They can be found everywhere, including at the summit of Mount Fuji, but perhaps not for much longer: due to inflation and competition from "konbinis," Japan is set to lose several thousand of its iconic beverage vending machines.

Vending machines in parks and gardens, in train stations, on the streets, and even at the summit of Mount Fuji, are ubiquitous in Japan... but their number will decrease, falling victim to the inflation of beverage prices. These machines, found throughout the archipelago, offer a multitude of beverages at all hours, from iced tea to canned coffee, hot or cold. With the slowdown in demand for these beverages due to the rapid price increases practiced by these vending machines, operators are forced to rethink their business model. In March, the beverage giant DyDo Group Holdings announced that it would remove about 20,000 vending machines by January 2027, about 7% of its nationwide network, in order to "rebuild a profitable network." Cheaper beverages in "konbinis" Pokka Sapporo Food & Beverage, based in Nagoya (south), also announced last month that it wants to cede its business of 40,000 vending machines to a rival, Lifedrink, based in Osaka. "The strength of the vending machine ...