日本では当たり前(03) - 自動販売機

Difference between Japanese and Western Cultures

3. Technology of Vending machines

Vending machine is everywhere in Japan. In fact, according to Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association, there are more than 5.7 million machines in Japan of which about half of them sell beverages (JVMMA, 2007). You could buy almost anything from a vending machine including vegetables, eggs, and even crapes.

However, Japan is not the only country to sell ‘unique’ items: In Atlanta Airport, USA, iPods and related products can be purchased through a vending machine. At one point, it was selling around $55,000 a month!

Recently, Japanese vending machines have made some technological advances. On railway platforms, electronic railway passes such as Suica (similar to Oyster cards in London) can be used instead of cash. In addition, there are ID cards called TASPO which must be used to buy any cigarettes through vending machines (compulsory since July, 2008). TASPO can be charged with credits to make future purchases quicker. In addition, there are vending machines with facial recognition which determines the age of the buyer through analysis of bone structure and facial parts. Unfortunately, there has been several instances where the machine could not distinguish between a real face and a photo. The manufacturer is attempting to fix this fatal flaw as soon as possible

Other interesting add-on’s:

- LAN cables or mobile phone to give real-time feedback on the stock, breakdowns, and attempted break-in’s


- CCTV to prevent crime nearby (the machine has been vandalised continuously since the installation)

- Some vending machine provide free drinks in times of emergency and when drinking water become scarce