16 Things You Didn't Know About Vending Machines in Japan and Around the World
There are more than 3.8 million vending machines in Japan. No, they don't all dispense
The
1. There are about 3.8 million vending machines in Japan.
Of this total, 2.2 million dispense soft drinks.
2. Vending machines have operated in Japan for more than 50 years.
There are approximately 980,000
3. Japanese vending machines tell you your current
location.
Since 2005, all vending machines in Japan are
equipped with a sticker that shows their address. In a a joint initiative with the vending machine industry and police and fire services, these stickers allow emergency responders to immediately track the location in the event of disasters,
accidents or other times of emergency. Of course, you can also make use of them when you're lost.
4. The world’s first vending machine was invented
in Ancient Egypt in 215 BCE.
As the story goes, the vending machine sold holy water in a temple in Alexandria. Utilizing the principle of levers,
the weight of a five-drachma coin would tilt a receptacle inside the machine and a tap would pour water until the receptacle returned to its original
position. While the machine itself has not survived, Heron of Alexandria
recorded its existence in his Pneumatika.
5. The first patented vending machine sold stamps.
In 1857, an Englishman named Simeon Denham
acquired a patent for a stamp vending machine he invented. This is said
to be the first patented vending machine.
6. 'Disaster-relief vending machines' dispense free beverages
in times of disaster.
These vending machines were first installed in Japan in 2003 by the
The
7. Annual sales from vending machines in Japan exceed 5 billion yen.
That's about $40 million! Soft drink sales account for 1,913,357,300 yen (about $16 million). Part of vending machine sales are used for social contribution
activities, playing a significant role in Japan’s social infrastructure.
8. Vending
machine energy consumption dropped 70% in the last 20 years.
Although vending machines are extremely convenient, they came at the expense of large amounts of energy consumption. Consequently, the Japan Vending Machine
Manufacturers Association began to develop a number of energy-saving measures. Between 1991-2012 they successfully reduced the annual electricity consumption
per canned and bottled beverage vending machines by
more than 70 percent.
A vending machine with a solar panel installed can generate its own electricity. Such a system is invaluable in times of disaster.
9. Many vending machines chill precise products based on consumer demand.
Known as “zone cooling,” this is one of many methods developed to lower vending machine energy consumption. Zone cooling only cools products likely to be sold next, instead of cooling all the
products in the machine like a refrigerator. The machine determines the number of products that should be cooled using an on-board computer based on time-specific sales data. The majority of can and
bottle beverage vending machines are equipped with this functionality today.
10. Some vending machines use the heat generated
in cooling products to heat others.
This function called “heat pump” was also
developed to reduce electricity consumption. Heat generated in the
cooling process is recycled to heat hot products.
11. Other vending machines consume
zero electricity for nighttime illumination.
The Ecoru/Solar Vending Machine consumes zero grid-energy for nighttime illumination.
12. A number of Coke system vending machines donate a portion of
their revenues to worthwhile causes.
The money supports a
large number of initiatives, including: regional nature conservation
activities, civic groups and NPOs, initiatives to protect and nurture woodlands, research into
treatments for childhood cancer and raising the quality of life for patients and social welfare support. The list of supported
activities continues to grow.
13. Coca-Cola 'Peak Shift Vending Machines' consume
less than half the electricity as an electric fan.
Previous generations of vending machines would cool their products during the day when demand for electricity was at its peak. Now, intensive cooling at night—when there is excess electricity—combined with superior thermal insulation performance allows vending machines to provide cooled products for more than 12 hours with zero electricity consumption. By cooling products at night, daytime electricity consumption drops to 5% of previous vending machines. This equates to less than half the electricity consumption of an electric fan.
A “Peak Shift Vending Machine” provides substantial reductions in electricity consumption.
14. Employees who restock
If they notice any suspicious activity or see someone who may need help these Coke employees alert local police or fire stations, or provide assistance
themselves.
15. Some vending machines participate in
ecological research for the Okinawa Rail (a species of bird)
In the north of the Okinawa mainland, a number of
Vending machines continue to record the calls of the Okinawa rail for ecological research purposes.
16. The U.S. has the most vending machines in the world. Japan has the greatest density.
At the end of 2010, there were more than 6.9 million vending machines in
the United States—the greatest number of any country in the
world. But when population and land area are taken into account, Japan has
the greatest density of vending machines in the world.
This article originally appeared on Coca-Cola Journey Japan.