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Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

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Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#161
post #16

Some vending machines in Japan are designed to give out free drinks during an emergency [0]. That could be one of the reasons why there are so many well-maintained vending machines everywhere, even in remote areas. [0] http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/16-things-you-didnt-...

That is such a sensible idea that it will never catch on anywhere else.

that's because everywhere else people will just break them open during an emergency. which i think is probably the more reasonable thing to do for everywhere else.

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#162
post #94

In many ways Japan seems like a paradise. Crime free, almost, 70%+ forest coverage, technologically advanced but still respect for long-standing cultural traditions. It's unrivalled social cohesiveness comes at the cost though of a lack of diversity. For example, I read somewhere it gets less than 100 asylum seekers a year.

> It's unrivalled social cohesiveness comes at the cost though of a lack of diversity. Why is that a problem though? Does it make their life worse in some way?

Well, if you're the nail, and you have the temerity (or simply bad luck) to stick out, then you get hammered down, while everyone around you either pretends they don't see it happening, or tell you it's your fault.

If you're there, and you're actively paying attention, you'll see an awful lot of nails.

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know long the coffee cans are kept heated? I'm concerned that those cans have had hot coffee in them for days on end, which is generally not good for food (heat breaks down its nutrients and often produces free radical byproducts).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-heating_can

Are the heated cans sold in the Japanese vending machines self-heating cans?

EDIT:

According to this, the Japanese ones keep the cans heated:

http://www.vendingmarketwatch.com/article/10273776/hot-can-v...

>>Proprietary heating technology

>>Unlike hot can drink machines in Japan, the Starbucks machine does not keep the steel cans heated. Instead, the container heats after the customer makes a selection.

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's unrivalled social cohesiveness comes at the cost though of a lack of diversity. Why is that a problem though? Does it make their life worse in some way?

Well, if you're the nail, and you have the temerity (or simply bad luck) to stick out, then you get hammered down, while everyone around you either pretends they don't see it happening, or tell you it's your fault. If you're there, and you're actively paying attention, you'll see an awful lot of nails.

The parent's point was that there actually aren't many nails, at least in terms of race/ethnicity ("no diversity"). To me it looks like a good situation to be in, because such homogenous society should much more frictionless.

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#165

Great photos. But these photos highlight one of the biggest problems in Japan. Plastic consumption. Japanese hardly use reuseable bottles and places to refill a canteen or your reusable bottle are near non-existent.

If that's the biggest problem a country has, I'd say they're doing pretty good...

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#166
post #93
post #9

Those Japanese vending machines blow my mind. I got lost on takao mountain once and was utterly hopeless of ever finding civilization again. I found abandoned and rotting tractors the forest had taken back, weird half completed concrete structures, the trail was gone, I was well and truly lost. Then, I turn a corner, and find a goddamned vending machine. Powered. With stock. I followed its power cord back for a solid…

> I got lost on takao mountain once and was utterly hopeless of ever finding civilization again. Wait, what? Takao mountain is in Tokyo! Yeah, not central Tokyo but still, it's like a 45min train ride from Shinjuku. You make it sound like it's some remote place full of bears. :-p

That's the weird thing about it, how quickly it can turn into a total overgrown jungle!

On google maps, from NW to SE the longest point between trails I can find is 1.3km, but if you have the bad luck to head off one of the southern trails and get lost heading northeast, you could go just over 2km without seeing a trail. I mean yea, low chance of dying, but high chance of extreme discomfort :P

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-heating_can

Are the heated cans sold in the Japanese vending machines self-heating cans? EDIT: According to this, the Japanese ones keep the cans heated: http://www.vendingmarketwatch.com/article/10273776/hot-can-v... >>Proprietary heating technology >>Unlike hot can drink machines in Japan, the Starbucks machine does not keep the steel cans heated. Instead, the container heats after the customer makes a selection.

Not sure in general, but I'm pretty sure I have encountered the self-heating kind in Japan.

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is such a sensible idea that it will never catch on anywhere else.

that's because everywhere else people will just break them open during an emergency. which i think is probably the more reasonable thing to do for everywhere else.

The machine already has communication equipment for stock alerts. The disaster feature is just a bit more code.

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#169

Are there still machines selling cans of beer? That was one of the highlights of my visit to Tokyo. My host advised me that I must either stand at the machine and drink it or put it away while I walked. No drinking and walking. I was 14.

Not in Tokyo anymore, but they do have them around Kansai still.

I stand corrected. I guess it depends on the ward / district and I've been hanging out all the wrong places!

Re: Japanese Vending Machines at Night Juxtaposed with a Wintry Hokkaido Landscape

#170
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I got lost on takao mountain once and was utterly hopeless of ever finding civilization again. Wait, what? Takao mountain is in Tokyo! Yeah, not central Tokyo but still, it's like a 45min train ride from Shinjuku. You make it sound like it's some remote place full of bears. :-p

That's the weird thing about it, how quickly it can turn into a total overgrown jungle! On google maps, from NW to SE the longest point between trails I can find is 1.3km, but if you have the bad luck to head off one of the southern trails and get lost heading northeast, you could go just over 2km without seeing a trail. I mean yea, low chance of dying, but high chance of extreme discomfort :P

Point taken.
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