Japan Scavenger Hunt

Go Find Something Interesting

Uncommon Vending Machines

A bank of coin lockers used for vending produce at a small farm in Nerima Ward, Japan

Mode of Observation: Sight

Description:

The ubiquity of vending machines in Japan, particularly drink machines, is well known. There’s a great variety of other types of vending machines, though, some of which are rather surprising. On this page, I’m going to compile as many of these as possible.

If you find something you don’t see here, please submit your find! Just email me directly at davidrmunson@gmail.com with your picture(s) and specifics about where you found it (city/town is fine), as well as how you’d like your photo to be credited.

 

A newspaper vending machine called News-kun, as seen outside of a newspaper distribution office in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo
A vending machine selling products derived from whales, as seen in Yokohama, Japan
A vending machine selling beauty products derived from whales, as seen in Yokohama, Japan
A vending machine selling products derived from whales, as seen in Yokohama, Japan
A vending machine selling soup stock, as seen in Saitama City, Japan
A bank of coin lockers used for vending produce at a small farm in Nerima Ward, Japan
A vending machine selling various sweet potato products, as seen in Saitama City, Japan

Community Submissions

The following images have been generously supplied by people in the online community. At this point, I think the range of images that will appear here by the time I’m done adding submitted images will be sufficiently illustrative of the variety of vending machines. If you happen to find something notably unexpected, though, and want to add it here, please email it to davidrmunson@gmail.com along with how you’d like to be credited.

The following images are used with the permission of their creators, who retain full rights to their images. 

Photo of a Sriracha hot sauce vending machine in Nagoya, image provided by Ohazassu
A Sriracha hot sauce vending machine in Nagoya, image provided by Ohazassu Japan on X
A Chabacco vending machine, which repurposes an old cigarette vending machine to dispense multiple varieties of instant tea instead. Photos provided by Christian Tschirhart on X
A Chabacco vending machine, which repurposes an old cigarette vending machine to dispense multiple varieties of instant tea instead. Photos provided by Christian Tschirhart on X
A Chabacco vending machine, which repurposes an old cigarette vending machine to dispense multiple varieties of instant tea instead. Photos provided by Christian Tschirhart on X
A Chabacco vending machine, which repurposes an old cigarette vending machine to dispense multiple varieties of instant tea instead. Photos provided by Christian Tschirhart on X
An old National brand battery vending machine in Suginami-ku, Tokyo. Image provided by @TokyoSilk on X
An old National brand battery vending machine in Suginami-ku, Tokyo. Image provided by @TokyoSilk on X
Photo of a natto (fermented soybean) vending machine in Koenji, Tokyo. Image provided by Benjamin Beech
A natto (fermented soybean) vending machine in Koenji, Tokyo. Image provided by Benjamin Beech
A vending machine selling amulets at Zenkoji in Nagoya. Image provided by @bdjoetsu on X
A vending machine selling amulets at Zenkoji in Nagoya. Image provided by @bdjoetsu on X
A milk vending machine, which are especially common at hot springs. Image provided by @newplasticbags on X
A milk vending machine, which are especially common at hot springs. Image provided by @newplasticbags on X
Vending machines selling expensive frozen seafood, beef, and horse meat in Tokyo. Image provided by @hirokonishimura on X
Vending machines selling expensive frozen seafood, beef, and horse meat in Tokyo. Image provided by @hirokonishimura on X
A frozen meat vending machine in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. Options include corned beef, beef tendon curry, fried rice/gyoza set, and "meat lucky bags." Image provided by @NicolaSyms on X
A frozen meat vending machine in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. Options include corned beef, beef tendon curry, fried rice/gyoza set, and "meat lucky bags." Image provided by @NicolaSyms on X
A Baskin Robbins ice cream vending machine, which are less common than the popular 17 Ice vending machines. Image provided by @RutgerdeVink on X
A Baskin Robbins ice cream vending machine, which are less common than the popular 17 Ice vending machines. Image provided by @RutgerdeVink on X
A vending machine selling insect-based snacks. Options include cicadas, crickets, mole crickets, hornets, silkworms, and horse botfly larvae. The drink is flavored like giant water bugs, apparently. Image provided by @RutgerdeVink on X
A vending machine selling insect-based snacks. Options include cicadas, crickets, mole crickets, hornets, silkworms, and horse botfly larvae. The drink is flavored like giant water bugs, apparently. Image provided by @RutgerdeVink on X
A vending machine featuring frozen foods from a French restaurant, in case you get a hankering outside of business hours. Image provided by @S_Nelkin on X
A vending machine featuring frozen foods from a French restaurant, in case you get a hankering outside of business hours. Image provided by @S_Nelkin on X
Something a bit different! Yes, it's a "normal" drink vending machine, but it's made from recycled materials from old train cars. At Tameike-Sanno Station. Image provided by patrick m. on Bluesky (@sfpodge.bsky.social)
Something a bit different! Yes, it's a "normal" drink vending machine, but it's made from recycled materials from old train cars. At Tameike-Sanno Station. Image provided by patrick m. on Bluesky (@sfpodge.bsky.social)
A colorful condom vending machine in Koenji, Tokyo. Image provided by @powderbum75.bsky.social
A colorful condom vending machine in Koenji, Tokyo. Image provided by @powderbum75.bsky.social
A burger vending machine. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
Potato chip and popcorn vending machines. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
Potato chip and popcorn vending machines. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
A ramen vending machine. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
A ramen vending machine. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
A yakiniku vending machine in an area famous for many yakiniku restaurants. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
A yakiniku vending machine in an area famous for many yakiniku restaurants. Image provided by Orrin (@nirro04.bsky.social)
Picture of David R Munson

David R Munson

Photographer, essayist, educator, wanderer, weirdo. Of American origin, but a permanent transplant to Japan, having arrived in 2015 with little more than an overly vague plan that has yet to be followed.

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