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That's wonderful, but it's not a big surprise for me. When in Tokyo I encountered vending machines on a public street (the Ginza) that dispensed bottles of whi

That's wonderful, but it's not a big surprise for me. When in Tokyo I encountered vending machines on a public street (the Ginza) that dispensed bottles of whiskey—Suntory if I recall—that operated 24 hours a day. If you wanted a drink at 3AM you could get it. Where I am that vending machine would be vandalized overnight and the owner of such an appliance shop would be broke and out of business the next day. Shame really. Edit: A Westerner but longtime resident of Japan told me when I was working there of a hotel robbery where an American tourist had valuables and jewelry worth a substantial sum taken from her hotel room. The robbery was big enough to make the newspapers which led to the return of the jewelry. The thief after seeing the news story returned them with a message to the effect "Sorry, I wouldn't have stolen them if I'd known you were a visiting tourist". Perhaps the story is apocryphal but it and other stories such as if you lose your wallet there's good chance it'll be returned complete with cash—is testament to the honesty of Japanese people.

rjh29 1y ago
Those vending machines are supposed to check ID but I've never seen one do (I think cigarette machines do). They just turn off at night and apparently that's enough to stop children from using them.
- hilbert42 1y ago
  It's quite some time since I've been there but I can't remember an ID system being in place. I didn't have to produce an ID and usually I selected non-alcoholic drinks. However, that was before the proliferation of smartphones, so back then it is likely there was no ID checking. As a nonsmoker, I can't speak about cigarette machines, likely there was no ID on them too. Nowadays, with smartphones etc. checking IDs is comparatively easy but I can't think how it would have been done back then.
  - rjh29 1y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taspo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taspo
    - hilbert42 1y ago
      Right, that's cleared things up. Both the Taspo/Tobacco Card and vending machine capability (cash or credit, top up card, etc.) weren't available when I was there last. I'd reckon the strict ID requirements for Taspo card must have been quite a cultural shock. My recollection was that back then tobacco products were much more freely available than where I was living.
      - rjh29 1y ago
        It didn't properly come out until 2008, so until then I suppose schoolchildren could have easily used the machines! Unimaginable in most countries.
        hilbert42 1y ago
        OK, that settles it, my experience was before 2008. "Unimaginable in most countries." Well, perhaps so these days, but it wasn't at all so when I was a kid. At somewhere between 10 and 12 years old when still in primary school occasionally we kids bought cigarettes on our way home and ducked off somewhere secluded to smoke them. A few shopkeepers wouldn't sell them to us but many would. There weren't many cigarette machines about (they were usually located on railway stations, in theater foyers etc.), but those in use could be operated by anyone including us kids. Moreover, cigarettes were very cheap, they had nothing like the huge taxes on them of today—so cheap we had no difficulty in purchasing them out of our pocket money. Kids smoking was frowned upon by most parents and teachers but it wasn't illegal. That's why we smoked in secluded places where we wouldn't be seen. (Back then, smoking was accepted and considered pretty normal for adults, especially men. Since then attitudes have changed dramatically.) For the record, except for that occasional experimenting as a kid I've never smoked since, nor have I ever had any desire to do so.
        rkomorn 1y ago
        > Unimaginable in most countries. I guess that also applies to France... because why would we use machines when we could just walk into a shop and buy cigarettes without ID? I remember my much older sister sending me off to buy cigarettes for her when I was maybe 12 and having zero problems. Many of my friends smoked through high school, also with zero problems acquiring cigarettes. So yeah, using machines to buy cigarettes as a kid? Unimaginable for me, but I'm guessing not the way you were imagining it.
deleted 1y ago
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adrian_b 1y ago
While visiting Japan last year, I have witnessed a scene when one of my companions forgot his wallet, which also contained an expensive smartphone, in a train, when we have changed quickly the trains, and someone from the other train ran really, really fast, to catch us in the other train and give the forgotten wallet to its owner. Than he ran equally fast to his train, which was ready to leave. Had he not run so fast while returning the wallet to its owner, he would have lost his train. Therefore, doing a good deed had required quite an effort for that Japanese, but this had not dissuaded him.

rjh29 1y ago

Those vending machines are supposed to check ID but I've never seen one do (I think cigarette machines do). They just turn off at night and apparently that's enough to stop children from using them.

hilbert42 1y ago
It's quite some time since I've been there but I can't remember an ID system being in place. I didn't have to produce an ID and usually I selected non-alcoholic drinks. However, that was before the proliferation of smartphones, so back then it is likely there was no ID checking. As a nonsmoker, I can't speak about cigarette machines, likely there was no ID on them too. Nowadays, with smartphones etc. checking IDs is comparatively easy but I can't think how it would have been done back then.
- rjh29 1y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taspo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taspo
  - hilbert42 1y ago
    Right, that's cleared things up. Both the Taspo/Tobacco Card and vending machine capability (cash or credit, top up card, etc.) weren't available when I was there last. I'd reckon the strict ID requirements for Taspo card must have been quite a cultural shock. My recollection was that back then tobacco products were much more freely available than where I was living.
    - rjh29 1y ago
      It didn't properly come out until 2008, so until then I suppose schoolchildren could have easily used the machines! Unimaginable in most countries.
      - hilbert42 1y ago
        OK, that settles it, my experience was before 2008. "Unimaginable in most countries." Well, perhaps so these days, but it wasn't at all so when I was a kid. At somewhere between 10 and 12 years old when still in primary school occasionally we kids bought cigarettes on our way home and ducked off somewhere secluded to smoke them. A few shopkeepers wouldn't sell them to us but many would. There weren't many cigarette machines about (they were usually located on railway stations, in theater foyers etc.), but those in use could be operated by anyone including us kids. Moreover, cigarettes were very cheap, they had nothing like the huge taxes on them of today—so cheap we had no difficulty in purchasing them out of our pocket money. Kids smoking was frowned upon by most parents and teachers but it wasn't illegal. That's why we smoked in secluded places where we wouldn't be seen. (Back then, smoking was accepted and considered pretty normal for adults, especially men. Since then attitudes have changed dramatically.) For the record, except for that occasional experimenting as a kid I've never smoked since, nor have I ever had any desire to do so.
      - rkomorn 1y ago
        > Unimaginable in most countries. I guess that also applies to France... because why would we use machines when we could just walk into a shop and buy cigarettes without ID? I remember my much older sister sending me off to buy cigarettes for her when I was maybe 12 and having zero problems. Many of my friends smoked through high school, also with zero problems acquiring cigarettes. So yeah, using machines to buy cigarettes as a kid? Unimaginable for me, but I'm guessing not the way you were imagining it.

deleted 1y ago

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adrian_b 1y ago

While visiting Japan last year, I have witnessed a scene when one of my companions forgot his wallet, which also contained an expensive smartphone, in a train, when we have changed quickly the trains, and someone from the other train ran really, really fast, to catch us in the other train and give the forgotten wallet to its owner. Than he ran equally fast to his train, which was ready to leave. Had he not run so fast while returning the wallet to its owner, he would have lost his train. Therefore, doing a good deed had required quite an effort for that Japanese, but this had not dissuaded him.