Vending Machines

Technologically advanced Japan has improved even the vending machine. You can find just about any beverage waiting for you for around 130 Yen. Best yet, hot drinks are available. Tea, cocoa, coffee and my personal favorite Hot Vitamin. (a strange mix of vitamins with a hot lemony flavor). Drinking this on cold nights both warms me and provides my immune system a boost.

There are seemingly endless varieties of coffee drinks for the fairly common twelve hour work day. Tommy Lee Jones is the famous icon for Boss. But the best by far is simply labelled Depresso! A good choice when you need energy.

In additon to tradtional vending machines, Japan offers all sorts of items through machines. Cigarettes, beer and chu-hi (a Japanese alchohol - usually fruity flavored) can all be found in machines along streets. It is also perfectly legal to drink alchohol on the street or more commonly, on the train. Train stations often offer vending machines for ramen shops. You can pick one, print the receipt and take it to the counter where they will make you a fresh bowl. Often corn soup is mixed in with water and tea in the normal vending machines. The only thing not typically found in Japanese vending machines is candy bars and so much the better.