The small town of Sagamihara has not been prominent on the tourist map of Japan until now, because it is located near Yokohama and Tokyo, two famous tourist destinations in Japan. Recently, tourists flocked to this town because of the appearance of vending machines originating from the Showa period (1926-1989). A used tire shop in Sagamihara collected these machines, repaired them and reused them. Currently, these "old-fashioned" vending machines also sell popular dishes from the last century.
Visitors enjoy hot food from vending machines.
The small town became famous for its vending machines.
Visitors experience choosing the right dish.
The man who brought the vintage vending machines to the present day is Mr. Saito, a tire shop owner. He calls this collection of vintage machines “natsukashii” in Japanese, which means “nostalgia.” The vending machines are placed along two covered walkways next to a dusty parking lot that dates back to the 1970s and 1980s.
The antique machines attract customers not only because of their old appearance, but also because of the sweets and snacks that were popular decades ago. In addition to vending machines, Mr. Saito's collection also includes nostalgic toys such as film cameras, some arcade game consoles, AA batteries...
For just 280 yen to 400 yen (about 46,000-90,000 VND), customers can enjoy old-fashioned hamburgers or teriyaki dishes served in bright yellow boxes, hot bowls of ramen... All served in about 25 seconds.
The old-fashioned vending machines, equipped with red digital countdown timers that tell customers how long to wait, have become a weekend pastime for visitors from Tokyo and Yokohama during the two-year pandemic.
Most of the vending machines were collected from the Showa period.
Various types of vending machines, many models.
The collector of these vintage machines said he realized that the machines from his childhood were disappearing in Japan because they were difficult to restore or maintain. Saito found old vending machines through online auctions or by asking people for help. Since 2016, buying vending machines has taken up more of his time than running his tire shop. Saito now employs people to work in the kitchen and maintain the vending machines as much as he does to change tires.
To prepare food for the hot food vending machines, Mr. Saito and his staff must regularly replenish the stock daily. Food safety laws require anyone in Japan who owns a hot food vending machine to have the proper licenses and maintain hygiene standards, similar to restaurants.
Saito, a tire store owner with a passion for vending machines.
Tourists flock to the small town to experience a long-lost feeling.
Saito says he hasn’t stopped looking for vintage vending machines to add to his collection. According to the Japan Vending System Manufacturers Association, the heyday of food vending machines in Japan was in 1985, with about 250,000 across the country. As of December 2021, the number had dwindled to 72,800, including machines selling frozen foods like ice cream and sweets. Today, hot food vending machines are few and far between.
