February 25, 2016 • mccsokinawa.com
Thomas Alan Smilie
W
hat does Japan love more: vending machines or cute cats? It can be debated for hours, but one edge that vending machines have over felines is that they are actually useful. That’s why there are so many of them: the highest amount per capita in the world—about one for every 26 people, or 5.6 million machines as of 2012—and that’s only counting the drink machines. Throw in the vending machines for toys, ice cream, produce and personal hygiene products and the population of these robot valets doubles at the very least. How did Japan come to be the mecca of the vending machine? Because they fit in.
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With Japan’s aging population leaving little room for new employment, Japan has turned to robots to replace the teenage minimum-wager. Vending machines sell train tickets, take restaurant orders, check you in for flights, all without ever needing a lunch break or acne cream. Vending machines rarely get robbed or vandalized. They are as respected a member of society as anyone else. No matter where you put a vending machine, it is always a prized member of the area, and its safety is not a concern. Another part of Japan being a safe country is that people carry cash. Paying for things in cash is more common in Japan than using credit and debit
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cards. Although vending machines today accept payment through your smart phone and rail pass, the machines flourished because people carried cash to spend on the go. Because of the combination of these factors, vending machines took off. The first big innovation in vending machines came in the 1970s, with machines that could keep canned coffee hot. Later, machines were created that could store both hot and cold drinks at the same time. Now, you can buy rice, eggs, fruit, clothing, life insurance, batteries and maybe someday, cute cats. Then we will know who has won.
—Ryan Anastoplus
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