“Ahead of the rest of the planet” - this is how they usually talk about the Land of the Rising Sun, meaning innovation. And automated sales are no exception. Japan was the first to popularize vending, making it a kind of idol of street trading - fast and accessible to everyone: vending machines were and are being installed not only in large cities, but also in small villages.
The Japanese and guests of the Olympic Games became acquainted with the first slot machines in the middle of the last century, when Tokyo was preparing for the 1964 competitions. At the same time, cars selling drinks, food, things and services began to appear on the streets of the Asian capital.
A few more years passed, and the assorted machines turned into full-fledged, albeit soulless, inhabitants of this country. The total installation is not only a consequence of the desire to test and develop new technologies. In a country with a multi-million population (in 1970 there were about 103 million people, in 2021 - 126.3 million) and a small area (almost 378 thousand square kilometers), it is expensive and impractical to install small shops, much less supermarkets.
Vending machines seemed like an excellent alternative, since they don’t take up much space, don’t require a salesperson, and you can buy anything you want from them. And this is not an exaggeration. While for Russians vending is, by and large, still focused on coffee drinks, for the Japanese it is an opportunity to satisfy any need.
A traditional review of the vending market identifies several types of vending machines: with coffee, snacks, bottled drinks, goods and services. It is not difficult to fit Japan into this classification: vending machines with hot and cold coffee, carbonated drinks, chocolate bars, T-shirts... The list goes on and on. The list will be impressive.
Another division distinguishes the following types:
- with a universal assortment - one that can be found in Asia and Europe, North and South America, Russia and Australia. And these are just snacks (cookies, chocolate, crackers); ice cream (for example, Baskin Robins places machines next to public toilets); drinks (from hot to cold), beer vending machines (remember, they are prohibited in Russia), food (fresh fruits, vegetables, hot dishes, semi-finished products); souvenirs, medicines, books, clothes, etc., etc.
- with “national flavor”. Thus, Japan became famous for its machines: those that pour sake (Japanese vodka), sell fish broth (the main ingredient in most local dishes), canned bread, toilet paper (placed near public toilets); fish for feeding animals in the zoo, rhinoceros beetles...
The rating of the most non-trivial devices is crowned by a vending machine for selling used underwear. And not just any one: the trays are filled with packages of schoolgirl panties. And while coffee or vodka may lose their positions in the popularity rankings, the demand for underwear does not subside: the first machines appeared in the country in the early 90s and are still in demand. By the way, five years ago, during a severe heat wave, frozen panties and chilled bras appeared in the vending machines.
In general, no other country has such automation coverage as here: there is one device for every 20-25 people. In the USA - for 40 people, in Europe - for 100-110 people. The greatest isolation in Russia: almost a thousand inhabitants per unit.
And most of the machines (30% of all vending equipment, which is about 18 million machines) are also in Japan.
At the same time, a moment of satiety arrived for everyone: the peak of development gave way to a kind of stagnation, despite the constant desire for innovation. The Japanese are so accustomed to a varied assortment that sales have stopped growing. Businesses have had to change their priorities: today the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. And the quality of the presentation: the more original the device, the more non-trivial the service, the better. That’s why purchases using apps or even smiles (there are systems that recognize human emotions) came from Asia.
Japanese entrepreneurs believe that free things also help attract customers. For example, the company Do Drinco Inc decided to attract customers...with care: next to the vending machines that accept cards or cash, there are machines that dispense free umbrellas. And, it is worth noting, the residents turned out to be conscientious: people returned 70% of the rental umbrellas.
The most bizarre vending machines
You can hardly walk 100 meters without finding a vending machine. In Japan, 126 million people live in limited space, and the number of people of working age is constantly decreasing. Vending machines have proven to be a convenient solution to the problem. Almost any product you can buy in a store can be found in one of Japan's 6 million vending machines.
Cars known as "jiduhanbaiki" (自動販売機) or "jihanki" (自販機) for short are a fixture of the landscape wherever you go in Japan.
The vast majority sell either cigarettes or drinks (cold or hot, soft or alcoholic). This is appropriate since the first vending machine in Japan, released in 1888, sold cigarettes.
Here are some of the more unusual vending machines you can find in Japan:
What are vending machines
These are machines for selling goods and services. You've probably encountered these at airports or business centers. The machine into which you throw coins to get coffee, chocolate or a sandwich is a vending machine.
Selling snacks and drinks is the most common format for such devices. But in reality their potential is much broader. They sell fruits and socks, board games and packaged meat, umbrellas and bicycle parts. Vending machines provide massages (the same chairs), shine shoes, charge your smartphone, copy documents, and accept payments.
Lobster vending machine.
You can find this in Osaka. Modeled after a claw, for just 100 yen you can catch your own fresh, live lobster.
“Underwater Hunter” is not exactly a vending machine, but rather a slot machine. Japanese producers offer everyone who wants to buy a live lobster, but to do this you will have to try hard and catch it yourself, and a live lobster cannot be called slow.
Tenga introduces the world's first masturbation vending machines in Japan. 16+
| Vending machines are literally littered around the perimeter of streets and alleys, transport stops, and any public places. All the essentials - always on the way to work, home or just on the way... |
| The machines offer both classic world goods (drinks and snacks) and national goods. Let us emphasize once again that in Japan everything is sold through vending machines. You can verify this below by reading the interesting types of vendors. |
| Automated store You put in a coin or a bill and make your choice - shampoo or dried fruits, batteries or green tea - the automated (meaning - without salespeople) store offers a selection of goods that is in no way inferior to the assortment of regular stores. The machines in this nook (manufactured by Sanyo Electric) offer 200 types of goods that are stored in different temperature zones - from hot to frozen. With this approach, automated trading ceases to be an “impulsive” purchase, but turns into deliberate shopping. |
| Fresh egg vending machine When buying chicken eggs through a vending machine, you will have to spend a little more money than for a similar product in a store. And it’s not just about the service - only the freshest chicken eggs are sold through the machines. |
| Rice vending machines The Japanese are famous for their love of rice. Here you can buy various varieties of rice, packed in 10-kilogram bags, through vending machines. |
| Vending machine selling food coupons in a restaurant The idea is that you buy a ticket (coupon) with the name of the dish that you want to eat in a cafe. Then you give this coupon to the person at the checkout. Near the machine there were several pictures depicting a dish, but on the machine itself all the information was in Japanese. If you don’t know what exactly you want, but there is no picture, it’s better to ask a neighbor, or describe the food so that the Japanese can tell you which “ticket” to take. |
| Sake vending machine Sake for every taste. From 50 grams to 2 liters. Beer and wine are also sold through vending machines. |
| Ice cream vending machine Not only the contents of the machines are attractive, but also their appearance. A child's dream... |
| Vending machines for schoolgirl panties A specific product is determined by the specifics of Japanese culture. The whole world was buzzing about these machines. “Isn’t it a shame?” They say that these machines were banned because... “panties” were recognized as antiques, and to sell antiques, according to Japanese law, a license is required. Read more >>> |
| Condom vending machines Blood type? Third. Rh factor? Yeah, these little red ones with pimples will suit you. Buying a condom based on your blood type is as common in Japan as buying a gift based on your zodiac sign in Europe. Vending machines with regular condoms are also available. |
| Fortune telling machines You can also buy spiritual guidance or fortune telling through a vending machine. For just 100 yen ($1.25), the “destiny” vending machine will tell you what to endure and how to behave in a difficult situation, how to gain health and wealth. |
| Vending machines selling toilet paper If you only eat from vending machines, you will probably constantly need toilet paper. Otherwise, why are there so many special paper vending machines? |
| Vending machines selling fresh vegetables A godsend for lovers of fresh vegetables and fruits living in large cities. There you can’t go to your six hundred square meters for the weekend... But here it’s all about borscht! |
| Pornography vending machines Pornography on DVD and CD, magazines are not only not prohibited products for sale, but also very common. |
| Lobster machine Try to catch crayfish (lobsters) with claws. Then, they can prepare it for you - but first understand that it is not so simple, because... The “filler” doesn’t want to become your lunch at all – it wriggles and moves. |
| Vending machines selling noodles Do you have a couple of minutes? Buy a portion of noodles with a flavor of your choice - it will be immediately seasoned with boiling water or broth. Popular food among students. |
| Hamburgers via vending machine It happens that there are queues in fast food restaurants, and your stomach hurts so much that you don’t want to wait even a couple of minutes—it’s another matter for a hamburger vending machine. |
| Vending machine for bugs Come, swoop in, take out the bugs! Selling “dead” insects as bait for fishermen is not uncommon, but selling live rhinoceros beetles... They, by the way, are frequent pets of Japanese children, sold for 300 yen for a male and 100 for a female. |
Vending machines for selling used schoolgirl panties.
Controversy surrounds the actual existence of these vending machines. It was made illegal to sell used school panties in vending machines in 1993, but many locals and travelers claim they still see them everywhere!
Table of Contents
The contents of vending machines can range from the very practical and mundane - batteries, books and umbrellas - to the amazing - pet clothes, sauces and bread in a box. Newspaper machines are not as common as drinking machines, so be sure to shop while you can if you come across one.
MUJIN HANBAI. Mujin hanbai
The development and expansion of vending machines does not happen in a vacuum. Japan has a history of "drone salesmen" (無人販売所). These are “vending machines” without a machine.
Usually they stand in the village and sell vegetables, fruits, flowers, and fish (decorative, in containers). Customers are expected to select items at the counter and then leave cash for whatever they buy in special piggy banks that are prominently displayed.
Mujin Hanbai - Trust Trading Counters in Japan
At Mujin Hanbai, these kiosks without traditional staff in Japan's inland cities, local farmers put out their surplus produce for sale early in the morning and usually return only in the late afternoon, when they have finished working on the plantations, to collect a box of profits from the day's sales.
In rural areas or in the suburbs of major cities in Japan, there are stores called "Mujin hanbai (sho)", which means "(Sales) without people."
After selling the crop at the market, farmers take back anything that was not sold, or that they separated due to a slight "defect" in the appearance of the product, so it cannot be sold in supermarkets.
On the side of the road, you may find a small, simple wooden booth displaying small bags of fruits and vegetables, a small sign indicating the price of each item, and a small box where the customer can deposit the purchase amount or take change if needed.
Right! This tent has no staff, no CCTV cameras (in most cases) or anything like that. Just neatly packaged fresh food, a box of coins and a sense of trust, honesty and humanity.
Why melons in Japan can cost $27,000
Of course, reading this note, you might wonder if no one is trying to steal food or money. The reality is that in most cases (not without its freaks) the answer is no.
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What are the prospects for vending?
Taking into account the trend towards automation of everything possible, vending projects will develop and surprise. But there are several points to consider.
Set yourself up for the long game
Those who expect quick profits should not get involved in vending. You won’t be able to buy a machine gun and live off it.
Victor Isakov
You can invest money in vending if you are going to play for a long time. This is an option for those who have the resources to wait for such an increase in sales through vending machines that will provide a stable 20–30% of net profit. Now this figure is much lower. At the 10% level - both with the option of renting machines and with the option of purchasing. I think that vending in Russia will reach good payback and profit rates in 3–5 years, not earlier.
Immediately think about the network of machines
It is difficult to live comfortably on the profit from one vending machine, even if it is installed in a very accessible place. This means you will need several machines and, accordingly, more investments.
Don't look for simple solutions
When thinking about vending, platitudes come to mind in the form of coffee and chocolates and cookies. People seem to be making money from this, so why don't you start too. But you can also try to think ahead.
Alexander Kuzmin
CEO of the Retail & HoReCa company (RusHOLTS).
The vending industry is developing in the direction of product complexity. Let's say, for public catering these are perishable goods. A simple example is to put into the machine not chocolates with a shelf life of six months, but baked goods, healthy snacks and even fruits.
Bet on IT
Development towards more complex products is possible if all logistics processes are flawlessly structured, and this is the work of IT systems.
Alexander Kuzmin
Vending now means automated solutions, where a person pays and takes the goods he needs himself. And for example, in the coffee industry, I don’t see any point in investing directly in vending machines. The future here lies in IT platforms for managing the coffee business, creating the Internet of Things based on automated coffee points.
Cigarettes and alcohol
Many tourists are surprised by the prevalence of vending machines selling alcohol and tobacco in Japan. Alcohol vending machines have never been a thing in the West. And changing perceptions of smoking mean that cigarette machines are often heading to the quaint pub hidden around the corner.
Yes, to be fair, liquor vending machines in Japan are not as widespread as they were 15 years ago. But they can be found in hotel lobbies or just on the street. Buying cigarettes is very easy. You can walk down the street, insert coins and buy cigarettes as you go. You'll need a so-called Taspo card to prove you're over 20, but it's ridiculously easy to fake.
Keep track of your purchases directly on the machine screen
In many service areas across the country, you will find coffee machines with video screens. In addition to having plenty of options for what you'd like to drink, a small screen allows you to watch the entire coffee-making process deep inside the machine.
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