Tokyo, as well as the rest of Japan, is famous for its vending machines, both the number of them as well as what they dispense. There are of course machines that sell cold and hot drinks, everything from green tea and iced coffee to hot coffee and hot tea, as well as water, soft drinks, and juices. Pretty much everywhere you look you will find some sort of vending machine. There are so many that when Tokyo was facing rolling blackouts after the March 11, 2011 earthquake knocked out much of the electric supply for the region, then Tokyo Governor Ishihara made a speech condemning the huge number of vending machines for wasting electricity. He also complained about pachinko parlors for the same reason.
Not only are there many, many vending machines, there are also quite a few dispensing unusual items. Here is the start of a list I have been making of some of the vending machines that have caught my eye for what they are selling.
Sriracha. Named after the town in Thailand where this hot sauce was first made from chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt, this condiment can now be purchased from vending machines located throughout Tokyo as well as in much of the rest of the country, especially in larger cities. The variety sold here is Sriracha Japan brand.
I first saw one of these in Kuramae a few years ago. It attracted my attention because I have never seen it for sale in stores. That machine has since moved, driven out when the parking lot it sat in was finally turned into a construction site. A new one (or maybe the same one?) showed up a year ago or sold behind the Meijiza theater in Hamachōclose to where I live. I haven’t bought any from the machine as I have a different bottle I picked up at Tokyo Food-X a couple of years ago.
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice. I cam across one in the former Tsukiji outer market and another in Kyoto that cost only ¥350.
