New vending machines sell products from iconic Japanese stores

It’s never been easier to shop at one of these famous stores.

This summer, a never-before-seen lineup of vending machines has been installed on the Meitetsu Nagoya Railway Line at Meitetsu Nagoya Station. The vending machines are unique in that they sell popular products from Kinokuniya, Loft, and Seijo Ishii, three of the country’s most well-known chains.

It’s the first time for these three vending machines to appear together, allowing commuters to get a taste of each one during their travels, and according to Meitetsu Seikatsu Soken, who installed the machines, the reason for their appearance is all down to requests from customers, who expressed a desire to “enjoy products that can’t usually be purchased without going to the store”.

▼ The vending machines are marked on the station map below in red, with the railway platforms and Gifu-bound trains on the right, and Toyohashi-bound trains on the left.

 

So what do the vending machines sell? Well, the Kinokuniya vending machine sells 35 food items which have been carefully selected to appeal to commuters. The lineup includes (left to right, below): Chilli Oil Senbei Rice Crackers (400 yen [US$2.82]), Black Pepper-Flavoured Grilled Cheese Sticks (400 yen), and Chocolate Baumkuchen (220 yen).

Loft’s vending machine sells 25 popular instant noodles, including varieties you won’t find anywhere else, such as Hair Crab Miso Ramen from Hokkaido (middle, below) and Chinese Soba from Yamagata (right, below), priced at 380 yen and 400 yen respectively.

▼ There’s also a Salt Ramen from Okhotsk (left) for 440 yen.

Seijo Ishii’s vending machine sells 16 Seijo Ishii Selection brand beverages, including the Pink Lemonade Sparkling and Citrus Lemonade Sparkling (190 yen each), and the Extra Spicy Ginger Ale (270 yen).

Joining the three store vending machines is a Meitetsu Shoten original souvenir vending machine, where you can choose from 10 carefully selected sweets, ranging from sweet to salty, which are perfect as small souvenirs.

Meitetsu Seikatsu Soken has been installing vending machines at various locations, including inside Nagoya railway stations, based on the concept of making things easy to get at the station with having to go too far for them.

That sounds like a perfect setup for busy commuters with little time on their hands to shop at their favourite stores, so here’s hoping these machines start appearing at more stations around Japan in future!

Photos © SoraNews24
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