Japan is one of my favourite destinations. Every time I visit, I love to explore new regions, try new restaurants, go hiking and meet local people. I’m always surprised by the amazing punctuality of Shinkansens, feel humbled by serene forest temples, and feel like a kid playing claw games to win Pokemon plush toys.
Yet while I love the big sights and experiences that Japan has to offer, I always get excited by one tiny little aspect of visiting Japan.
Vending machine coffees!
No matter where a coffee drinker lives, it’s easy to get excited about coffee though, right? For me, there’s an extra layer of novelty, and it’s the vending machine coffee culture.
Vending machines are woven into everyday life in Japan, found on residential street corners, train stations, even outside temples and shrines. They really are everywhere – In 2022, there were an estimated 4 million vending machines in Japan!
More than half of all Japanese vending machines are filled with drinks – usually cold drinks such as iced tea, water, energy drinks, and juice. But coffee in a can is also one of the most popular items in Japanese vending machines. Even better, because they’re in metal cans they can be chilled in the machine as ice coffee, or heated and arrive piping hot (sometimes both choices are available in the one machine).
The coffee is really good, too, and there’s a large selection of different kinds. Black, white, sweetened, even flavoured with vanilla or hazelnut. Suntory Boss Coffee is one of the most popular brands, as well as Georgia, Kirin, UCC, and Sangaria.
They’re relatively cheap, too. Depending on the coffee, they cost between ¥100 and ¥200 (USD 75c to $1.50).
Its the perfect way to start any day in Japan. No matter where I go on my travels that day – walking to a supermarket, boarding a Shinkansen, beginning a mountain hike – I am sure I’ll come across a vending machine coffee along the way.
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Looking forward to the little things when getting ready for travel is lots of fun. What are some of your most anticipated travel aspects? Let me know in the comments below!
StickyMangoRice 