Societal Indifference?
Lee in the Tokyo Times blog quotes Takashi Kurosaki, director-general of the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association on his organisation’s astounding success:
“Vending machines spread in Japan because of people’s demand for automation. Leaving aside the issue of whether this is good or bad, people clearly want to purchase things without having to talk to others.”
However, Lee goes on to say:
With 5.51 million vending machines already in Japan, Kurosaki-san may well be on to something; however as association head, he could be a little biased, as surely the vending machine is simply a convenient way of grabbing a drink or snack on the way to work, rather than an indicator of Japanese society’s uncommunicative character. I mean, while beverages and bars of chocolate are one thing, it’s not as though people would happily go out and buy the likes of fruit and veg from a machine just to avoid meeting people. Now that would be an indicator of societal indifference.
Convenience, societal indifference, or silent savior when purchasing questionable products? Sure I don’t know (!) but the post has some further interesting speculation as well as some nice photos of vending machines. [EBT]
Poor Mari….she’s my favorite. If I ever become a j-pop singer and part of the...
Shes definitely at the top of my hot list.
perfeckt 10:10
When I was there, I saw vending machines in front of people’s houses.
May 9th, 2007 at 7:01 amOf course, there are “certain things” people prefer to access without looking another person in the eye. . . which is one of the reasons the Internet is so popular.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:10 amIn the neighborhood where I lived in Setagaya-ku, the local pharmacy had a condom-vending machine in front. However, on a quiet night, the sounds of coins being inserted and of boxes dropping down, not the mention the fact the machine beeped loudly during the purchasing process, would only serve to draw attention to the transaction being carried out.
May 9th, 2007 at 9:31 amMy local grocery store in New Jersey has come up with a solution for this: new self-check-out aisles where you swipe, weigh and bag all your items. You can go in and out the grocery store without having to deal with any employees whatsoever, if you like. I’ll go there now rather than a convenience store if I just need a few items. Better solution than a vending machine for everything I think!
May 9th, 2007 at 10:37 pm