The Touch Screen System Reaches Vending Machines

(Tokyo Station.)

The latest in vending machines: 47-inch touch screens that display different items depending on the season or the hour of the day. The machines also have a sensor that detects the customer's age and gender, and displays products that are targeted towards specific markets. (Supposedly there are no recording devices installed, so I would like to know how they are able to gauge the two factors.)

Another major feature (more for the sellers' benefit than the buyers) is that whenever a product is out of stock, instead of displaying a "sold out" sign, it is simply removed them from the lineup.

The machines first made their appearance in Shinagawa Station in August 2010, and have gradually expanded to other JR East stations -- Tokyo, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro. This one was taken at Tokyo Station. As you can see, it piques the interest of many a traveller.