As vending machines have now come into the spotlight amid the spread of the novel coronavirus, new types that dispense items other than beverages, such as sauces and herbs, have stirred up interest among consumers.
Taking advantage of the fact that these devices eliminate person-to-person contact when buying a product, they have also made contributions to sales.
One day in September, Takuya Kiryu, an osteopath of Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture, purchased tomato sauce from a vending machine placed at the entrance of a factory of Tsukiboshi Foods, a sauce manufacturer in the city.
The firm sells bottles of 11 kinds of sauce, including Worcestershire sauce and yakisoba sauce for between 300 yen and 500 yen each.
He visited the company's machine on several occasions, knowing that the sauce was sold there at the plant during the day on weekdays. He accredits learning about and becoming interested in the machine to the firm's official social media account.
"The machine has a selection of items not sold in supermarkets and having no closing time makes buying them convenient," he added.
The company received very few orders in April and May this year from restaurants -- its typical clientele -- as a result of the fallout of the novel coronavirus outbreak. So, the firm began selling its products through vending machines in the hope that the attempt would serve as advertisement for the general population.
The company crowdfunded for the purchase of a vending machine and when it was installed in July, it created quite a buzz on social media.
Currently, the vending machine attracts customers from both within and outside of Tochigi Prefecture, selling about 400 bottles a month on its own.
"It's honestly surprising because we didn't expect to make a profit [from the vending machine]. Our company's name has become well-known [thanks to the machine], and as a result, we've acquired new business contracts," said Mikio Naganuma, 48, president of the company.
An herb producing company, Sen Herb Field, in Okayama, also installed a fresh herb vending machine along a road in the heart of the city center in August.
The machine sells about 20 kinds of fresh herbs, including basil and mint, from 300 yen to 1,000 yen per bag and is replenished daily with fresh herbs.
The company was forced to dispose of some of its herbs due to a spate of cancellations from restaurants struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. As a result it began thinking of selling them to households as well using vending machines. "[Herbs in our machines] seem to be more eye-catching than just having them on display in stores," said Tomoko Tanaka, 34, a company employee.
Vending machines of this kind are also benefiting tourism in some areas.
In August, a vending machine selling sasa kamaboko, fish cakes shaped like bamboo leaves, was placed in the waiting room of a cruise ship that sails around Matsushima Bay in Miyagi Prefecture. Sasa kamaboko are a well-known specialty of the prefecture.
Along with plain flavor, cheese and beef tongue-flavored varieties are also available, for as little as 320 yen for a pack of two pieces.
"We hope that people enjoy our kamaboko while taking in the scenery from aboard the cruise ship," said Takeshi Takeda, 44, president of Takeda no Sasa Kamaboko, the firm that installed the machine.
According to Takeda, the popular local specialty didn't sell well during the national self-imposed stay-home period.
Seeing the Go To Travel tourism campaign as a great opportunity, a vending machine was installed in the hope of attracting the people's attention. Because the machine now sells 1,000 packs per month, the products need to be replenished sometimes three times a day.
"It seems that sasa kamaboko is easy to buy [for those] just wanting to try a sample. From here on out, we want to increase the number of vending machine locations," Takeda said.
Pulsar, a vending machine sales agency in Sendai, said that it has received a number of inquiries from various businesses.
"We have also received inquiries from farmers who want to sell vegetables, and confectionery stores who want to sell baked sweets," a company official said.
Hiroaki Matsumoto, a senior researcher at Dentsu Future Scanning Lab, who is familiar with consumer trends, said, "Amid the recent trend of spending money on firsthand experiences, I think that people enjoy the process of buying things."
"As this is just a simplified version of an unmanned store that has gained attention due to the coronavirus, I think it fits in with the current trend," he said.
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