Japan isn’t shy when it comes to stretching the limits of what you can buy in vending machines. From the convenient (vending machines dispensing masks…

As anyone who has visited Japan will probably know, the country allows cigarettes to be purchased in vending machines, but only to adults (20 and…

For passengers standing on Japanese train platforms in the brisk December air, there’s a row of red labels on the vending machine which looks particularly…

With dwindling food resources, a swelling population, and a growing focus on environmental sustainability, the global insect food industry continues to thrive. Although a bit…

Yōchien 幼稚園 (literally “Kindergarten”) is a monthly magazine geared towards kindergartners published by Shogakukan Inc. One of the most popular features is the attached supplement…

Even in Japan’s most obscure countryside you can’t walk a few metres without stumbling upon one of these machines. They wait in perpetual standby, ready…

Beat the Summer Heat With a Subzero Drink In the hot summer months, there’s nothing more refreshing than an iced-cold drink. While water and iced…

If you want the convenience of sake dispensed on demand but also seek to enjoy numerous varieties of sake, there is a paradise waiting for…

While green tea and products made with it continue to gain international attention, domestic consumption of simple green tea in Japanese households is sadly on…

When it comes to lifestyle technology, Japan is known to take it one step further than other countries. This can often be seen on a…

Dashi is a type of Japanese cooking stock that’s essential to Japanese cuisine. It’s used as the base for a myriad of local foods, including…

If it is your first time using Japan’s vending machines, you will be stunned for awhile at first. Not only because of the language barrier,…

‘Peace’ is an Asian small-clawed otter, housed at the Umitama Taiken Park “Tsukumi Irukajima” in Oita Prefecture. When you buy a drink at the vending…