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16 Unusual and Unique Vending Machines in Tokyo
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Walking the streets of Tokyo you'll find one at every corner. Colorful and spotless, ready to quench your thirst with a wide variety of beverages. Vending machines are an ever-present comfort in the daily life of Tokyoites. I have countless memories of grabbing a canned coffee on a busy morning, or reveling in an ice-cold Pocari Sweat on a hot summer day. Ever since I came to Japan I was always fascinated by the variety of drinks available (hot and cold drinks in the same machine!) and the efficiency with which every single machine gets constantly restocked.
The vast majority of vending machines that you'll find in Tokyo sell beverages. There are also some stocking snacks or cigarettes. Occasionally though, you'll run into more unusual vending machines that will make you raise and eyebrow or two. Here's a list of such machines, the most interesting and weird ones that we've found around Tokyo.
It can be hard for the average Tokyo worker to eat healthy food, especially when it comes to snacks. One company decided to help with that by making a vending machine that exclusively dispenses bananas. They are singularly packed and refrigerated at 13°C (55.4°F). Although slightly more expensive than they would be at a supermarket, at 150 yen they're about the same - if not cheaper - than your average chocolate snack.
Talking about alternative snacks, how about some crunchy scorpion or a "cricket energy bar"? MOGBUG is a Japanese brand created to promote interest in insect food. This vending machine stocks a variety of their snacks, with plenty to satisfy any courageous foodie out there. We choose to try the rhino beetle. In hindsight, maybe we should have started with something a little easier...
The first time I saw this vending machine I though it was selling some kind of tea...then I noticed the fish inside each bottle. This is in fact a dashi vending machine. Dashi soup stock is a base ingredient used to flavor many Japanese dishes. These vending machines make it available 24/7! This particular company makes a dashi that contains a whole fried flying fish.
Water, juice, coffee and the like are no surprise in a vending machine, but booze? Yes, sometimes you might run into a vending machine that stocks beer, sours and other alcoholic drinks. They are usually located outside mom-and-pop liquor stores, and they usually require a Japanese driver's license to dispense the drink.
Alcohol vending machines are also very common inside hotels, especially business hotels. These usually don't require any document to work. Check the vending machine corner of your hotel to see if you're lucky!
Japanese people are always fond of their local products, and water is no exception. This vending machine offers a choice of bottled water that comes from all over Japan. Weird? Maybe not so much for a culture with such an attention to detail.
Even regular drink vending machines can become more interesting sometimes. Meet AI Sakura-san, a cute multilingual concierge. Her program includes a station guide, train connection info and she even answers your questions via voice commands. She also uses facial recognition to recommend a drink based on your age and gender.
A puzzling combination of items is offered by this vending machine in one of Tokyo's most popular districts. Here you can get yourself a cool Shibuya t-shirt and a jar of the mysterious "Shibuya Original Spices". A winning combo!
And now for a lesser-known location. This tiny store in residential Tokyo would go completely unnoticed if it weren't for the rather DIY-looking machine on the outside. With the name "Tateishi Burger for Everyone Vending machine" it dispenses their lovingly homemade burgers for just 100 yen each!
On the other side of the spectrum we have this vending machine provided by the restaurant chain Niku no Mansei. When you don't have time to sit down at their restaurant you can still get one of their delicious meat sandwiches on the go. They come pre-cut in a neat cardboard box.
"Gacha-gacha" capsule toy machines can be found all over Tokyo, but recently there has been a different take on them. This vending machine displays several different capsule toy series. Insert the money, pick a series and you'll get a random capsule from that series!
The infamous King's Treasure Box machine is instantly recognizable with its shiny frame. For 1,000 yen (the price of a dream, as it says on the machine) you'll get a mystery box that can contain anything from a lighter to a gaming console. These can be fun, however don't expect too much from them.
Nearly everyone in Japan possesses a hanko, a seal with their name on it that is used to sign documents (like we use our signature). There are specialized shops where you can get your own hanko made, but busy Tokyoites don't always have the time for it. In those rushing moments, people can use these vending machines to make their own signature seal in just 10 minutes, for as little as 500 yen.
These two vending machines inside Inokashira Park stock a curious variety of items. The first thing to draw attention are the cute cat pouches, then you might notice the canned bread. These are actually quite common in Japan as an emergency food. The real star of this vending machine is a can of hachinoko (bee larvae) that goes for a whopping 2,300 yen! If you want to go cheaper, they also have grasshoppers for 900 yen. Right next to all this is a bright red vending machine containing a selection of really spicy-looking snacks. Just know that the name of one of them roughly translates to "devil king of death".
Chuo Line commuters might be familiar with this unusual spot on platform 5 of Akihabara Station. The platform hosts what looks like a regular beverage kiosk, but is in fact a milk stand. It's a unique shop that stocks bottled milk from all over Japan, and the vending machines right next to it are of no-less interest. Here you'll find milk cartons and milk-based beverages that you won't find anywhere else in Tokyo. Popular drinks include vanilla-flavored milk from Kumamoto and cafe au lait from Fukushima.
Although Akihabara is a popular district that most people have visited at least once, there is a secret and weird spot that most people miss. It has no official name, but most people call it "the creepy vending machine corner". This cluster of vending machines features quite a few unusual products and several odd signs that say things like "room temperature drinks" and "water bottles sold inside to prevent sickness".
The content of the vending machines is weird, but what really sells this place is the atmosphere.
At the front is a retro popcorn maker that, despite advertising three different flavors, apparently can only make one. There are several regular-looking vending machines which, among drinks, also contain strange objects like train models, meat sauce, plastic beetles, candy, scented candles, Himalayan salt and more random stuff. There seems to be a wide variety of canned food in these machines. The weirdest ones we found contained yakitori and oden.
There are also a lot of white mystery boxes with odd stories written on them and no explanation as to what the content is. I won't spoil the surprise on those.
Nobody seems to know who's filling the machines and writing all the odd messages in this space. It remains a mystery and a unique place to stop by and explore.
*The above article is based on information from June 2020.
*Prices and other information in this article are subject to change.
About the Author
Laura is an Italian living and working in Tokyo. She loves exploring hidden and unknown places, taking pictures and listening to Punk Rock music. When she’s not busy doing the above, she might enjoy a craft beer or play the sanshin (an Okinawan instrument similar to a shamisen).
The vast majority of vending machines that you'll find in Tokyo sell beverages. There are also some stocking snacks or cigarettes. Occasionally though, you'll run into more unusual vending machines that will make you raise and eyebrow or two. Here's a list of such machines, the most interesting and weird ones that we've found around Tokyo.
Fresh Bananas
It can be hard for the average Tokyo worker to eat healthy food, especially when it comes to snacks. One company decided to help with that by making a vending machine that exclusively dispenses bananas. They are singularly packed and refrigerated at 13°C (55.4°F). Although slightly more expensive than they would be at a supermarket, at 150 yen they're about the same - if not cheaper - than your average chocolate snack.
Information
Found in Shibuya Station, Exit 3 of the Hanzomon Line in front of Village Vanguard (MAP)Bug Snacks
Talking about alternative snacks, how about some crunchy scorpion or a "cricket energy bar"? MOGBUG is a Japanese brand created to promote interest in insect food. This vending machine stocks a variety of their snacks, with plenty to satisfy any courageous foodie out there. We choose to try the rhino beetle. In hindsight, maybe we should have started with something a little easier...
Information
Found in Takadanobaba, in front of the Kome to Circus izakaya (MAP)Dashi Soup Stock (Complete With Whole Fish!)
The first time I saw this vending machine I though it was selling some kind of tea...then I noticed the fish inside each bottle. This is in fact a dashi vending machine. Dashi soup stock is a base ingredient used to flavor many Japanese dishes. These vending machines make it available 24/7! This particular company makes a dashi that contains a whole fried flying fish.
Information
Found in several locations around Tokyo (Location list here)Alcohol
Water, juice, coffee and the like are no surprise in a vending machine, but booze? Yes, sometimes you might run into a vending machine that stocks beer, sours and other alcoholic drinks. They are usually located outside mom-and-pop liquor stores, and they usually require a Japanese driver's license to dispense the drink.
Alcohol vending machines are also very common inside hotels, especially business hotels. These usually don't require any document to work. Check the vending machine corner of your hotel to see if you're lucky!
Information
Found in several locations around Tokyo (usually outside liquor stores and inside hotels)Water From Different Parts of Japan
Japanese people are always fond of their local products, and water is no exception. This vending machine offers a choice of bottled water that comes from all over Japan. Weird? Maybe not so much for a culture with such an attention to detail.
Information
Found inside the Tokyo Metro Ginza-itchome Station on the Yurakucho Line (MAP)AI Anime Girl That Helps You Choose a Drink
Even regular drink vending machines can become more interesting sometimes. Meet AI Sakura-san, a cute multilingual concierge. Her program includes a station guide, train connection info and she even answers your questions via voice commands. She also uses facial recognition to recommend a drink based on your age and gender.
Information
Found inside Major JR Stations like Shinjuku, Tokyo and AkihabaraShirts and Spices
A puzzling combination of items is offered by this vending machine in one of Tokyo's most popular districts. Here you can get yourself a cool Shibuya t-shirt and a jar of the mysterious "Shibuya Original Spices". A winning combo!
Information
Found at the entrance of Shibuya 109 (MAP)Homemade Burgers
And now for a lesser-known location. This tiny store in residential Tokyo would go completely unnoticed if it weren't for the rather DIY-looking machine on the outside. With the name "Tateishi Burger for Everyone Vending machine" it dispenses their lovingly homemade burgers for just 100 yen each!
Information
Found in Horikiri, Katsushika (MAP)Fancy Meat Sandwiches
On the other side of the spectrum we have this vending machine provided by the restaurant chain Niku no Mansei. When you don't have time to sit down at their restaurant you can still get one of their delicious meat sandwiches on the go. They come pre-cut in a neat cardboard box.
Information
Found in Akihabara, under the JR Chuo Line tracks (MAP)Capsule Toys
"Gacha-gacha" capsule toy machines can be found all over Tokyo, but recently there has been a different take on them. This vending machine displays several different capsule toy series. Insert the money, pick a series and you'll get a random capsule from that series!
Information
Found inside many train stations in Tokyo.Mystery Prizes
The infamous King's Treasure Box machine is instantly recognizable with its shiny frame. For 1,000 yen (the price of a dream, as it says on the machine) you'll get a mystery box that can contain anything from a lighter to a gaming console. These can be fun, however don't expect too much from them.
Information
Found in many locations around Tokyo. One of the most known locations is Akihabara (MAP)Hanko Seals
Nearly everyone in Japan possesses a hanko, a seal with their name on it that is used to sign documents (like we use our signature). There are specialized shops where you can get your own hanko made, but busy Tokyoites don't always have the time for it. In those rushing moments, people can use these vending machines to make their own signature seal in just 10 minutes, for as little as 500 yen.
Information
Found inside some Don Quijote stores. The official website has a list of all the branches that have one.Bee Larvae, Bread in a Can and More
These two vending machines inside Inokashira Park stock a curious variety of items. The first thing to draw attention are the cute cat pouches, then you might notice the canned bread. These are actually quite common in Japan as an emergency food. The real star of this vending machine is a can of hachinoko (bee larvae) that goes for a whopping 2,300 yen! If you want to go cheaper, they also have grasshoppers for 900 yen. Right next to all this is a bright red vending machine containing a selection of really spicy-looking snacks. Just know that the name of one of them roughly translates to "devil king of death".
Information
Found inside Kichijoji Inokashira Park, near the café subLime (MAP)Rare Milk
Chuo Line commuters might be familiar with this unusual spot on platform 5 of Akihabara Station. The platform hosts what looks like a regular beverage kiosk, but is in fact a milk stand. It's a unique shop that stocks bottled milk from all over Japan, and the vending machines right next to it are of no-less interest. Here you'll find milk cartons and milk-based beverages that you won't find anywhere else in Tokyo. Popular drinks include vanilla-flavored milk from Kumamoto and cafe au lait from Fukushima.
Information
Found on the Chuo Line platform of JR Akihabara StationBonus: Akihabara's "Creepy Vending Machine Corner"
Although Akihabara is a popular district that most people have visited at least once, there is a secret and weird spot that most people miss. It has no official name, but most people call it "the creepy vending machine corner". This cluster of vending machines features quite a few unusual products and several odd signs that say things like "room temperature drinks" and "water bottles sold inside to prevent sickness".
The content of the vending machines is weird, but what really sells this place is the atmosphere.
At the front is a retro popcorn maker that, despite advertising three different flavors, apparently can only make one. There are several regular-looking vending machines which, among drinks, also contain strange objects like train models, meat sauce, plastic beetles, candy, scented candles, Himalayan salt and more random stuff. There seems to be a wide variety of canned food in these machines. The weirdest ones we found contained yakitori and oden.
There are also a lot of white mystery boxes with odd stories written on them and no explanation as to what the content is. I won't spoil the surprise on those.
Nobody seems to know who's filling the machines and writing all the odd messages in this space. It remains a mystery and a unique place to stop by and explore.
Information
Found in Akihabara (MAP)
There is always something interesting and unique to be found in the streets of Tokyo. Vending machines are an integral part of everyday life in the metropolis, something that you can always count on to be there wherever you are. Weird vending machines like these make exploring the city even more fun. Always keep an eye out for them when you're in Tokyo and let us know if you want to see more!
*The above article is based on information from June 2020.
*Prices and other information in this article are subject to change.
About the Author
Laura is an Italian living and working in Tokyo. She loves exploring hidden and unknown places, taking pictures and listening to Punk Rock music. When she’s not busy doing the above, she might enjoy a craft beer or play the sanshin (an Okinawan instrument similar to a shamisen).
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THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON INFORMATION FROM 07 28,2020 Author：DiGJAPAN! Editorial Team
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