Vending Machines Okinawa, Japan

VENDING MACHINE BEVERAGES IN OKINAWA JAPAN

So I recently traveled to Okinawa, Japan and although this is not what I would typically include on this blog, I was fascinated by the vending machine options I encountered.  Vending machines are a big thing in Okinawa; in fact, you can hardly travel two blocks without passing one.  Even out in the middle of the farming areas, you will find (see) a lone vending machine waiting to be used.   Often the vending machines are paired- a Coca-cola machine that has more "American friendly" beverages and a second machine that offers more native beverages.  Sometimes these machines offer both hot and cold drinks.  As the temperature was a humid 80+ on the days we were there, I stuck mostly to the cool drinks.  

Often as I selected my beverages I had no idea what they were called, but most bottles could be deciphered based on the pictures used on the labeling.   I am an adventurous one, so I tried a little bit of everything. Some were really tasty and some did not have the best taste, but were none the less refreshing on a hot day and quenched my thirst.

The left hand picture is of a sparkling peach soda.  Very similar to flavor sparkling waters in the states, it had a light refreshing taste with an interesting combination of tart and sweet aftertaste.   The picture on the right is one of many green tea options.  This is particular one is a straight chilled green tea that taste like many green teas I have had in the states.  If you enjoy green tea in general, as I do, this was a good option.

                     

The left hand picture is of another tea option but not one I would recommend to anyone who does not drink a variety of tea flavors.  This is a flower infused tea (jasmine or hibiscus maybe) and one might say it smells like sweaty socks.  It does not have the most pleasant flavor, yet on a hot day I found it more thirst quenching than some of the other drinks I tried.  The beverage on the right is actually a Coke-cola product that I really liked (I actually selected this beverage several times on the trip especially after I caught a cold).  The C.C. Lemon is exactly what it seems like.  I high vitamin C, carbonated lemonade.  It was tart with a nice bubble tanginess that I really enjoyed.

                

 The next two are fruit based beverages.  The one on the left is a green apple infused beverage that is crisp and very tart.  I tend to prefer tart drinks over sweet so I liked this one quite a bit.  The one on the right is a cherry infused beverage.  This one was actually one of the sweetest beverages I had while over there.  Most of the drinks are lower in sugar than many states (in fact there are not "diet" drinks although you can find Pepsi Max and Coke Zero- that is about it).   This one was a bit too sweet for me but it had a really nice cherry flavor and was a big hit with younger audiences.

               

The last two are again tea based.  The one on the left I believe was a honey and lemon version and was really quite tasty.  The one on the right was a coffee infused tea that was pretty strong in flavor, but I really liked it.  If you enjoy both coffee and tea in general, this would probably be a good selection.  I also really liked the label on this one.... it seemed perfect for me. 

"..to enjoy your meals and talks on dining."

             

If you are interested in reading more about vending machines in Okinawa and Japan in general, there are several websites that have additional information.  Although I did not see any, I have read about vending machines that sell live crabs and other interesting items. Just Google search "Vending Machines in Japan" to find out more.