Japan is well known for its vending machines. With good reason too, as despite the ever-increasing number of convenience stores, the vending machine is still ubiquitous. Yet seeing one that’s no longer operational, let alone left to rot, is surprisingly rare, so below is a selection of the ones I’ve stumbled upon over the years. Some are still there, some may well be long gone, but in their own decaying way, all of them were oddly interesting.
A dirty look in a grubby little Tokyo bar?
A colourful kimono on a cold and windy day
A misty forest in the far west of Tokyo
Distance-wise, the far west of Tokyo is only a couple of hours or so from the capital’s more central districts, but in contrast to the crossings and crowds the city is famous for, it looks and feels like a completely different world.