The used tire market Sagamihara store is called the holy land of retro vending machines.
Food vending machines are officially called “food vending machines” and were developed from the late 1960s to the 1970s.
Production of udon, soba, and ramen vending machines manufactured in the Showa era ceased in the early Heisei era, and many manufacturers withdrew from the business. Unable to be repaired, they are doomed to decline in numbers. He repairs such retro vending machines himself and keeps them running.
The sight of dozens of old vending machines of various colors, sizes, and foods lined up next to the parking lot along the prefectural road is overwhelming.
People in uniforms and work clothes, families, and couples gather to buy food in the vending machine rows, eat in front of the machines, and take commemorative photos.
It’s fun just looking around at the retro vending machines with different designs that sell things like noodles, curry, ochazuke, shaved ice, gum, bottled cola, and batteries.
The company president said with a smile, “My hobby has always been collecting old things.” After starting a used tire store, he acquired an udon vending machine, repaired it through trial and error, and got it working. Apparently, he started it so that customers could enjoy their waiting time.
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He picked it up from a store that was closing down, taught himself how to repair it, and replaced missing parts with similar ones. The number of vending machines has gradually increased, and the number of customers looking for retro vending machines has naturally increased.
The three most popular dishes are the standard udon/soba noodles, hamburgers, and toasted sandwiches, which are also referred to as the “three restaurants” by fans. All of them heat up in 25 seconds to 1 minute after you put your coins in, and the food comes out piping hot, satisfying your hunger.
The most popular item was the “Udon Soba” vending machine!
They order ingredients such as noodles, meat, and bread from food companies, plate them themselves, and place them in vending machines. “I compared several types of udon soup and chose the delicious one.
Even though it’s a vending machine, it doesn’t just sell drinks, it also has a wide range of foods such as udon, ramen, and sweets. People from the Showa era think of it as nostalgic,'' while younger people think of it as
new.”
The second place was won by a vending machine that sells “toasted sandwiches”.
3rd place! It’s the “hamburger vending machine” next to the toast vending machine!
cola vending machine
Used tire market Sagamihara store
Business hours: Vending machine corner is open 24 hours/7 days a week
Transportation: 5km from Ken-O Expressway Sagamihara Aikawa IC via Prefectural Route 508/Public transportation: 20-30 minutes by bus from Yokohama Line Sagamihara Station,Address: 2661-1 Shimo mizo, Minami-ku, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Odakyu Odawara Line Sagami-Ono Station, Odakyu Sagamihara Station, get off at Sagamihara Purification Plant 4 minutes walk