Today was a travel day. There wasn’t much to see, but our feet were glad for a break while we sat on the Shinkansen and had some time. So today, there’s a little special.
One of the first things you notice as a tourist in Japan is the drinks machines. They’re practically everywhere. In cities, you don’t need to walk five minutes in any direction to find one. Even in more rural areas, they’re by the side of the road offering refreshments. You’ll find them at the train stations anyway.
The selection of well-chilled drinks is huge. There’s water, tea, coffee, Japanese soft drinks, and sometimes even beer. Loads of machines also offer hot drinks. The prices are just like in the supermarket and hover around 150¥.
The machines work reliably. We’ve never had a machine break down on our travels, refuse to give us our drink or even just keep our change. In rare cases, the drink you want might just be sold out. But hardworking teams make sure the machines are always well stocked.
A bit less common are vending machines for ice cream or cigarettes. Once we even found a machine offering freshly made chips and other hot snacks.
Environmentally speaking, it’s definitely madness to run such a dense network of vending machines. But you quickly learn to appreciate the luxury. When you’re thirsty, the nearest machine is never far away.
