National May 14, 2020
Cooled masks sold in Japan's vending machines prove a hit in pandemic
Masks are helping struggling knitwear company earn revenue while bringing a bit of happiness to the people purchasing them.
Business Dec 2, 2019
Japan to OK sales of duty-free goods in vending machines amid labor crunch
The government is ready to approve a plan to sell duty-free goods in vending machines to address Japan's labor shortage, especially in areas outside of big cities, government sources said Monday. Duty-free items such as cosmetics, character goods and watches will be sold in vending ...
Business Sep 6, 2018
Want a piping hot pizza any time you feel like one? So did truck driver Yoshiharu Taniguchi, who craved freshly made Italian pies when he worked long nights. His solution: hunt for a pizza vending machine. He tracked down an Italian company that manufactured them, ...
Business Oct 26, 2017
Osaka's ¥1 sales energize shoppers but not good for BOJ's inflation quest
by Masahiro Hidaka
Osaka is famed for it's cheap prices, with ¥1 supermarket sales, ¥10 drinks and discount train tickets sold right next to the station. That attracts thrifty consumers and tourists, but may be undercutting the central bank's efforts to generate sustained price rises. "If it's not ...
Business Oct 5, 2017
Uniqlo installs clothing vending machines in U.S. airports, malls
Japanese casual clothing chain operator Uniqlo Co. has been placing vending machines in airports and malls in U.S. cities, offering two of its most popular items. The company has installed five of the so-called "Uniqlo to Go" machines since Aug. 2, including one at California's ...
Lifestyle Aug 19, 2017
Gachapon: Tracing the evolution of Japan's colorful toy capsules
by Tim Hornyak
Where else but Japan could you buy a miniature version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" figure crouching over a squat toilet, horror-struck? It's one of thousands of ingeniously designed trinkets you can buy for a pittance from toy machines across the nation. They're subversive, ...
Business Aug 4, 2017
In a change from chocolates and fizzy drinks, the French are starting to offer fresh oysters from vending machines in the hope of selling more of the delicacy outside business hours. One pioneer is Tony Berthelot, an oyster farmer whose automatic dispenser of live oysters ...
Books / Reviews Jul 22, 2017
'Roadside Lights': Capturing Japan through its lonely vending machines
by Darren Gore
Photographer Eiji Ohashi gained a deeper appreciation of Japan's ubiquitous vending machines one harsh night in his Hokkaido hometown of Wakkanai, Japan's northernmost city. Roadside Lights, by Eiji Ohashi. 44 pages ZEN FOTO GALLERY, Photography. Caught in a fierce snowstorm, he was able to navigate his way home ...
Business Jun 26, 2017
Vending machines expand product offerings, from diapers to charitable contributions
Vending machine operators have recently been seeking new ways to expand their sales as they face competition from convenience stores that offer an increasing variety of products. Japan has a staggeringly high density of vending machines — about 4.9 million units nationwide. About half of ...
Business / Economy Dec 15, 2015
Abe's deflation fight has automated foes on nearly every Tokyo street corner
by Kevin Buckland and Kyoko Shimodoi
They stand resolutely on street corners around Japan, proclaiming that deflation has not been vanquished, much as the Abe administration and the central bank have tried. They are the country's 5 million vending machines, and as anyone who has visited can attest, they are seemingly ...
Business Sep 28, 2015
Chubu airport targets foreign visitors with first SIM card vending machine
by Kazuaki Nagata
Chubu Centrair International Airport will get its first prepaid SIM card vending machine Tuesday, NTT Communications Corp. said. International visitors to the airport will find it easier to purchasing SIM cards, the Tokyo-based telecommunication firm said. The machine will sell two types of prepaid SIM cards. ...