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Top 5 Strangest Vending Machines in Japan

By Guidable Writers Apr 6, 2020

A picture containing object Description automatically generated(Image from Nippon.com)

Although there are more than 5 million vending machines in Japan with a plethora of varieties, the type of vending machine that we might be familiar with is the general ones that sell drinks or snacks. You can consider the vending machines we typically see as something akin to commonly found pokemon in the games. Drinks vending machines are like Magikarp, they’re basically everywhere, in every region, every body of water, nook and cranny.

Ones that sell snacks like ice cream and instant ramen are rarer, but not exactly hard to find either, simply put, they’re like the Tentacools of vending machines, search for it and you’ll find one near you. However, what I’m about to introduce to you are the rare ones, the ones you might question why they even exist, really. Some of these might be one-of-a-kind ones in Japan ー and by extension, the world.

These are my top 5 strangest vending machines in Japan.

 

Number 5: Treasure Box Vending machine

Location: Akihabara (Near KFC)

Price: 1,000 JPY per box

Are you in a mood for some treasure hunting? or try out your luck on an auspicious day? This vending machine, for a price of a thousand yen per try, will spit out a box that can contain some expensive stuff like a Nintendo console or a video recorder, or weird stuff like a poke-ball shaped lamp.

It attracts a lot of attention and various videos about this mysterious vending machine have popped up all over the internet such as this one.

It is easy to use,  just insert 1000 JPY, pick a box, and clunk, you got yourself your treasure chest (box). However, don’t blame me if you got some cheap stuff like a small purse or a flashlight, I can’t help with that!

 

Number 4. Dashi Vending machine

A bottle of beer Description automatically generated

(Image from grapee.jp)

Location: Mitsui parking lots in Shinbashi, MeguroChiyoda, and Roppongi.

Price: Premium Dashi: 750 JPY

Cooked flying fish: 700 JPY

Dashi (だし) is a fish broth that is considered a staple ingredient in Japanese cuisine.  High-quality dashi can usually be found in supermarkets. However, to those who have no decent supermarkets around (hopefully not), the dashi vending machine can provide you with two types of dashi. One is the premium dashi, made with high-quality katsuobushi (dried skipjack tuna flakes) called “Souda-Bushi”. And the other is cooked flying fish dashi.

 

Number 3. Natto Vending machine

Location: Ikejiri-Ohashi Station (west exit)

Price: 3 boxes for 180 JPY

Natto is a Japanese traditional breakfast that you might..wanna skip out from trying. But if you really want to try it out yourself, experiencing this traditional Japanese food, you can get some at this vending machine (again, hopefully, you have supermarkets around you).

 

Number 2. Egg Vending machine

A picture containing refrigerator Description automatically generated

(Image from Buzzfeed.com)

Location: Nagoya, Kanagawa, Hyogo Prefecture

Price: 300 – 600 JPY depends on size and amount

If you think a Nato vending machine is weird, maybe this one will weird you out even more.

It’s a vending machine, that basically sells…eggs. These egg vending machines are normally owned by the local farmers, who place fresh eggs every day inside the vending machine.

…I wonder why.

 

Number 1. Live puppies Vending machine

A picture containing indoor, fence, bear, dog Description automatically generated

(Image from oddee.com)

Location:Roppongi

Price: ?

Yes, you see it right, real live puppies!!! Selling living animals in a vending machine seems to be very strange for a lot of people. But not in Japan. They put living puppies in clear plastic boxes, which attract the attention of pedestrians. However, please don’t worry about how these puppies will exit those boxes as they follow normal procedures when someone comes to pick them up.

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These are just some of the weird things that are sold in Japanese vending machines. You might be questioning why some of them even exist and if people are even profiting from it. Don’t worry though, cuz me too…