Vending Machines

In Japan, or at least in Kagoshima, there is a vending machine about every five feet. They're outside convenience stores, apartment buildings, offices, and pretty much every type of building as far as I can see, as well as by bus stops and other places where people gather, and in just miscellaneous spots alongside the street. I think there's like one per capita.

Drinks you can get from vending machines include things like water, sodas of various sorts, juices and juice-like drinks, and coffees and teas of various sorts, as one would expect.

I like the Suntory Boss Coffee vending machines because their slogan is "Suntory Boss is the boss of them all since 1992." Also, Tommy Lee Jones is the spokesperson, and you can see him on the machines. Ha ha.

But you can also get beer from vending machines here. This is an Asahi beer vending machine that I pass when I go to town every weekend.

And they also still have cigarette vending machines, which is also kind of strange. Apparently you need a special 18+ ID card to swipe on the cigarette machines, and I think the drinking age here is 20, so I imagine you need a 20+ ID card for the beer ones. But how hard is it to yoink dad's card? Whatever, though. I'm sure underage consumption is not a major problem here.

Vending machines here seem to mostly be for drinks. I haven't seen any kinds with what we have in them back home, like chips, candy bars, cookies, and crackers, although they do have ice cream vending machines and I think they do have ones with mainly candy items.

I have only bought like two items from a vending machine here, because as with vending machines anywhere else, it's kind of expensive.