Thank you for joining our tour! We welcomed 16 guests from Israel, France, Germany, Hungary, US, Italy and Austria.
The weather was perfect for a long walking tour. Hope everyone enjoyed the interaction.
Thirsty from the dry air, I went to grab cold water from the vending machine in the resting area. But when I realized they had hot drinks available, it was that perfect moment of ‘Ah, it’s that time of year again,’. Hot canned/bottled beverages from vending machines are such a natural part of our daily lives, that we take them for granted. But did you know that both of these inventions actually originated in Japan ? Here are some facts about the hot drinks from vending machines.
- 1969: Invention of Canned coffee – A company called UCC created the world’s first canned coffee.
One day while the founder was drinking a bottled coffee milk at a station, he had to rush to board his train, leaving the drink unfinished. At that time, beverages were sold in glass bottles, and there was a rule that the empty bottle had to be returned to the store after consumption.Triggered by this experience, the company developed the sales method using cans instead of bottles that is easy to drink anytime, anywhere.
- 1973: The Heating Invention – A company called Pokka invented the first machine that could dispense drinks that were hot (あったか〜い).
One time when the founder stopped for a break at resting area, the shop was so crowded that by the time his ordered coffee arrived, it had gone completely cold. This incident led him to start development on a solution for a way to drink hot coffee anytime.
I would often buy a hot can of coffee or tea not just to drink, but to hold in my hands to use it as a free hand-warmer. As the temperatures start to drop for winter, why not try the experience of a hot drink from a vending machine at your next outdoor event?
Just be sure to look carefully for the color of the light or label before you press the button! Picking up a can of chilled coffee when you expected a hot one can be a disappointing surprise ;p
Once again, thank you for choosing Tokyo Free Walking Tour during your stay in Tokyo. Your feedback is important and helpful to us. If you enjoyed our tour, please consider posting a review on our TripAdvisor/Facebook etc. Your comments will help contribute to higher-quality tours.
Posted by Asako
For more information about our tour, please visit our website at https:https://tfwt.jp/east-gardens-of-the-imperial-palace/, https://www.facebook.com/TokyoFWT or Tokyo Free Walking Tour at https://www.tripadvisor.jp/.