol and cigarette

Cigarette and Kirin beer machine alongside a Coke machine outside a bottle shop in Saga.

vending machines is that their products are available day and night, to anyone who can put money into them. Yet the vast majority of underage teenagers tend to leave them alone. I have no idea why, but respect for the law seems to be a major factor. I have been asked by Japanese people quite often why I am surprised at this. I tell them that this would just not be possible in Australia. Young people would purchase alcohol and cigarettes from the machines too often, if they didn't break into the machines and steal the goods and money. The machines would be frequently vandalized, and in some cases, if they could muster a suitable 'ute' (pick-up truck), they would just take the machine home!

Drink vending machines along the river walk in Saga, a 24 hour instant photobooth and drink machines outside a stationary store in Saga, and drink machines outside a convenience store in the Otaru, Hokkaido snow.

Vending machines in Australia, and they are not that common compared to Japan, are almost always located inside premises, where they can be monitored, and turned off, and are not left unattended after hours. In Japan, as well as being located in the expected places, such as outside convenience stores and on railway stations, they are on street corners, outside apartment buildings, in front of office buildings and all kinds of retail stores, in parks, at temples and shrines, around tourist attractions and often just installed on the side of a country road, not even close to a watchful premises. There are literally hundreds of them available near any one location at any one time.

All manner of beverages are dispensed from these machines, including hot and cold coffee and tea, hot lemon drinks, various vitamin supplemeny tonics and dietary aids, and sports drinks, such as 'Pocari Sweat'. No, not really - just an unfortunate choice of English.

The drink machines stock all manner of cold drinks, winter and summer (especially useful in Japan's very humid summer months), and a variety of hot and cold tea and coffee drinks, sweet and unsweetened, milk and black, in the winter. And you can get hot lemon drinks, and the tonic beverages much favored by salarymen looking for a next morning pick-me-up after a night of  heavy partying.

The coffee is very drinkable, at least comparable to the Seattle-based coffee companies fare, and it is cheap and convenient, especially when compared to the prices of coffee in Japanese coffee shops. Drinks such as Coca Cola are priced only marginally above supermarket prices, with no huge mark-up. And it is instant, right there on the roadside, very convenient. And the machines, typical of Japanese service, always work, and are always freshly stocked. They are so convenient, and so useful, that vending machines quickly become part of your daily life in Japan.

RK         

Comments

[Romar Armas]

Thanks for the insight on vending machines. I really do find the cigarette vending machines quite interesting. I guess it all has to do with the culture. Here in North America, smoking has been glorified for years and has been part of the culture and often people will not be accepted in groups if they don't smoke. Places like Wal Mart have vending machines outside the store at decent prices but other than that, most are quite overpriced.

What about vending machines for toys and trinkets? Do they have a lot of those too or are those only located in certain areas?

[Ray Kinnane]

Your welcome, Romar.

I thought that smoking would be anti-social in the U.S. by now. It is in Australia, where smoking inside any building except your own home is banned. Nit here, where the government have a financial interest in the tobacco industry. And cigarettes are really cheap, about a third of the Australian price. But as Japanese people have a long life expectancy, lung cancer is quite prevalent here now. And many, many men still smoke heavily, and quite a lot of young women now.

I have never seen vending machines for toys and trinkets here. Probably because they have 100 yen shops, which sell all manner of things; hardware, stationary, tools, plastic kitchen goods, and toys and trinkets. Most of it is amazing quality for the one fixed price, which is about 86 U.S. cents per item.
There is probably not a house in Japan without a fair selection of 100 yen goods in it in. And Japanese people won't buy rubbish.

Ray Kinnane

[Andrew Kean]

Hi Ray

I've had a very quick look over your blog site... it's terrific. Interesting stories, about interesting topics that accompany your always interesting (that's not the most appropriate word–how about engaging?) images. It's almost like you are there.

I wondered about the bikes in the snow also – why don't they have more suitable equipment - mountain bikes? Is it because the bikes are only used to ride from home to the train station or local shops etc. and not for extended recreational use, purely functional?

It must be nice to be able to use your time and talents this way.
I'll drop in again when I can.

Kind regards
Andrew

[Ray Kinnane]

Hi Andrew. Thanks for visiting, and for the nice comments.

The reason for the very standard bikes in Japan is a bit of a mystery. Maybe they are easier to negotiate the traffic on, and they are certainly easier to stop and start, and maybe even easier to carry stuff. But you see very few mountain bikes here. It is very flat, and you don't really need gears.

If you look under the December Archives in the right hand column, you will find a larger, earlier story on Japanese bicycles where I ponder the same view - but I don't think I really found an answer that made sense.

Please visit again. Great to hear from you.

Ray Kinnane

[Justine Hirshfeld]

Dear Ray,

Hi my name is Justine Hirshfeld, and I am a graphic designer here in NYC, working at Market Watch magazine.

We are doing a story about the future of alcohol in vending machines, and I came across your blog, and saw on of your photos on it, and would very much like to know if we might have permission to use that photo in the article.

It is the photo of the two vending machines- one on the left for Coke and the right one for Kirin. If so I would need a larger version of the image. Please let me know, the image would fit perfectly in the story.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

-Justine Hirshfeld