It’s the weekend, so here is a quick, lighthearted post. Whenever you read blogs or watch vlogs of travel experiences in Japan, the country’s abundance of snazzy vending machines always draws significant attention.
Japan is all about its vending machines. The culture is fully supportive of getting drinks, snacks, food, alcohol, cigarettes, and various other items from the colorful machines seemingly on every corner.
How many vending machines are in Japan? More than 5 million, accounting to a single vending machine for every 23 people in Japan, the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association stated – racking up more than $60 billion in yearly sales.
Here is what Mango Tours noted (via Inquirer):
“But in Japan, a country of technology and modern innovations, vending machines aren’t just a form of convenience, but also a part of culture and daily living. In the Land of the Rising Sun, this simple snack-distributing machine has gone above and beyond the dispensing of foodstuff. First appearing in 1950s Japan with drink machines, they’ve continued to flourish many decades later, especially in the age of automation and speedy service.”
Additional resources and things to check out:
Japan Today – “Vending machines lend free, recycled umbrellas during the country’s stormy summer”
Business Insider – “Vending machines are everywhere in Japan – here are the strangest places to find them”
CNN – “The beauty of Japan’s lonely vending machines”
15 weird vending machines:
