About 21,700 KRW for 250g... Delivery Orders Surge
'Japang' Vending Machine Kingdom... Whale Meat Vending Machines Too
According to the British daily The Guardian on the 3rd (local time), the number of users has steadily increased since a wild bear meat vending machine appeared in Japan last December.
According to a report citing the Mainichi (每日) Shimbun, in November last year, a local food company called 'Soba Goro' conducted market research to introduce bear dishes to tourists and then installed this vending machine near Senboku Station in Akita (秋田) Prefecture.
About 21,700 KRW for 250g... "Clean taste and tender meat texture"
Residents living around this station frequently purchase bear meat from the vending machine, which is sold at 2,200 yen (about 21,700 KRW) for 250g.
The company stated, "Recently, we have been receiving delivery orders for bear meat even from Tokyo, which is 400 km away from here."
Mainichi Shimbun reported, "The bear meat sold from the vending machine is caught by local hunters who are permitted to hunt a certain number of bears during a designated period each year in nearby mountains."
Bear meat, which contains a mix of lean meat and fat and has a slightly gamey smell similar to venison, is mainly eaten in northern Japan. It is often consumed in canned products or instant curry form, and is also cooked as a stew.
In an interview with Mainichi Shimbun, Soba Goro explained, "Bear meat has a clean taste and tender meat texture."
'Vending Machine Kingdom' Japan... Whale Meat Vending Machines Too
A Japanese vessel engaged in whaling [Photo by Australian Customs Service]
Vending machines commonly seen throughout Japan offer an endless variety of foods, from hot or cold drinks to cooked insects and hamburgers.
According to the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association, the number of vending machines in Japan peaked at 5.6 million in 2000, which was equivalent to one machine for every 23 Japanese people.
Since then, the number of vending machines in Japan dropped to 4 million by 2020, but relative to the population, it remains the largest in the world.
Recently, Kyodo Senpaku, Japan's largest whaling company, faced criticism from environmental and animal protection groups for selling whale meat through vending machines. The company plans to install 100 whale meat vending machines across Japan over the next five years.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Environment reported that encounters between people and bears in Japan surged from 4,800 cases in 2009 to about 20,000 cases in 2020. In 2020, two people died and 158 were injured due to bear attacks.
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