The variety and value on offer in Japan’s vending machines
Visit everything from market stalls to hundreds of Michelin-starred restaurants and you’ll quickly see why Japan is a gourmet delight.
As if the mix of cultural traditions, sights, gadgets and high-speed trains weren’t enough to attract travellers, the country is rightly known for its gastronomic delights.
Just as Guinness tastes best in Dublin, sushi and sashimi melt on your palate given Japan’s focus on fresh produce and culinary excellence, but that’s just the beginning. There’s beautifully plated dishes that could pass for art, delicious ramen, udon noodles and soups galore, sizzling yakitori and karaage chicken, tuna steaks as thick as your wrist, hearty teishoku (ready meals) at family restaurants, octopus on a stick at fish markets and fugu (puffer fish) for the more adventurous. All affordable and wonderfully memorable.
But Japan also leads the world in culinary convenience: the humble vending machine.
While most metal bins on Australian train platforms and offices are likely to be poorly stocked alongside overpriced chips, chocolates and soft drinks, Japanese vending machines have a wealth of oddities and offers.
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Naturally, most vending machines stock a variety of beverages, from coffee and alcohol to soft drinks, juices, flavored water, and sugary soda. Judging Japan by drink volume gives the impression that it’s a perpetually parched land, but if you need the urge to press the button to at least try the guava and watermelon combo, it’ll only cost you ¥100 ($1.03).
Those who deliver food, especially those with reasonable wages, are much more attractive. There are machines on the train platforms to hand out Bento boxes full of snacks perfect for the bullet trains (be careful not to leave trash behind).
In cities and suburbs, you can stop on footpaths and buy sandwiches, ice cream, and chilled fresh fruit. Canned hot noodles and canned brownies get into the novelty factor, but a machine I came across while walking to a hotel was dispensing delicious dinners like chicken and noodles and even simple, satisfying meals after a long day of travel, like fried rice and beef curry. (My food came in the refrigerator, but all hotels have a room with a microwave and water taps. But some vending machine meals are already hot.)
There are vending machines on remote roadsides, at the foot of mountains, and in sacred places like Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha, a Shinto shrine famous for its orange torii gates; dispensers are located among huts and stalls along the trails up the mountain. While many of us would blanch at, say, a Coke machine marring our view of Cradle Mountain, vending machines A famous quirk of Japanese culture.
A few years ago there were 5 million of these across the country, and although that figure has fallen to less than 4 million, it is estimated that there is one of these food boxes for every 48 people, the highest rate in the world. That figure doesn’t include stores devoted to vending machines, where shoppers can peruse machines that dispense toys, trinkets, jewelry and collectibles for a handful of cash.
While it can be hard to justify eating from vending machines on a regular basis due to the sheer number of real food options, Japan also leads the world in ease of eating: market. Again, where the Australian equivalent usually consists of packets of crisps, soft cakes and dried sausage rolls, FamilyMart, Lawson, 7-Eleven and other konbinis on Japanese streets are a delight.
Don’t let the snobbery towards grocery stores put you off: There are as many suits, workers and families visiting these stores as there are students and tourists.
Breakfast options include pastries, fresh fruit and self-made smoothies, as well as just about anything you could desire for the rest of the day. Tofu, noodles, peeled boiled egg packets, seafood snacks, toasted sandwiches, curries, rice dishes and takeaway dinners. Microwave ovens and countertops in most grocery stores allow you to get a hot meal in no time.
FamilyMart’s crumbled chicken chop sandwich was like no other; it was delicious, fresh, and deli-worthy rather than peelable cellophane. My wife still raves about the amazing strawberries and cream sandwich she discovered at 7-Eleven.
Yes, there is a lot of packaging on all these foods. And yes, there are more amazing eating adventures than quick and easy ones. But Japan’s ability to transform the seemingly boring into something innovative currently underlines its popularity with visitors.
DETAIL
FLY
There are numerous daily flight options from Melbourne and Sydney to Tokyo, providing same-day connections to other cities. Try Japan Airlines (jal.co.jp), All Nippon Airlines (ana.co.jp), Qantas (qantas.com) and Jetstar (jetstar.com).
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The author traveled at his own expense.
