Very good, Hiro are guide was very helpful and knowledgeable.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Local guide tour
- Access to Japan's most unique vending machines
- Deep history on Vending Machines and Japan
Excludes
- Coffee and/or Tea
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- We will be meeting you next to the South Exit.
Itinerary
Start the tour by exposing the "invisible labor" that sustains Japan's 5.5 million vending machines. Your guide will explain how the surface-level convenience of the city is built on the "brutal physical labor" of route men and a social contract that treats vandalism as a form of betrayal. You will see how these machines serve as emergency lifelines, capable of switching to free-distribution mode during disasters.
Visit the 1950s landmark born from the post-war black market. Here, you will witness the "runaway gene" of Japanese craftsmanship: an obsession that shifted from the functional beauty of vacuum tubes to the "fictional value" of rare trading cards. Observe the "Oripa" (original pack) machines that operate in a legal gray zone to stimulate the gambling instincts of microscopic perfectionists.
Explore the most extreme end of capitalism: vending machines selling "nothing but air." This stop illustrates Japan's "gift economy," where souvenirs serve as conversation starters rather than personal needs. You will learn how highly trained consumers pay not for physical value, but for the "label and narrative" attached to the void.
Visit a "glitch in the city"—the iconic canned oden machine. Originally the ultimate fast food for otaku waiting overnight for the Windows 95 launch, it now survives as an affirmation of inefficiency. It remains not for profit, but because the district tolerates this "bug" as a symbol of its old survival history.
Conclude the tour by exploring "Techno-Animism." This ancient shrine, housing a powerful vengeful spirit, now issues IT information-security amulets designed like computer motherboards. Discover why Japanese society views technology not as a rebellious demon, but as a "divine neighbor" with its own spirit and soul.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
It was my first time going on a tour to learn about vending machine!!
super interesting topic of conversation, i loved learning about the history and the culture of vending machines :) students were super friendly!
very interesting conversation about vending machines throughout japan :). we learned new information about the machines and how they came to be. they were very polite and friendly.
It was awonderfull experience
Great exchanges ! The girls were very nice to us and explained very well the concept of vending machines, we learned a lot !
I've never heard of a vending machine tour before, so I think it's such a novel and exciting experience!
It was an interesting experience.
Very very very good! Informative and easy to understand
This virtual guide to Japan, focusing on vending machines, was very informative and interesting. The girls who explained the history of these products were very kind and knowledgeable. I would say it was a very pleasant conversation in every respect.
The experience was great it was cheap and the length was reasonable.
Excellent experience! The presenters were very respectful and I could understand them perfectly. They were also able to pick up on what I was saying and the conversation/presentation was very smooth overall.
Good it was nice conversation
A truly unique Japanese experience. Highly recommended!
This tour was truly amazing!!! Highly recommend
Erika was such a sweet heart!! She made the tour so enjoyable and was a joy to be around and speak to! I definitely look forward to doing tours with her again. Although professional she was also so personable and it made the experience a delight!!!
I had such an amazing time here. I've never experienced vending machine adventure, and it was very interesting. You will see what special in Japanese Vending Machine is.
It was an interesting tour, we could learn a lot about vending machines in Japan!
It was a great experience in Japan!
Japanese vending machines are famous all over the world. It was a great opportunity to see and experience how they work and how people use them. I love it :)
Honestly, Tokyo’s vending machine tour was way more fun than I expected! You can literally get everything from hot dashi broth to ice-cold corn soup. It’s such a quirky, uniquely Tokyo experience. 10/10 would do it again!
I really enjoyed this tour! I’ve never seen a tour that goes so deeply into Tokyo’s vending machines. It was really interesting and unique!
It was excellent! Enjoyed looking at everything
I had a great time! The guide was extremely nice to us and their English was easy to understand! Overall it was an amazing experience that I would recommend for anyone!
I loved our tour guide, she was so sweet and kind. Learned a lot about the vending machines! Definitely recommend
It was super interesting! Tokyo has so many interesting machines you would never get it America
The guide was clear, practical, and easy to understand. I especially liked how the information was organized and explained with useful examples throughout for beginners.
Learning about the unique history of Japanese vending machines is such a cool concept, and exploring Akihabara with its famous anime and pop culture scene is amazing! 🇯🇵✨
That was the best guide! ・*. ʚ🐶ɞ.*・゚🥂✧ERIKA💖・*. ʚ🐶ɞ.*🥂
This tour is such a unique way to explore Tokyo. My tour guide kept me well informed and excited during our walk around the city! I highly recommend this tour for anyone who wants a fun outlook and interesting on Japan.
The most interesting tour I have heard of, but it actually met way above my expectations! Learning about the technology of Japanese vending machines was fascinating.
This was a very interesting tour! My tour guide was great, and spoke English well! Thanks!
かのん before Kanon guide me to one of the machines I didn't even realise thing like this exist. It is super good idea. She also explained me how the system inside bottle works. Thanks to her guidance.
Tour was amazing. Kanon was very friendly and gave us a great and informative tour. Highly recommend for orienting yourself around Akihabara.
This was awesome and fun we reviewed a ton of machines and other fun things around akihabara!
We had fun and Kanta was really accommodating and friendly and he added things we’re interested in, so we also visited a shrine. Our favourite vending machines were located in a very alternative site which we would have never seen/found in a dark corner. This doubled up as an opportunity to explore the quirky side of Chiyoda city. We would recommend this tour for something different to explore.
Amy was absolutely lovely. Very knowledgeable and no question was too small. We talked about the Japanese culture as well as vending machines. Saw many different vending machines and the shrine at the end topped it off. Thank you Amy, you are a real asset.
We had an amazing time with Kanta and Amy. They were easy to communicate with (in person and via Whatsapp) making the tour smooth and enjoyable. The tour itself was informative, easy to follow and gave a good mix of information about Akihabara and some real hidden gems and quirkiness of Japanese vending machine culture. Taking us to places we would have missed if we had done it ourselves! The matcha machine and weird machine corner were real highlights. We loved visiting the shrine as an extra added bonus. Thank you for an awesome experience.
I was able to learn new side of japan and explore some of the local places!
The general feeling I had after the tour was that while the tour guides were great, and the information was nice to know, the tour was mostly about Shibuya in general than vending machines. Only 25% of the content was about vending machines and only 1 vending machine was surprising. Maybe I was expecting too much, but I think this tour was better off described as a Shibuya tour (which I would have rated it much better) with some vending machines info.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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