These things are everywhere. . . standing out in front of some houses next to the gate. . . you are never more than 300 metres away from one. . . and at train stations sometimes you find whole rooms full of vending machines -- everything from hot (milk tea, coffee) and cold drinks (pocari sweat, calpis -- which, I happen to like by the way, even though it is, umm. . . fermented milk :-s) to ice cream, noodles, energy bars, hamburgers, and probably whatever else you can imagine. . . They even have digital displays showing beautiful Japanese cartoon women bowing in gratitude for your purchase!!

Not exactly your "traditional" Japanese cuisine, but I thought it was rather amusing how the McDonalds here are trying to portray their "healthy image". . . by comparing the amount of calories in other Japanese dishes with that a Big Mac, apple pie or fries. Guess the new "trend" to at least look healthy is universal. . . only here they've started from the other side!
A shop selling bars of jellied sweet beans -- with flavours ranging from green tea, brown sugar, "cherry blossom" (whatever that really means) and the ever popular "red bean" flavour. And, I do have to admit, once you've been here for a while, you start to crave it too. . . no longer are beans only a vegetable. . . :-)