vender, vender, vender

I have heard that foreigners are surprised to see many vending machines on the streets in Japan. But talking about the absolute number of vending machines, the US is the No.1. According to data from 2002 there were 7.6 millions vending machines in the U.S. and 5.5 millions in Japan. Thinking of population and land scale, the adoption rate was much higher in Japan and it would be more now. This looks like an American vending machine company. Hmm Candy or Beverage machines seem to be the main machine. Ha! I am not sure we have a insect wipe in Japan.

Here is the site of the Japan Vending machine manufactures association. According to their data, the situation seems to be close to the U.S. Half of the vending machines in Japan are for drinks, but this includes alcohol so it may be different. Actually many people are opposed to selling alcohol through machines on the streets because kids who are obviously under 20 can get it easily. Oh look at this! This is a beer vending machine with driver's license checker...orz. Is this a solution to the problem? Is it necessary to sell beer by vending machine with such overdone equipment? Over 10% are tobacco vending machines. Yes still Japan is a smoking Paradise. (at least after 11pm the vending machines are turned off.)  And this is funny for me Coke can't keep their corporate colour, has this happened in your country?

Maybe only Japan has this: Oden vending machine. Oden is a hot pot food that we eat in the winter season. Canned Oden is famous in Akihabara as Odenkan. How about rice? (Odd? not for me.)  Noodle? (ah looks suck)  Natto? (that's nice for natto lover)  Frozen Sushi? (looks super sucky!)  A text book to get your driver license? (ha ha! amazing)  Porn books?  (For just in case)

By the way, this is a funny movie of a vending machine, and this is the most feckless machine I have ever seen.

Comments

[Eli Jones]

Strangest vending machine I've seen in Japan were battery vending machines. Food and drink are fairly normal, but I'm not sure why I'd need batteries so badly I couldn't go to Lawson's.
I've never the the book venders before; maybe it's in case I need an emergency driver's manual.

EJ