How Japan's vanishing hot food vending machines work

TL;DR

John Daub visits a park of 108 vintage Japanese hot food vending machines at a tire shop in Sagamihara.
Machines peaked at 250,000 nationwide in 1985 but are now rare due to convenience stores.
Owner Saito-san collects and repairs them to preserve a fading part of Japanese culture.

The story at a glance

John Daub from the ONLY in JAPAN channel tours the Hot Food Vending Machine Park in Sagamihara, run by Saito-san at his used tire shop. Saito-san has gathered 108 machines from the 1950s to today since 2016, first to entertain waiting customers. The video shows how they work and why these once-common machines are disappearing. Convenience stores now offer better food options, making the machines obsolete.

Key points

The park started as Saito-san's hobby but draws visitors for hot meals like curry rice, udon, burgers, and sandwiches from machines.
Curry rice machine, the last of its kind in Japan, heats sauce in a bag, cuts it open, and pours over rice in 27 seconds for 500 yen.
Udon machine uses nixie tubes, keeps noodles fresh behind a temp-controlled door, and boils them with broth.
Burger machine refrigerates patties at 5°C, toasts them for a minute; sandwiches get microwaved in boxes.
Coffee machine from the 1970s mixes drinks from containers, pumps into cups, and stirs ice to avoid freezing.
Operators need restaurant licenses; Saito-san repairs machines himself, even making parts.
Tasters praise the curry rice for fresh rice and spicy sauce; burgers taste like 1990s nostalgia.

Details and context

Saito-san began collecting in 2016 to keep tire customers happy while they wait. His collection grew into a tourist spot with machines like a camera vendor for film and disposable cameras, plus frozen Pocari Sweat.

The machines avoid microwaves for most heating: sauce bags warm in hot water, rice prepped in boxes. This kept food safe before conbinis like 7-Eleven took over with fresher stock.

No LEDs or microchips in many 40-year-old units; they rely on simple mechanics. Maintenance is tough—Saito-san fixed a coffee machine over three days.

Key quotes

Saito-san: "I started collecting machines as my hobby... Unless I take care of them, they will all be extinct."[[1]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJ4qz9B-2E)
John Daub on curry rice: "This rice is very good!"[[1]](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJ4qz9B-2E)

Why it matters

These machines show Japan's vending culture peak and shift to modern convenience. Visitors get a hands-on look at retro tech and cheap hot food not found elsewhere. Watch if Saito-san adds more machines or if tourism keeps the park going.