Variety of frozen food vending machines proving a hit amid pandemic

I personally would like to see more variety in the vending machines, especially in regards to soups. They typically have the hot corn soup (with corn you can't ever seem to get from the bottom) and sometimes onion soup or shrimp tasting soup. But I'd like to see some tomato or chowder. Just more vareity really instead of the 10 different types of coffee, tea, and energy drinks. they typically stock.

Maybe if Japanese spoke more to each then society would be better and nicer.

( my comment not Teruyuki’s)

"It's nice to be able to take your time to decide what to get without having in-person interactions," said Teruyuki Nagai, 49, who bought 500 grams of salmon from the machine in late September.

Maybe if Japanese spoke more to each then society would be better and nicer.

It is this type of attitude that causes people to die alone in their apartments and not be found for weeks or months

Not sure about frozen meats in a vending machines, but I guess if Ice Creams made it, then meats would be okay too.

The only in-person interaction that is required in a supermarket is to hand over payment to the cashier.

Some of them don't even do that, and watch you pay - i.e. the customer doing their job.

Regardless, I only see drink machines in my area of Central Tokyo, none of the kind mentioned in the article.

If I am looking to buy fish, I would still go to my local fish monger where fish is fresh and he will gut it and cut it the way I ask him to.

@HBJ.

That's what I was going to say.

Interaction in a supermarket is not a big deal, not like with coworkers and boss.

And specially in Japan where the cashier never engages in any talk.

I hope they have frozen Shirako because it just smells so humanly inviting like hotdogs inNYC

"It's nice to be able to take your time to decide what to get without having in-person interactions,"

This is so sad.

The only in-person interaction that is required in a supermarket is to hand over payment to the cashier. Saying that, many supermarkets now have self checkout lines which mean no interaction is necessary.

Id be inclined to go and wait near this particular vending machine, just to make some small talk the next time Mr Nagai rocks up.

That’s the LDP economy fixed.

"It's nice to be able to take your time to decide what to get without having in-person interactions,"

Agree with diagonal slip, and sadly the pandemic has justified not interacting with others in society much more than usually deemed acceptable or healthy.

As for the machines... I'm torn. If people like it and it helps them, then why not? But there are already FAR too many vending machines in Japan, which all have an environmental impact, and it's kind of a shame to see more being put out there.

"It's nice to be able to take your time to decide what to get without having in-person interactions,"

an attitude not confined to the 'Covid Era', nor Japan.... my view. a 'friend' recently wanted to message via FB rather than via email, because "it's so much easier".... just hit that button and the world is your oyster. or 500 grams of salmon. not forgetting 'friend'....