Vending machines haven't gone completely out of fashion in the United States, but they aren't as trendy as they once were. In Japan, it's a different situation.

Ramen vending machines, similarly, have been a staple of Japanese convenience culture for decades, offering everything from instant noodle cups to frozen ramen packs. In the 1980s, machines began ...

But when it comes to mind-numbing variety and volume, Japan is hands-down the vending machine capital of the world. The country has one vending machine for every 30 people.

Instead, I leaned into Japan beer mainstays: Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin. In cans, sold for less than $4 U.S. for a tall boy from a resort vending machine, and for less than $3 in convenience stores ...

Food vending machines in Japan reached their peak in 1985 when there were 250,000 across the country, according to the Japan Vending Systems Manufacturers Association.

There are just under 5 million vending machines in Japan, according to the Japan Times, a little more than the 4.6 million estimated in the United States by Vending Marketwatch. However, since the ...

But since it’s Japan, they’re doing it in a uniquely Japanese way: via their ubiquitous vending machines. As anyone who’s been to Japan knows, there are vending machines all over the place ...

This vending machine is staffed by a real human who gives the desired product to the consumer, rather than having a series of mechanics do the job. If only it was a real human vending machine that ...