Never Ending Vending

Drinks on the go! Wherever you go!

In the U.S., vending machines are something I associate with hotels and delis - normally with that large Pepsi logo taking up 85% of the machine and a few buttons assembled vertically on the right-hand side. Sure there are also  the ones that provide snacks with various chip bags caught in those stiff metal slinkies. Vending machines were not really a big part of my consciousness, until I arrived in Japan.

Like most modern innovations, the Japanese have taken the concept of the vending machine to new heights of performance and convenience. Vending machines are EVERYWHERE in Japan. They line street corners in the center of Tokyo and along dark, dead-end lanes in the countryside. You can pay at these machines with cash and coins, but there will also be card payment options available using the Pasmo or Suica cards that double as reloadable train tickets and are in the pocket of every Tokyo citizen.

The designs of each vending machine is unique with of course some overall repetitive themes. Most seem to be powered by big beverage brands like Asahi, Suntory or Coca-Cola. They can have artful designs or attractive advertisements and I’ve found several that feature Shohei Ohtani, naturally!

By far the most common form of vending machines here provide beverages. Its common to have about 4 rows of assorted drinks on display. Coffee is the most popular! The endless iterations of coffee are also centrally featured: black, with milk, with sugar, double shot, latte, espresso and other subtle preferences in how you might take your bean juice. 

Beyond the coffee, the other drinks start to get interesting. Since it's Japan, of course there’s also the tea selection. Green tea is a classic staple, but lemon tea and milk tea normally make an appearance as well. Most times you’ll also find a few fruit juices, energy drinks, and a variety of water (sparkling and not). 

The vending machine selection changes based on the season! So below each drink in the summer will be a blue button that says “tsumetai” meaning “cold” but when autumn begins to settle in (so any day now) some of the labels will shift to “atatakai” meaning “hot”. Yes that’s right, you can grab a hot coffee or tea on the go for less than a dollar in less than 15 seconds! This is quite the luxury. Those warmed milk teas were my saving grace last winter on my commute to work. Last winter I even saw a can of hot corn soup in a handful of vending machines but never had the nerve to try it, not yet at least!

The ease and accessibility of beverages on the go is definitely one of the most attractive characteristics of public life in Japan. Indeed, the beverage assortment available in these vending machines is impressive, but this is seriously only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s available through the press of a button. 

Here’s a vending machine that has fully customizable coffee. All those buttons are a spectrum of desired creamers, sweetness levels, caffeine content and additional flavors.

The ice cream vending machines are fairly common! Yes, that Baskin Robbins flavor is called “Popping Shower”. Yes, we tried that flavor. Yes it was delicious! Yes, it did actually pop!

I’ve even seen vending machines that serve entire meals. I used to work near one that sold pizza and while visiting Kyoto I saw one that produces an “okonomiyaki”, a grilled savory delicacy. Below is a picture of one machine selling frozen meals. There are also vending machines that offer souvenirs. I’ve gone to a Hello Kitty one where you can turn a knob to pop your own freshly popped popcorn! Or this one that sells flowers and umbrellas! 

The widely available vending machines speak to a deeper value of Japanese society - convenience. The prioritization of time saving and energy saving additions to daily life is present throughout public spaces. I think I’ll tell you about the convenience stores soon - and how convenient they really are! Thanks for reading, stay tuned for more :)