Japan’s ailing vending machine industry is looking to indulgences like caviar and fresh sashimi to stymie its decadeslong decline.
Aided by the pandemic push to minimize contact with others, food-dispensing machines have emerged as a rare spark of growth for the sector.
The offerings are far more exclusive than packaged snacks like chips and chocolate, though. The high-tech machines, which stand about 6-feet tall, allow customers to buy frozen and chilled versions of their favorite dishes from Michelin Guide-listed soup noodles to sashimi, wagyu steak and even caviar.