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.
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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
5. Fresh flowers
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
Ready for more lists? See the Extraordinary Lists page.
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
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