Japan Finally Gets Its Second Banana Vending Machine. Banana Peel Related Injuries Double Overnight

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Ever since I found out Japan got its first banana vending machine, I’ve been chomping at the bit banana for a conveniently placed second banana vending machine, preferably someplace I didn’t have to fly an airplane to get to.

Actually, I don’t care that much, but I did think it was pretty sweet that Japan has banana vending machines (two, now) allowing anyone to get a banana whenever the please… as long as they live near one of the two banana vending machines in existence.

Banana Vending Machine, Fukuoka

A little under a year ago, Shibuya (in Tokyo) got Japan’s first (maybe the World’s first?) banana vending machine. Apparently it was a success (selling to around 60-80 people per day), so they decided to put another banana vending machine up really far away (in Fukuoka). If you want to visit this vending machine, you can find it at 西鉄福岡天神駅 (Nishitetsu Fukuoka Tenjin Station), specifically on the North side (so if you live in Fukuoka, and love bananas, and don’t like grocery stores, you should check it out).

Click on this image to go to here

If you’re looking to get your hands on one of these bad boys, just know that it’ll cost you… not very much. To buy a single banana, it’s 130 yen (convert). To buy an entire bunch of bananas, that’ll cost you 390 yen (convert). It’s slightly more expensive than grocery prices, but think about the convenience of getting a banana when you need one and you happen to be at this particular station.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkRS_zq4oB0']

Someone made a video…

In order to keep things fresh, the bananas are kept at a comfortable 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius), and a banana man comes three times a week to restock / pull anything too old to sell.

When you’ve finished eating your banana, there’s even special bins for you to throw them into (there’s special bins for everything garbage related in Japan, isn’t there?).

I’m sure this has cut down on very comedic, sound-effect laden instances of people slipping very painfully on banana peels while chasing a cartoon character.

Anyways, enjoy your bananas while you can, or you might get a visit from the very terrifying Dole Man.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czL5yCCgiNQ']

I’m going to eat a banana now.

[source]

  • Ramdom

    whatever happened to tofugu tv?

  • http://twitter.com/Samufugu Sam Barrow

    Craving a banana right about now…

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    editing video, I found out, is really really difficult (plus some unrelated delay-ish things that got in the way). Still working on it, though!

  • Anonymous

    wonky and delicious!

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  • http://martyna.dreamwidth.org/ Martyna

    Now, I really want to go back to Fukuoka.

  • Chimothy

    Don’t the bananas get bruised when they fall?

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    huh, good question… seems like they would, huh?

  • Foozlesprite

    It’s Japan. They probably have special jets of air that shoot up and cradle your banana as it falls, cushioning the impact. Are the banana trash bins for the plastic wrapping or the banana peel? It would be really neat if they had separate ones; the plastic could be recycled and the peels composted. The could even sell the compost to some farmer, a win win for everyone.

  • datisookmooi

    Didn’t you see the video? There’s an awesome piece of plastic that catches your banana, guides it down to the bottom, then drops it, to soften the blow.

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    jets of air is too old fashioned. I’m sure it uses a small mech warrior to guide it down.

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    ha, now I’ve watched it! :/

    Still looks a little rough, though I guess bananas can take it.

  • Serraxor

    Bobby Banana? That mascot is my new hero.

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  • Ramdom

    ok i thought u forgot. thx for letting me know

  • http://twitter.com/spiegelscythe Craig McLaughlin

    Aahhhh this makes more sense now! I didn’t see the banana machine, but I did snag a pic of Dole Man in Shibuya last summer.

    http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/6830/dscn4816.jpg

  • http://www.tofugu.com koichi

    best. mascot. ever.

  • http://twitter.com/ichigoichielove Lisa W

    WHAT!!! Nooooo! I was in Fukuoka over the weekend! I should have…I should have… awwww. :(

  • Epsilonte

    Yay, I just had a banana for breakfast today. :)
    Awesome idea with the vending machines. What if you carve bananas on a Sunday at 1am and there is no supermarket near? ^^

  • Phosis

    I just started eating my own banana at work right before I came to this site.

    It must be fate.

    Banana fate.

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  • Anonymous

    Theres a set of 5 doleman TV commercials, the latest ones are downright weird
    http://www.japansugoi.com/wordpress/dole-bananas-doleman-shingo-katori-japanese-tv-commercials/

  • belgand

    The price on that is actually pretty bad. Here in San Francisco (where bananas are one of the rare things that don’t grow in-state) I’m paying US$0.79/pound for them. So basically those bananas individually cost around twice what I’d pay per pound.

    I’m also surprised that it’s so specific. I mean, why not have vending machines that carry all sorts of fruit?

  • Sandra03

    best commercial ever lol.

    I don’t even like bananas but when I go to Japan next year I’m so getting one. just because.