When it comes to foreign countries, the last possible thing you’d think of seeing are vending machines. In fact, vending machines are usually related to things like candy or soda when it’s spoken about in the United States but, it’s actually a very popular thing all over Japan. Popular enough that there are at least one vending machine for every twenty five people. Sure, that doesn’t sound like a lot but, when you consider the entire population of Japan- vending machines are pretty much on every corner; kinda like how Mc Donald’s is in America.
Vending machines began to show up in Japan around the year 1950 and then only began to increase in popularity as the years went by. Today, Japan holds record for the highest per capita rate of vending machines in the world. American has the highest amount of ‘machines’ in general with a majority of them being mainly for soda or candy. This tells you a lot about the culture and the people in the states. Over the years, people seem to put anything they want in vending machines ranging from fresh flowers, bread in a can, hot or cold drinks, cups of soup, umbrellas, live lobsters and even pornography.
Some of the popular things Japan has in vending machines are;
(Besides Candy, Soda and Coffee)
Fresh Eggs, Bags of rice in various sizes, Fishing line, fish hooks, and fish bait, Toilet paper in small packets — most public restrooms in Japan charge a fee for toilet paper, Fresh flowers, Frequent flyer miles — Japan Air Lines (JAL) has a machine that reads a credit card and boarding pass and issues frequent flyer miles, Beer in cans or two-liter jugs, Film and disposable cameras, Pornographic magazines, Designer condoms, Batteries, Live rhinoceros beetles — a popular pet for Japanese children, Kerosene — for home space heaters, Dry ice — sold at supermarkets for keeping frozen food cold until the customer gets home, Sake in preheated containers, Cups of hot noodles, Fortunes — found at shrines and temples and Umbrellas — for both rain and shade.
Although, the only thing that you won’t find in Japan is used little girl’s underwear. There’s a strange fascination in the western culture with Japan’s underwear vending machines. In fact, Japan is known by foreigners as the land devoted to technology and sexuality. Although, most of the vending machines that are located in Japan are usually either drinks or cigarettes. Sure, there’s a large list of other items that Japan has in their vending machine like alcohol, food, flowers and even batteries but, the used underwear is just a myth.
The main reason why this is; Began from the late 60s throughout the 80s where vending machines popped up everywhere for convenience and easy shopping for the fast paced person. Most of the time, they offered adult goods which, was seen good for business. Even to the point where up till 2002, mushrooms were legal and could be bought in vending machines. Around the time of the world cup however, they were made illegal and quickly taken down.
Since a person could buy almost anything from a vending machine, it made perfect sense that someone would decide that selling used underwear would be a good idea. This all began around the 1990s where there where teenage girls selling their worn panties to perverts all over the place. Finally, someone decided that they would put those in a vending machine too but, the main way panties were sold were in adult stores. Until of course, they came under scrutiny for obvious reasons and a group was finally busted in 1993 for selling schoolgirl underpants; now, this business is illegal.
Luckily, it’s still perfectly legal to sell new underwear in vending machines which, can be spotted in some places in Japan. Although, a vast majority of Japanese people don’t even know they exist because they have never seen one. The machines are not exactly out in the open of course; there are not a whole lot of them. They ones they existed were in old, sketchy vending machines in sketchy places. Besides, people just aren’t completely interested in buying underwear from a vending machine. That should be the last thing a person needs to worry about when visiting Japan anyways. It’s just a urban legend that was blown out of proportion.
Cited:
http://kotaku.com/5988536/the-wild-and-wonderful-world-of-japanese-vending-machines
Daigaku gurūpu! 
