Useful Even in Disasters: Japan's Ever-Evolving Vending Machines

日本語で読む
Japan's vending machines are one of the things that stand out the most to tourists when they visit the country. Beyond the standard offering of beverages, items sold in them are becoming increasingly diverse and now include unique products such as desserts and frozen foods. In addition to the convenience of 24-hour availability, some machines can even be used for disaster relief. We asked vending machine enthusiast Ishida Kenzaburo about their unique appeal, evolution, and role in times of disaster.
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Vending machine enthusiast Ishida Kenzaburo.

Long Time Focus on Functionality

Ishida Kenzaburo is a vending machine enthusiast who has taken more than 10,000 photos of the devices. His passion began about 15 years ago, when he was a student and chose vending machines as the theme for his graduation thesis on Japanese culture.

"A friend of mine who was a student from Poland told me that the biggest surprise after arriving in Japan was that the streets are full of vending machines, that this is a sight you don't see in other countries, so I chose them as the theme for my thesis. As I started my research, I found that only in Japan are vending machines equipped with advanced functions such as offering cold and hot drinks at the same time. I learned that vending machines were part of Japan's unique culture and became increasingly fascinated with them."

Highly functional vending machines are common in Japan nowadays but, historically speaking, Japan's first vending machines already had some advanced functions. They were built to sell postcards and stamps in the late 1800s and early 1900s and, "Even back then, they had functions like automatically displaying a 'sold out' sign and changing the number of stamps sold to match the amount of money put in," explains Ishida.

One of the reasons why Japanese people make vending machines so functional "may have something to do with our national character," says Ishida. "I think Japanese people love automation. For example, Japan is leading the world in the proliferation of automatic doors and automatic transmission cars. Also, the idea of living with robots is something we are well acquainted with. The anime 'Astro Boy' and 'Doraemon' are good examples of this. We have long been accepting of a world where robots and humans coexist as though it were only natural."

Unique Vending Machines in Tokyo

Vending machines have evolved uniquely in Japan to have a variety of functions. In the past few years, "The evolution has been remarkable," says Ishida. "They were extremely useful especially during the pandemic when non-face-to-face and non-contact ways of doing business were called for because they are a sales channel that does not require human interaction. Restaurants that were forced to close or shorten their business hours rapidly started using vending machines to sell food. They began selling their meals frozen, which accelerated the spread of next generation machines that can handle frozen items."

In recent years, many new types of vending machines have appeared. Among them, there are two types that particularly caught Ishida's attention.

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At this shrine, you can buy good-luck amulets from an "amulet distributing machine" outside of the shop's opening hours. Photo: courtesy of Ishida Kenzaburo

Kanda Myojin in Akihabara is a Shinto shrine known for providing blessings such as prosperity in business, matchmaking, good health, and good fortune. The shrine is open 24 hours and has a vending machine for omamori (good-luck amulets). "Vending machines for omamori are very rare, and they are called 'distributing' machines instead because the idea is that omamori are distributed rather than sold."

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The "wedding ring vending machine" in front of the jewelry store JAM HOME MADE. Photo: courtesy of JAM HOME MADE Co., Ltd.

JAM HOME MADE, a jewelry store in Sendagaya, Shibuya City, has a vending machine for wedding rings. A dispensed package contains brass rings and tools such as a wooden hammer to adjust the ring sizes. "What makes it interesting is that it not only sells wedding rings, but also has the entertainment value of letting the couple make their rings together. Vending machines nowadays tend to offer an additional experience like this."

Providing Information and Wi-Fi During a Disaster

Aside from the appearance of vending machines offering such experiential entertainment, "I want people to know that they can also be used in the event of a disaster," Ishida says.

"For example, there are disaster aid vending machines. They are designed so that the drinks in the machine can still be dispensed if a power outage occurs during a disaster. There are various theories on exactly when these were introduced: it is said to have been after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995. We saw a movement towards vending machines being useful during disasters when they started to be designed not to topple over during a major earthquake, and so that beverages could be dispensed free of charge to serve as a lifeline."

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During a disaster, an attendant can use a key to switch the vending machine to emergency battery power and the products inside can be dispensed free of charge. Photo: courtesy of HACHIYOH CO., LTD.

Some vending machines are now equipped with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) or flood detectors, among other new features. "There are machines that have an electronic bulletin board to display the latest information or offer Wi-Fi. Knowing that they exist may save not only your own life, but also the lives of others in an emergency."

Vending machines in Japan have been designed to be useful in times of disaster and their evolution has been influenced by Japanese culture and lifestyle. Looking forward, Ishida states, "I believe that they will evolve even further in the future by combining the latest technologies such as AI. We may see interactive vending machines that can have conversations with the user. I would like everyone to experience Japan's wonderful vending machines that are packed with thoughtful and ingenious functions such as disaster aid."

Ishida Kenzaburo

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Ishida was born in Tokyo in 1987. He is a vending machine enthusiast when he is not working at his regular job and has taken more than 10,000 photos of them. He shares the appeal of vending machines on various media including TV and social networks.
Official X account: x.com/jido__hanbaiki

Interview and writing by Funabashi Maki
Photos by Fujishima Ryo
Translation by Endo Toshio