More than any country we’ve visited – US excluded, of course – Japan is a country that really seems to enjoy consumption. Even as Americans who are used to this sort of thing, we were not fully prepared for what the consumer economy would be like in Japan. Both in terms of what you can find, and where you can find it, Japan offers surprises around every corner. I’ll talk here about some of the biggest highlights.
Vending Machines
First off, we have the humble vending machine. While you can of course find these all over the world, Japan takes them to a different level. To start, Japanese vending machines are absolutely anywhere and everywhere – from the busiest streets to the quietest alley, and everywhere in between. The technology is also a step up – you can usually even choose between hot and cold drinks if you’d like. Finally, you can find some off-the wall items in Japanese vending machines if you search. We found several selling sushi, some with wagyu beef, and even ramen!
Convenience Stores
Convenience stores are another familiar place to foreigners, taken to an extreme level. Japanese convenience stores – the main ones are 7-11, Lawson, and FamilyMart – carry the usual items you’d think of (candy, chips, beer, soda, etc) but also so much more. You can always find rows and rows of shelves with freshly cooked food items – sandwiches, ramen, sushi, curry, salads, spaghetti, etc. etc. etc. – available to buy. At checkout, you can opt to have the clerk heat these items up for you.
Beyond this, you’ll usually find a fully stocked frozen foods section. The front of the stores also generally sell fried chicken and other hot items. It sounds weird to say, but the convenience stores in Japan are nothing short of amazing. All of the below are examples of items in a typical Japanese convenience store.
Much like the vending machines, you’ll also find them absolutely everywhere – oftentimes even within sight of each other!
Video Game/Manga Stores
The media consumption landscape in Japan is a bit more foreign to our Western (or at least, Mid-Western) senses. We definitely play video games and manga/anime are increasingly becoming mainstream in the west; however the scale of consuming both is absolutely massive in Japan.
You’ll find entire streets, city blocks, even whole neighborhoods – dedicated to video game and anime stores. You’ll find 8-story buildings selling nothing but retro video games or comic books. You’ll find store after store after store selling nothing but toy models, or collectible figurines from popular games and anime.
You’ll also find some…other things like sexy figurines or (what appear to be) collectible trading cards with cute girls on them. You can also easily wander into some very NSFW areas – we explored one bookstore and the top 2 floors were filled with nothing but hentai (no pictures here, this is a family blog).
Exploring these areas is a must-do on any trip to Japan – a true culture shock within a country full of them.
Capsule Games/Claw Machines/Arcades
Last up, even more recognizable things taken to 1000% in Japan. Capsule games are just what you think; put in some coins, turn the crank, and get a small toy from the slot. In Japan, however, you can find capsule machines with toys/figurines for near-literally anything you can dream up – video game characters, food items, furniture, animals, “adult” items, it never ends! You’ll also find rows of these machines all over the place throughout the country; along with many stores full of nothing but capsule machines.
Claw games, again are just what you’d expect: put money in, take a chance at picking up something to win with the claw. However, while in the US you may find 1 claw machine at the back of Chuck-e-Cheese, in Japan you’ll find arcades with multiple floors full of claw games in every neighborhood. Instead of holding multiple prizes, Japanese claw machines typically carry one kind of prize each – the variety is found when you walk throughout the arcade. And the variety is pretty huge – you can spend a low amount for a chance to grab small trinkets and figurines, or risk more to have a chance at high-dollar prizes. We saw rice cookers, cell phones, expensive anime models, even a PS5 available to win!
Special mention to the Japanese arcades – usually the top several floors of buildings with capsule machines, claw games, or both – were full of pay-to-play video games. These ranged from old-school retro classics (e.g. Street Fighter) to full-sized music games (dancing, drumming, guitar, and DJing) and simulators available to play. We even found a full floor with nothing but dart machines at one place. Both of us have been to arcades in the states, but Japan made it feel like our first time ever.
The above were just some of the most obvious highlights we witnessed, but rest assured – every corner of Japan is sure to hide something unique and different to foreign eyes. Japan is truly one of the best countries to just get lost exploring!
