Japanese Food Journal: vending machines

Before coming to Japan, I was told that there were vending machines everywhere and that they sold a variety of items (including the fabled "used panties" machine, which I really don't think exists, but there are stranger things out there, I suppose). This is probably true in larger cities. In Isesaki, all of the vending machines sell liquid refreshments. But, this goes way beyond just soda and water. There's also juice of all kinds, beer, various bottled coffees, and a lot of other things that I haven't figured out what they are yet.


I use vending machines about once a day, especially the one in GEOS. It has two kinds of lemonade drinks, plus Pepsi Twist, which is one of the few soda drinks that I will allow myself to drink because I like it. I haven't seen much of Pepsi Twist in America in several years, and I thought it was no longer so there and therefore no longer produced. Shows how wrong I can be. I could drink a can of it every day, but I try to limit myself to one a week, opting for water or lemonade instead. I still haven't purchased a Brita container, so I've been getting a lot of bottled water too. It's about ￥100 for most drinks, and I think it's worth it. The one at the train station also sells cherry juice, which is a little weird but pretty good.


My favorite vending machine is the one next to a takoyaki stand near the school. I pass it nearly every day, on my way to the 7-11 or to the grocery store. I have never bought anything out of it because it's mostly canned coffee (which says it's hot, and this intrigues me, so maybe I'll try it someday). No, it's my favorite because of what it looks like:

Yes, my friends, that's Tommy Lee Jones on a Japanese vending machine. I had no idea he was so fond of canned Japanese coffee. Talk about your awesomeness.