Japan seems to have a yen for selling unusual products via
vending
machine -- they sell more than any other country.
Aside from the usual candy, gum, and cigarettes, here are
some of the more obscure items available for purchase
in Japanese vending machines.
1. Fresh eggs
2. Bags of rice in various sizes
3. Fishing line, fish hooks, and fish bait
4. Toilet paper in small packets -- most public restrooms in Japan charge a fee for toilet paper
![]() Japanese vending machines carry odd but useful items, including umbrellas. |
6. Frequent flyer miles -- Japan Air Lines (JAL) has a machine that reads a credit card and boarding pass and issues frequent flyer miles
7. Beer in cans or two-liter jugs
8. Film and disposable cameras
9. Pornographic magazines
10. Designer condoms
11. Batteries
12. Live rhinoceros beetles -- a popular pet for Japanese children
13. Kerosene -- for home space heaters
14. Dry ice -- sold at supermarkets for keeping frozen food cold until the customer gets home
15. Sake in preheated containers
16. Cups of hot noodles
17. Fortunes -- found at shrines and temples
18. Umbrellas -- for both rain and shade
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Helen Davies, Marjorie Dorfman, Mary Fons, Deborah Hawkins, Martin Hintz, Linnea Lundgren, David Priess, Julia Clark Robinson, Paul Seaburn, Heidi Stevens, and Steve Theunissen
