Before I ever had the idea of planning a trip to Japan, the image I had in my mind was a city replete with vending machines. I had written an essay in University all about the history of vending machines, and of course, a portion of that covered Japan. I had these images in my mind of a hybrid city, old and new, modern and ancient, joined together by rows and rows of vending machines, like the patchwork on an old torn-up sweater. And honestly, I wasn’t that far off.
Vending machines make up a huge section of the fabric of the country whether you are in a big city or out in the countryside. There are 5 million vending machines to be found across the country. That’s one vending machine for every 23 people and these babies rack in more than $60 billion annually! So next time you’re visiting Japan you need to check them out! But you’ll be surprised to find more than just soda and candy inside…
Japanese vending machines sell everything from flowers to fish. From bread to bees. Uncovering hidden vending machines selling strange oddities becomes an unwritten game on your travels. Every new street you walk down an opportunity to discover something new!
The very first vending machine was made in Alexandria in 251 BC! It was a holy water dispenser. It worked by inserting a coin into a slot and the weight of the coin would trigger a lever to dispense a vial of holy water. The different weights of the various coins would dispense different sizes of holy water. Impressive that such an invention dates back so far into history.
The first Japanese vending machine was made in 1888. It was designed by Tawaraya Koshichi who was an amateur inventor and full-time furniture maker. Koshichi sold tobacco out of his machine, a popular kind of vending machine still to this day.
One of the oldest remaining vending machines is still on display in the Postal Museum of Japan, located in Tokyo. The machine dated back to 1904 and was an automatic stamp and postcard vending machine.
The boom of vending machines began in the 1950s with automated “fountain-style juice dispensers” installed inside office buildings. These machines would dispense a cup of juice for just 10 yen into a small paper cup. You could get a little taste of your favourite drink without needing to leave the office. These caught on like wildfire and more and more machines began appearing all over Japan. In the 60s and 70s, vending machines were used to dispense short-distance tickets at train stations. In these more remote locations where it wasn’t financially viable to employ human workers 24/hours a day, these made a huge change in how the rail system functioned. And now, automated machines are responsible for almost 100% of the ticketing at metro stations in Japan.
There are lots of different reasons why the vending machine’s popularity exploded in Japan. In many of the larger, more populated cities, real estate costs are astronomically high. Therefore, vending machines have become the best option to replace medium and small-sized convenience stores. This also means cost-savings in the workforce as you don’t need to employ a cashier full time to checkout customers. All you need is one man to replace the stock every few days (or more frequently depending on the location.)
Japanese people are also overly concerned with convenience. They are busy people with workdays exceeding those of any other country. So being able to run out and get a coffee from a “vendo” means you don’t even need to walk down the street to the local coffee shop.
While other countries keep most of their vending machines safe indoors, in Japan there are millions outside. The crime rate in Japan is so low that the machines are rarely ever vandalized. Lastly, Japanese people love automation. Japan has long been a country of extraordinary inventions. Many of these vending machines are an automated answer to a physical problem and the Japanese love to see their ingenuity in action.
Japan is a majorly cash-based society. A surprising thing considering how we sometimes view Japan as this metropolis of modernity. Most vending machines require coins to dispense any item inside. In the past few years we can started to see more and more modern machines, some of which have entirely LED displays. These newer machines are able to accept cards but often then only works with local credit cards.
Over the years, more and more machines have been retrofitted with tap payments. This works with your Suica and Pasmo metro cards. These cards are meant to be used to pay for your trips on the metro but can be preloaded with funds and used at vending machines and even some convenience stores. If you are travelling on the public rail system you’ll need one of these cards so I would always advise you to load it up with more money than you think as you’ll find so many different ways to use your cards.
I’ve included a fun checklist of the most interesting vending machines I’ve found on my travels if you want to make a game of this hunt too! If you discover some new ones, add them to the list and please comment on this post of what they are and where you found them here so other people can find them too! Some of these vending have specific locations and I’ve done my best to add those to a google map at the bottom of this post for you to follow! Others are scattered around the city so you just need to keep your eyes peeled. Happy Hunting!
I have an entire post dedicated just to the incredible and exciting drinks you can find inside vending machines in Japan. In general, these consist of the following categories:
Feel free to check out my post entirely dedicated to these unique creations to see if you can find them all or discover a new favourite for yourself.
Akihabara, the kingdom of Otaku culture, is one of the main hubs where you can find the best vending machines in the city! One of the most popular places for vending machine hunters has been dubbed Akihabara Vending Machine Corner. I’ve pinned the location of this place on the map at the bottom of this post.
Right out front is the ever-popular Popcorn Vending Machine. This retro-styled machine pops freshly made popcorn on demand for just 220 yen a cup. While the device looks old and run down, the popcorn it produces is surprisingly fresh and delicious! That’s one of the most interesting things about Japan, even those things that look old and unusable are maintained in perfect working order. So don’t let the age fool you!
Also found in Akihabara’s vending machine corner is the canned oden machine. Oden is a Japanese one-pot dish consisting of ingredients like boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and fishcakes all inside a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth. The canned version is served piping hot, even inside the vending machine. You peel off the lid and inside is a little toothpick that helps you eat all the ingredients in the soup. To drink the broth you just need to sip it like a drink. While this might seem pretty strange for those in a rush or who need a hit of oden before the konbinis open, this is super convenient!
If you can’t make it out to Japan to see and experience the amazing food for yourself you should check out Sugoi Mart, a Japanese online store, shipping all over the world everything that Japan has to offer. From snacks, chocolates, anime licenses to toys and collectibles, our motto is pretty much: You want it? They have it! If they don’t, let them know and they will! Use Promo code: CREATIVE15 for 15% OFF today!
Perhaps one machine that has gained notoriety over the last few years is the Akihabara Mystery Vending Machine. To be honest with you, this machine is a total novelty. While it’s interesting to look at, don’t waste your money getting anything from inside it. Inside this ubiquitous machine, are a series of white boxes. On the exteriors are strange notes and weird poems that have absolutely nothing to do with the contents inside. Each one costs around 500 yen and while they suck you in to imagine you’ll get a real unique surprise they are nothing more than stale chocolates and other cheap everyday snacks. It’s worth a laugh to look at but save your money for something else.
Gachapon refers to the little vending machines that dispense capsule toys. The word ‘Gachapon ‘is onomatopoeia for the sound the crank makes when you use the machine. These little brightly coloured machines each contain different sets of toys, and you never know which item from the collection you’re going to receive. It’s totally random. Most locations include some rare toys which become sought-after collector treasures. The toys change pretty often, so there’s always something new to buy.
We found little plastic cats were sitting on rice cookers, tiny replicas of vintage buckets, Pokemon-shaped cookies, and lots of Japanese cartoon characters often themed around the nearest holiday. These make for small, cheap souvenirs to bring home for friends and family. They are wonderfully weird and always unexpected. The Akihabara Gachapon Hall is where you can find hundreds of these machines all in one place. Although spotting them all over the city is a fun little activity, if you’re looking for something in particular, then this is the place you should check out!
Located inside the minature mall near the west exit of Ryogoku Station is ‘Tokyo Store.’ Inside this small stand-up bar, you’ll find a series of sake vending machines. Inside the metal and glass boxes are sake bottles from all over Japan. But you aren’t buying the whole bottle. Instead, you can drop your coins into the dispenser and try out a small shot of sake from that region. Inside each machine are three types of sake: Junmai shu (200 yen/cup), Ginjo-shu (300 yen/cup) and Daiginjo-shu (400 yen/cup). Each one is brewed slightly differently, and they each have progressively stronger alcohol content. The more alcohol, the more expensive the drink.
To use the vending machines, take one of the small blue and white ceramic cups from the clean station and choose your sake. Place the cup under the dispenser and drop in your coins. Then your cup will be filled up with that specified sake! If you don’t have 100 yen coins, there is a change dispense located at the store’s front. If you’ve never tried sake before, this is a great way to see what you like and don’t like. Feel free to share your shots with a friend to ensure you don’t get too buzzed, as some of the sake can be pretty strong!
Over in Odaiba, you can find a Pokémon vending machine. Pokémon stores are one of the most sought after shops in Tokyo. Since the Odaiba mall doesn’t have a Pokémon store, they have installed this little vendo to ensure, you can still “catch them all!” This is one of the most modern vending machines, with a touch screen and a digital inventory. Inside this machine, you’ll find everything from the newest plushy toys to themed keychains. They are dispensed into these adorable white and red boxes, an added bonus to the entire experience.
Omamori are Japanese amulets commonly sold at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each one is dedicated to particular Shinto kami. Kamis are important spirits or gods in Shintoism. The kami embody values and virtues and are thought to be ancient ancestors made of different forces of nature. Outside Japanese shrines, there are usually little shops where you can buy various Omamori. These amulets are said to provide various forms of luck or protection.
Over the years, as fewer people are working inside these shrines as the population dwindles, they needed to come up with a way to still sell these items. In this case, vending machines have given visitors the ability to get their dose of protection at any time of the day, without the need for an open kiosk. Good luck on demand. Can’t get more modern than that!
At the entrance to the popular shopping mall Shibuya 109, you’ll find a brightly coloured t-shirt vending machine. Inside this machine, you’ll find a series of graphic souvenir t-shirts. The shirts aren’t the cheapest at 1,200 to 2,500 yen apiece, but honestly, the shirts’ designs are pretty impressive.
24-Hour Hot Meal Vending Machines are found throughout the country in areas where there might not be a restaurant or where people find themselves after hours needing food. The items inside are frozen, and once you insert your money and select your meal, the frozen food is placed inside a microwave where it is reheated automatically. Depending on the type of meal you choose, it will take a different amount of time to reheat, and then the microwave door will pop open. They offer everything from hot dogs, takoyaki (octopus balls), hamburgers, fries and even the iconic fish-shaped dessert taiyaki! Although the food might be a little subpar, the boxes in which the food is packaged are surprisingly well designed. The Yakisoba is most likely your best bet as the noodles reheat pretty well, and the sauce is well flavoured enough to balance out the dish.
For a quick and healthy breakfast on the go, find yourself a Banana or Apple vending machine. These are mainly found inside train stations for people on their way to work. They are sold either by a bunch (for the bananas) or individually packaged. Japanese people tend not to shop for huge grocery orders like we do in North America. So their fridges aren’t constantly stocked with fresh food. So these machines are a great way for them to get some fresh fruit before heading off to work.
Natto might be the only thing I tried in Japan that I roundly objected to. That being said, so many people love it and swear by its health benefits. Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from soybeans that have been fermented. It’s considered a breakfast food but can be eaten anytime. While I’m a fan of fermented kimchi, there is something about the slimy and sticky texture of natto that I just can’t get on board with. Natto vending machines are another popular stop for many salary men and women on their work who need a quick breakfast on the go!
In the lower levels of Shinjuku station, you might happen upon these flower vending machines. These vending machines are fairly large in order to dispense full sized bouquets which can even come inside glass vases. For those salarymen who might not have time to stop in at a florist on the way home to their beloved this is a great option. The flowers come in a vareity of sizes, as small as a single rose. They are replcaed daily so there is always something fresh.
At first glance, you might think this vending machine is selling black tea, but if you look closer, you might be shocked at what you see inside. Inside the brown liquid bottles is an entire fish! These are, in fact, not drinks but Dashi soup stock. Dashi is one of the most essential ingredients in many Japanese dishes, like ramen, okonomiyaki and takoyaki.
It might seem strange to foreigners to see these in such large quantities taking up an entire vending machine, but running out of dashi might be like running out of sugar. And instead of going to the neighbours to borrow a cup of sugar, you can just go to the vending machine down the street. Suppose you’re interested in buying one but have no idea how to use it without cooking an entire pot of soup? In that case, you can pour some into some instant ramen to boost up the flavour or just drizzle it over soft-boiled eggs in the morning for an even more tasty meal.
Inokashira Park, in the quaint neighbourhood of Kichijōji, is home to a few impressive vending machines. Inokashira Park is a beautiful park to visit outside the city centre if you’re looking for a peaceful place to escape to. One of the most popular vending machines you can find here is the canned bread vending machine! Canned bread was invented to preserve food during the war and is still something people eat today. Here in the park, these machine serves flavours like blueberry, strawberry and orange. Although this seems like a bad idea, the bread is surprisingly soft and the fruity jam really adds to the flavour.
If you thought bread in a can was weird, well, then Inokashira Park has a real surprise in store for you. You can also buy canned grasshoppers or bee larvae from the same vending machine! This is really for the brave at heart. That being said, the bugs are heavily flavoured in soya sauce, so the critters’ taste is pretty muted, you just have to get over the texture…
Japan is known for its extreme weather. Japan’s rainy season lasts from the beginning of June to mid-July and can come out of nowhere. For this reason, you never want to be caught without an umbrella. Lucky for you, they have their fair share of Umbrella vending machines. The umbrellas cost only 500 yen and are surprisingly sturdy considering the low price!
One of the only things I don’t like about Japan is the number of people smoking. Unlike many other countries, smoking is still wildly popular here. And therefore, Cigarette Vending Machines can be found everywhere you go. These require a special age-verification ID card to purchase anything to ensure underage people are not smoking. While I’m not the biggest fan of these machines’ popularity, as it seems to feed the addiction, I would be remiss not to mention them here.
You might have heard of the infamous Japanese corn soup in a can and indeed, it’s real! Corn Potage, or corn soup, is a drinkable meal that is served warm and on the go! These are super popular in the winter as a great way to warm up and feed your body as well! While it might seem strange, corn soup is absolutely delicious and totally worth your time and money to try! You just need to get past the idea of drinking chunky soup, and then you’ll be home free.
On hot days in the middle of Japan’s crushingly humid summers, there is nothing better than cold ice cream. But sometimes, when you’re wandering around the park, you don’t want to have to get up and walk all the way over to the convenience store. That’s where ice cream vending machines come in! Ice cream in Japan is superb, and there are so many unique varieties you can find inside these machines.
If ice cream isn’t your favourite dessert, not to fear, vending machines in Japan also serve up crepes! The crepe vending machines serve both hot and cold varieties. They have flavours like cheese and strawberry, chocolate and banana, custard, caramel and more! They cost around 200 yen apiece. These are pretty rare, so if you find one, definitely give it a try!
Well before COVID-19, Japan was all over the idea of wearing medical masks. Japanese people take the well-being of others very seriously. Before COVID-19, everyone would wear masks not because they were afraid of other people’s illnesses but instead, to wear if they were feeling unwell as to not spread the disease to others. Because illness can hit at any time, mask dispensers were extremely popular. The vending machine masks also allow the purchaser not to have to interact with anyone either, no need to go inside a convenience store. I’m sure they will be making lots more of these machines in 2021!
Out in the country, instead of farmers’ markets, vegetable producers can place their goods inside vegetable vending machines where locals can come and pick up their shopping for the day. These have everything from radishes, lettuce, sweet potatoes and more! You won’t find these in big cities where grocery stores are more popular but they are great for rural areas. These are the Japanese version of farm stands we might find on country roads in North America.
Eggs vending machines are another item you’ll find in the country. They come as small as packs of 6, the perfect size for a few soft-boiled eggs to make for breakfast in the morning. These vending machines are so adorable and often are designed to look like a giant chicken 🙂
Another solution servicing the countryside is rice vending machines. These sell rice by the pound in all sorts of varieties. This is a great way to pick up the rice you need for the day or the week without travelling to the grocery store which can sometimes be a far drive depending on the ruralness of the area. Rice is the lifeblood of meals in Japan so the fact these are open 24 hours a day is fantastic!
Curry in Japan is one of my favourite things to eat. Japanese curry is unlike Thai or Indian curry, it is a creation all of its own. One way which people have been eating curry for years is in these retort pouches. And vending machine curry pouches were a great way for people to get a delicious curry to cook quickly when they go home. Inside the laminate pouch are different varieties of curry and rice that just need to be dipped in boiling water or microwaved for 3-7 minutes. Then open the pouch and chow down on your curry. It might seem odd to buy your curry in a pouch when there are so many fast-food curry joints but some people who has a particular nostalgia for them swear the flavour is more pronounced in these retort pouches. You’ll have to try it for yourself to find out!
Cup Noodles is a brand of instant ramen we all have eaten in college. It may have been invented in Japan in 1971 but it has since become a phenomenon all over the world. But in Japan, you can get your ramen fix from a Cup Noodles Vending Machine! These single-serving cups of freeze-dried noodles are brought to life with the addition of boiling water. These vending machines sell a variety of different flavours and after the cup is dispensed you use the on-site boiling water station to rehydrate your noodles!
This is perhaps the more 2020 Japanese invention of all time – the vending machine PCR Covid testing kit. These machines sell at-home saliva-based kits for 4,500 yen. You just give yourself a swab and mail in the kit for analysis. No need to go into any pharmacies or hospitals for a test possibly spreading the virus further. Right now there are five locations, but more are said to be installed over the next few months.
If you’re interested in an experience unlike any other, then head over to Jihanki Shokudo, the Automated Diner. Jihanki Shokudo is a fully unstaffed restaurant featuring a few retro vending machines. These serve up hot noodles, sandwiches, burgers and more! There are several tables inside where you can eat your reheated meal. In addition to the food, there are a series of drink vending machines and a few gatchapon as well. While the machines inside don’t look very fancy and slightly rundown, there are serviced frequently, and the food inside is as fresh as vending machine food can be. For any vending machine addict, it’s worth checking out just for the strangeness of the experience.
I hope you enjoyed this list of the best vending machines you can seek out in Japan. But I’m sure there are lots more which I have yet to discover. If you have any favourites please let me know in the comments and I’ll be sure to seek them out on my next adventure to Japan.
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There's so much to learn before traveling to Japan. And I never thought that Japan really is, I think, the vending machine capital of the world, after reading your content. That's amazing! I wish I could travel sooner!. I really appreciate you posting this kind of article. Thank you very much!
Thanks Oscar! It's those little things that make travel so exciting. Who knew vending machines could be so inventive and interesting! But after searching them out and learning more about their history they are one of my favourite little hidden gems of visiting Japan. I also wish we all could get out there and travel with ease once more but until then, hopefully, posts like this help you travel in your mind and plan for the most amazing trip to Japan until then :)
You forgot to mention the vending machines were you can buy a puppy or kitten (all different prices) and are dispensed in a clear box. I really hope that someone takes proper care of the ani al’s though and that there is some sort of vetting process so not just anyone can purchase a pet from the vending machine. And also, the frozen coke vending machines where it dispenses a regular bottle of cola but when you flip it upside down, it becomes a frozen coke.
Wow, I definitely did NOT see the puppy and kitty vending machines...kinda glad I didn't! I never found the frozen coke machines but I have it on my list of something I NEED to find on my next trip!
OMG Thats wrong on every f...king level. Every P.O.S. torturer can just buy a pet and mistreat it. Where are the caring animal activists in Japan. They seem like kind people. Hoping this can be stopped, incredibly sad.