Post by gato on Apr 3, 2023 7:30:32 GMT -5
At its peak in Japan, vending machines were numbering one per 23 people (slightly less now). That's a lot of machines, dispensing everything from hamburgers and whale meat, to edible insects. Recently, fresh bear meat has been added to the mix.
"The meat, which sells for ¥2,200 (£13/$16.50) per 250g, is proving popular with passengers alighting at a nearby railway station in the town of Semboku, but the operator has also received requests for mail order deliveries from Tokyo, about 400km away."
The meat comes from bears captured in the mountains by members of a local hunting club who are permitted to kill a certain number during the annual hunting season.
"Bear meat consumption is highest in northern Japan, where it is sold in cans and even as instant curry. It has a slightly gamey flavor that some have likened to venison, and is often served in stew."
I might buy a cold drink or a candy bar from a vending machine these days, although in the days of yore I used to buy sandwiches from them.
(I wonder if Japanese vending machines have a failure rate as high as ours?)
"The meat, which sells for ¥2,200 (£13/$16.50) per 250g, is proving popular with passengers alighting at a nearby railway station in the town of Semboku, but the operator has also received requests for mail order deliveries from Tokyo, about 400km away."
The meat comes from bears captured in the mountains by members of a local hunting club who are permitted to kill a certain number during the annual hunting season.
"Bear meat consumption is highest in northern Japan, where it is sold in cans and even as instant curry. It has a slightly gamey flavor that some have likened to venison, and is often served in stew."
I might buy a cold drink or a candy bar from a vending machine these days, although in the days of yore I used to buy sandwiches from them.
(I wonder if Japanese vending machines have a failure rate as high as ours?)