Vending Machines In Japan

vending machine
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

According to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association there are about 5.5million vending machines in Japan.About 2.6 million sell soft drinks.Beer,coffee and cigarettes are the other most common products sold.Some machines also sell condoms,computer software and pornography, both videos and books.
Japan has the second largest number of vending machines behind the United States.The machines continue to evolve and gain in popularity.
Recently, machines have started selling new products such as hot oden (a kind of broth or stew),balls of minced fish,hard boiled eggs and even sushi.
Last December during a cold snap one vending machine sold 14,000 cans of oden in Aikihabara,Tokyo.
Vending machines that sell alcohol are being replaced with models that require a form of I.D to be scanned thus preventing underage purchases.
In 2008 cigarette machines will also be fitted with a system to verify customers age using an I.D card issued only to adults.
DyDoDrinco Inc now has models that greet their customers with "konichiwa" (hello) and "Itterasshai" ,(have a nice day). Encountering one of these talking machines for the first time is slightly disconcerting......