Vending Machine in Akihabara was too strange and scary!! Bought some mystery items!!
You might think Akihabara is a sacred place for anime, figure and subculture.
Yes that’s certainly true.
But Akihabara also has another face.
It was first time for me to visit the place.
I’ll show you for the people who are tired of just keep visiting ordinary tourist spots (although this place might also becoming a kind of tourist spot for some people now).
Access
Go out ticket gate of Denkigai exit first.
You can see buiding of LABI and Radio Kaikan in front.
Turn right and you can get to the main street called Chuo Street (route 437).
Turn left and you can see Manse bridge and Manse building which has face of cow on the top.
And next to this Manse building is the spot.
Too Weird and Mystery Vending Machine Corner
Yes, this is the place which is known to those in the know.
Vending Machine.
But that’s not an ordinary vending machine you might imagine.
It is too strange or scary!
If you look for coke or coffee, you can find “Beetle” instead!!
But of course that’s not real one, it’s just a toy.
I’ll go inside this small space first.
Maybe chocolate of soccer ball.
It says fish egg.
What?
Fish egg?
I do not know what they sell anymore.
Story includes dirty jokes are written on the box.
It is 490 yen ($about $4.5).
I wonder what’s inside.
Later I checked reviews of people who bought this mysterious box.
Inside was Choco Bat after all.
There was a case of cookies and tea bags, too.
Choco bat is a snack bar covered with chocolate.
It is just 20 yen (20 cents) and popular among child.
Actually it is good taste and I myself like it.
Canned snails?
This sweets looks good.
Canned peach.
Found Kumamon!
This is popular mascot in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan.
I get it!!
Well, something toy.
I moved to next corner.
Found honey!
Why tooth paste suddenly?
And small bells next to it.
Chaotic combination!!
Japanese next to it?
It is just a dirty joke again
Canned Yakitori!
Yakitori is Japanese style skewered chicken.
You can usually see this Yakitori in festival or Izakaya (Japanese style bar) but I’ve never seen canned Yakitori in vending machine until today!
It was 450 yen (about $4)
I bought it!
Marbles.
The Japanese says “need marbles, not yours”.
Just a dirty joke!!
Emergency food set.
Oh, this is actually useful!
I think canned food, snack, water, etc. are inside.
Oden!
Oden is Japanese style stew.
You can buy it usually in convenience store in winter here.
Got it!!
I bought another type of Oden.
It was 690 yen (about $6.5).
This canned Oden is called “Oden Kan” in Japanese and actually popular as a specialty of Akihabara.
Have you ever seen anime “STEINS;GATE”?
Its set is Akihabara and sometimes this Oden Kan appears.
After I came home, I opened it.
Inside was like this.
Japanese horse radish, Konjac, Quail eggs, Chikuwa (Tube‐shaped fish paste cake), Satsumaage (Deep-fried ball of fish paste), etc. were inside.
Taste?
Well, soso.
And found beetles!
For this kind of item, I came all the way here.
But I wonder why they chose beetles.
It was 540 yen (about $5).
Yes, I buy it!
But somehow the machine did not spew the beetle even though I pushed the button a couple of times.
Thankfully money came back so I tried another vending machine outside and thankfully it worked!
Another corner now.
Colorful balls.
Bounty balls are 990 yen (about $9.5).
COCONUT MILK!!
990 yen.
And next to the COCONUT MILK is a box which holds story on it.
It starts like this “The Tanakas are poor. Egg and Naturomaki are the dinner everyday.”
Well, I see, OK.
It was 490 yen (about $4.5) and the content is, well, maybe Choco Bat.
Backed to small space.
Oh, I remember I often bought this gum when I was child.
1 package was just 10 yen (10 cent).
I’m gonna buy it!
No reaction.
I opened but no gum inside.
I pushed the button several times but no response.
Finally I noticed the fact that I lost 390 yen ($3.5)!
I did not know how to solve as no staff or telephone number on the vending machine.
What a scary vending machine!!Σ(ﾟДﾟ)
The Japanese on the vending machine says “There’s always gloomy news but we make effort to offer a short laugh everyday for the customers in Akihabara”.
In a way, they offered me a laugh!
Moved back to next corner in which I bought Oden and Yakitori.
I’m going back and forth in this mystery spot, haha.
And found Bell?
OK anything is fine!!
Oh, this bell is very cold!!
Why did they keep it cool like a juice.
But it was just a prologue before next big surprise.
Secondhand?
Paint balded on the back!!
This bell was 190 yen ($1.7).
Found bubbles in vending machine outside.
I must buy this if I were still child.
Haha, I look like getting used to this vending machine.
I was just remembering childhood in front of this chaotic combination of juice, bubbles, chips, beetles.
Gold fish wind bell!!
1390 yen (about $13)
Meat sauce for pasta.
But what I should focus is drink next to it.
Japanese bottom of it says “Fixed Temperature”.
Not cold or hot but “Fixed Temperature”.
I see, it might good for your health.
By the ways, what is canned egg on the right for?
There was a notice which says “This is not a toilet…”
Actually I could smell a bit inside.
It was not a clean place actually with litters or cans thrown away on the ground.
And there might be people who do, well, I stop it.
These are the summary of unique or strange items I found or bought here.
Color Balls, Marbles, Bells, Bouncy Balls, Gums, Gold fish wind bell, Toy of Beetles, Oden, Yakitori, Fish Eggs, Tooth Paste, Toy of Kumamon, Meat sauce for Pasta, Snalis, Quail eggs, Mystery Box, etc.
Summary
You might thought why I bought many items here?
I came here to buy present for my friend in overseas.
Don’t tell me I came to the wrong place.
Anyway I can say nowhere in Japan, you can find vending machines which sell this many mystery items.
Did you find something interesting?
Then now is the time to visit.
Don’t let it get you down after your brave challenge.
Go maid cafe directly.
They will comfort you.
