Many foreign visitors to Japan have probably wondered about the amount of vending machines on the streets.
Whether it be the city or the countryside, vending machines are scattered all over Japan. While it is normal to most Japanese, it seems quite unusual to foreigners.
So why is it, that vending machines are so plentiful in Japan?
One reason is related to the high degree of public safety. The psychological barrier to steal from a vending machine is said to be low, because the robber cannot see the face of his victim. Therefore one of the factors that prevented vending machines from spreading as much outside of Japan is the danger of machines getting vandalized in areas with poor public security.
Another reason is the progress of the Japanese technology. In other countries vending machines are often dysfunctional. The machine might not respond when inserting coins or pushing buttons. Japanese vending machines rarely malfunction and lately they have even been used to distribute free drinks at the time of disaster or to display news on electronic bulletin boards.