honorable mention
Pedro Díaz Molins spain
Photo © Pedro Díaz Molins
title
Japanese Vending Machines
To understand this phenomenon we have to go back to 1888 when Koshichi Tawaraya patented the first “vending machine” in Japan. Its first version sold tobacco, but later it registered other modalities, including a machine that sold stamps and cards, this is the oldest in Japan, currently exhibited in the Tokyo Postal Museum.
Nowadays, you can't walk more than two blocks in any Japanese city, or drive a few minutes in the inland regions, without seeing a machine selling something: from a simple bottle of water to refrigerated salmon roe to prepare delicious makis.
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entry description
Currently, there are more than 4 million vending machines in Japan, which is approximately one machine for every 30 people, the highest ratio in the world by far.To understand this phenomenon we have to go back to 1888 when Koshichi Tawaraya patented the first “vending machine” in Japan. Its first version sold tobacco, but later it registered other modalities, including a machine that sold stamps and cards, this is the oldest in Japan, currently exhibited in the Tokyo Postal Museum.
Nowadays, you can't walk more than two blocks in any Japanese city, or drive a few minutes in the inland regions, without seeing a machine selling something: from a simple bottle of water to refrigerated salmon roe to prepare delicious makis.
back to gallery
