Japan has a very large number of vending machines. I find vending machines very convenient, with easy access to purchases 24 hours a day! In Japan, there are many rare vending machines that make you wonder, “Can I buy such a thing from a vending machine?”
Here are some unusual vending machines in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe. Be sure to try something other than beverages!

【OSAKA】
１．Enjoy super authentic cakes!　Cake vending machine
２．All beverages are 10 yen!　10 yen vending machine
３．Fresh apples available at the station!　Apple vending machine
４．Authentic oven-baked pizza!　Pizza vending machine
【KYOTO】
５．Various Buddha images available at the station!　Buddha image vending machine
６．You can buy dental supplies!　Toothbrush vending machine
７．Kyoto’s Soul Food “Carne”!　Bread vending machine for side dishes
【KOBE】
８．They make udon noodles!　Udon vending machine
９．Unique Kobe design!　Kobe Tartan vending machine
10．You can buy them even when the stores are closed!　Waffle vending machine

In Japan, we can buy a can cake at a vending machine😊
The can is transparent so you can see the beautiful layer of the cake♡

You can find this Cake Vending Machine at Shinsaibashi, Osaka!
But you can also buy at Tokyo and Hokkaido✨
It was soo delicious so please try it when you come to Japan!

You can check how to buy a can cake from here!

About a 15-minute walk from Noda Station on the Hanshin Main Line. The famous “10 yen vending machine” is located near the Osaka Municipal Central Wholesale Market. One coin is as inexpensive as 10 yen, even if it is only one coin. (Usually in Japan, beverages range from 100 yen to 180 yen)

The colorful rows of vending machines have become a hot spot. What is interesting about these vending machines is that you don’t know what you will get until you buy it. It takes a little courage.

Since it is a good deal to buy a PET bottle for 10 yen, many visitors buy 5 or 6 bottles at a time. Why don’t you give it a try?

Did you know that there is an apple vending machine inside the Chayamachi ticket gate of Hankyu Osaka Umeda Station? You can buy fresh bagged apples.

Fresh apples are cut into easy-to-eat sizes and cores are removed so that they can be eaten as they are. The lineup includes apples with skin, without skin, and with honey & apple. Pears are also available depending on the season.

When purchased, they are cool, crispy and very tasty. Buy some apples at the station for a quick vitamin charge!

There is a pizza vending machine in front of Hankyu Ibaraki Station, Ibaraki City, Osaka. Recently, frozen food vending machines have been increasing here and there, and this pizza can also be purchased frozen.

A flyer on how to bake is enclosed. The size is not so large, but very reasonable at 500-600 yen per piece.

Although it’s frozen, it’s authentic oven-baked pizza, so you can’t go wrong with the taste! It is conveniently available 24 hours a day for lunch and dinner. The vending machine next door also sells rice dishes, so try them as well.

There is a very rare vending machine in Kyoto that sells Buddhist statues! It is located on the Arashiyama-bound platform of the Randen Hiroyuji Station. There are no ticket gates at this station, so you can come and go as you please 24 hours a day.

Buddha images ranging from 2 cm to 3 cm in size are lined up in a row. Insert money and press a button, and a Buddha image in a white box will come out.

How about a cute sized Buddha statue, and how about its benefits? Near the station is Kyoto’s oldest temple, Uzumasa Koryuji Temple, so why don’t you experience the Kyoto-like atmosphere with the Buddha statue vending machine?

A vending machine for toothbrushes is located near Nishi Hongwanji Temple. It is installed by a company that provides dental equipment and materials. The yellow vending machine has a strong presence and stands out well.

There are a variety of toothbrushes on the line, but they are all specially designed for dentists that you can’t buy over the counter. They’re all inexpensive and very affordable!

Shizuya, a long-established bakery in Kyoto, has more than 20 stores in Kyoto. Its signature product is “carne”, which is considered the soul food of Kyoto people. There is a vending machine where you can buy this carne on the second basement floor of the Kyoto Subway Karasuma-Oike Station.

There is a Shizuya store on the first basement floor of the station, and this vending machine is very convenient because it is easy to buy when you are in a hurry to get to work or school. They stay open until the last train, so you can buy even late at night when the stores are closed!

There are only a few udon and soba vending machines left in Japan, and they are quite valuable. It is a very retro vending machine.

When you insert your money, you hear something move inside the vending machine, and after waiting 25 seconds, a fresh type of warm udon noodle is served. I have seen vending machines that pour hot water into a cup of noodles, but it is rare to have fresh udon noodles.

In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port of Kobe, the “Kobe Tartan,” a checkered pattern with a blue base color that represents the city of Kobe, was created. There is a vending machine for such Kobe Tartan products in Sannomiya Center Street.

Ten typical items are on sale, including ballpoint pens, handkerchiefs, and pouches, all carefully designed and made of the finest materials. When you come to Kobe, you want something unique to Kobe! Be sure to purchase some Kobe tartan as a souvenir!

Kobe Rokko has a waffle vending machine. These waffles come in a variety of flavors with caramel sandwiched between thin waffle batter.

This vending machine is located in front of a store called Wharfle House, so you can buy the store’s recommended item, the Stroopwaffle, even after closing or on holidays. They say warming it up a bit melts the caramel and makes it taste even better!

How was it?
There are many interesting vending machines throughout Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. Vending machines selling unusual items have become a new attraction for locals and tourists alike! Why not stop by during your sightseeing tour?