{
  "title": "vending-machine-atlas",
  "updated": "2026-09-08",
  "status": "Sourced observations; definitions and dates differ. Not a prefecture census or top-100 ranking.",
  "tables": {
    "vending-japan": [
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "soft_drinks",
        "machine_count": 1975200,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 76.4041,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "milk_beverages",
        "machine_count": 81500,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 3.1526,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "coffee_cocoa_cups",
        "machine_count": 103900,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 4.019,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "alcohol",
        "machine_count": 18200,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 0.704,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "food",
        "machine_count": 81100,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 3.1371,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "tobacco",
        "machine_count": 57100,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 2.2087,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "transport_tickets",
        "machine_count": 13900,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 0.5377,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "other_tickets",
        "machine_count": 49800,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 1.9263,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "daily_goods_miscellaneous",
        "machine_count": 204500,
        "share_of_vending_percent": 7.9104,
        "scope": "vending only; mutually exclusive leaf categories",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "vending_total",
        "machine_count": 2585200,
        "share_of_vending_percent": null,
        "scope": "aggregate or separate service category; do not sum every row",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "service_change_machines",
        "machine_count": 62200,
        "share_of_vending_percent": null,
        "scope": "aggregate or separate service category; do not sum every row",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "service_automated_payment",
        "machine_count": 162700,
        "share_of_vending_percent": null,
        "scope": "aggregate or separate service category; do not sum every row",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "service_other_including_lockers",
        "machine_count": 1071600,
        "share_of_vending_percent": null,
        "scope": "aggregate or separate service category; do not sum every row",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "service_total",
        "machine_count": 1296500,
        "share_of_vending_percent": null,
        "scope": "aggregate or separate service category; do not sum every row",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      },
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "reference_date": "2025-12-31",
        "category": "vending_and_service_total",
        "machine_count": 3881700,
        "share_of_vending_percent": null,
        "scope": "aggregate or separate service category; do not sum every row",
        "source_id": "jvma2025"
      }
    ],
    "vending-national-density": [
      {
        "country": "Japan",
        "machines": 2585200,
        "machine_date": "2025-12-31",
        "population": 123165000,
        "population_date": "2025-12-01",
        "machines_per_resident": 0.020989729225023342,
        "machines_per_1000_residents": 20.989729225023343,
        "residents_per_machine": 47.6423487544484,
        "machine_source_id": "jvma2025",
        "population_source_id": "japan_population",
        "comparison_status": "context only: different years, machine definitions and survey coverage; not a matched country ranking"
      },
      {
        "country": "United States",
        "machines": 2336011,
        "machine_date": "2024",
        "population": 340110988,
        "population_date": "2024-07-01",
        "machines_per_resident": 0.006868378507077225,
        "machines_per_1000_residents": 6.868378507077225,
        "residents_per_machine": 145.5947715999625,
        "machine_source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "population_source_id": "us_population2024",
        "comparison_status": "context only: different years, machine definitions and survey coverage; not a matched country ranking"
      }
    ],
    "vending-us-mix": [
      {
        "year": 2024,
        "category": "cold_beverage",
        "share_percent": 38.7,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "share of placed machines, chart 4A; equipment categories differ from Japan product categories"
      },
      {
        "year": 2024,
        "category": "hot_beverage",
        "share_percent": 4.9,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "share of placed machines, chart 4A; equipment categories differ from Japan product categories"
      },
      {
        "year": 2024,
        "category": "glassfront",
        "share_percent": 40.6,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "share of placed machines, chart 4A; equipment categories differ from Japan product categories"
      },
      {
        "year": 2024,
        "category": "refrigerated_food",
        "share_percent": 9.4,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "share of placed machines, chart 4A; equipment categories differ from Japan product categories"
      },
      {
        "year": 2024,
        "category": "frozen_only",
        "share_percent": 6.3,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "share of placed machines, chart 4A; equipment categories differ from Japan product categories"
      }
    ],
    "vending-us-history": [
      {
        "year": 2019,
        "country": "United States",
        "estimated_machines": 2175756,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "survey estimate, chart 4; not micro-market location count"
      },
      {
        "year": 2020,
        "country": "United States",
        "estimated_machines": 1740604,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "survey estimate, chart 4; not micro-market location count"
      },
      {
        "year": 2021,
        "country": "United States",
        "estimated_machines": 1971600,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "survey estimate, chart 4; not micro-market location count"
      },
      {
        "year": 2022,
        "country": "United States",
        "estimated_machines": 2059612,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "survey estimate, chart 4; not micro-market location count"
      },
      {
        "year": 2023,
        "country": "United States",
        "estimated_machines": 2203784,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "survey estimate, chart 4; not micro-market location count"
      },
      {
        "year": 2024,
        "country": "United States",
        "estimated_machines": 2336011,
        "source_id": "us_vending2024",
        "scope": "survey estimate, chart 4; not micro-market location count"
      }
    ],
    "vending-examples": [
      {
        "operator": "Sanden Retail Systems",
        "example": "Frozen food machines: Dohiemon",
        "place": null,
        "prefecture": null,
        "source_url": "https://www.sanden-rs.com/product/sprati00000023d7-att/catalog_dohiemon_2025.pdf",
        "date": "2025 catalog",
        "evidence": "Manufacturer catalog describes frozen-food vending for storefronts, stations and rest areas.",
        "limit": "Product range, not national prevalence or a verified current installation."
      },
      {
        "operator": "DyDo",
        "example": "Baby diapers sold alongside drinks",
        "place": null,
        "prefecture": null,
        "source_url": "https://www.dydo.co.jp/news/detail/20250421150000.html",
        "date": "2025-04-21",
        "evidence": "Operator says two-diaper packs sold in combined drink machines since October 2019.",
        "limit": "Specific operator offering; does not establish prefecture-wide variety."
      },
      {
        "operator": "DyDo / Osaka Metro",
        "example": "Diaper vending at Namba station",
        "place": "Namba station",
        "prefecture": "Osaka",
        "source_url": "https://www.dydo.co.jp/news/news_file/file/20220425_02.pdf",
        "date": "2022-04-25",
        "evidence": "Operator installation announcement.",
        "limit": "Historical installation; revisit before sending visitors there."
      },
      {
        "operator": "JR-Cross acure",
        "example": "Drinks from multiple brands in one machine",
        "place": "JR East station network",
        "prefecture": null,
        "source_url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/acure/corporate/",
        "date": null,
        "evidence": "Operator explains its multi-brand assortment.",
        "limit": "Network offering, not all Japanese vending."
      },
      {
        "operator": "Coca-Cola Japan",
        "example": "Disaster-support beverage machines",
        "place": "Wajima",
        "prefecture": "Ishikawa",
        "source_url": "https://www.coca-cola.com/jp/ja/media-center/line-up-vm",
        "date": "2007 earthquake example",
        "evidence": "Operator describes two machines providing 2,347 drinks over six days.",
        "limit": "Historical operator account; special equipment and activation required, not every machine."
      }
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "source_id": "jvma2025",
      "publisher": "Japan Vending System Manufacturers Association",
      "title": "Installed machines at 31 December 2025",
      "url": "https://www.jvma.or.jp/information/information_3.html",
      "scope_note": "Industry stock estimate; national, not prefecture; table separates vending and service machines.",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-08"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "japan_population",
      "publisher": "Statistics Bureau of Japan",
      "title": "Population estimates, May 2026 report",
      "url": "https://www.stat.go.jp/data/jinsui/pdf/202605.pdf",
      "scope_note": "December 2025 final population is on the 2020 census base.",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-08"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "us_vending2024",
      "publisher": "Automatic Merchandiser",
      "title": "State of the vending and micro market industry 2024",
      "url": "https://img.vendingmarketwatch.com/files/base/cygnus/vmw/document/2025/07/687819317ca221250ca0a124-sovi2025.pdf",
      "scope_note": "June/July 2025, chart 4 page 28 (PDF page 3). Operator survey estimate, not a government census. Sample size/uncertainty not stated in report.",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-08"
    },
    {
      "source_id": "us_population2024",
      "publisher": "US Census Bureau",
      "title": "The Fourth of July: 2025",
      "url": "https://cdn.www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2025/fourth-of-july.html",
      "scope_note": "July 1 2024 population, vintage 2024; subsequent vintages may revise it.",
      "retrieved_at": "2026-09-08"
    }
  ],
  "article_sources": [
    {
      "title": "Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan: hosting and servicing a machine",
      "url": "https://en.ccbji.co.jp/business/",
      "note": "Full-service ownership, host space and electricity, replenishment and empty-container collection."
    },
    {
      "title": "Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan: data in vending operations",
      "url": "https://www.ccbji.co.jp/blog/dx-ccbji/",
      "note": "Sales data, replenishment quantities, assortments and placement models. Operator account."
    },
    {
      "title": "DyDo Asahi Vending: route operations",
      "url": "https://www.dydo.co.jp/group/dav/",
      "note": "Restocking, expiry-date management and cleaning."
    },
    {
      "title": "DyDo: a route worker’s refill",
      "url": "https://www.dydo.co.jp/sp/corporate/3min/routesales/",
      "note": "Product loading, replacement of display samples and cleaning."
    },
    {
      "title": "acure: the station vending network",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/acure/",
      "note": "Station settings and the operator’s vending service."
    },
    {
      "title": "acure: multi-brand assortment",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/acure/corporate/",
      "note": "Drinks from multiple manufacturers."
    },
    {
      "title": "acure: From AQUA mineral water",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/products/2022/tanigawatennensui.html",
      "note": "Posted standard prices checked September 8, 2026: 550 ml ¥120; 300 ml ¥110, tax included."
    },
    {
      "title": "acure: Aomori apple juice price revision",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/release/pdf/afad6e293ea889b56be4a53f6890a6c75416712d.pdf",
      "note": "February 27, 2026 announcement: covered 100% juice products rise from ¥200 to ¥220 including tax, phased in by April 1. Meigetsu excluded."
    },
    {
      "title": "Cantaloupe: Micropayment Trends 2026",
      "url": "https://www.cantaloupe.com/resource-center/micropayment-trends-report-2026/",
      "note": "2025 vending transaction and payment observations from its network. Not a like-for-like drink price survey."
    },
    {
      "title": "Suntory: vending cooling and heating systems",
      "url": "https://www.suntory.co.jp/group/sbs/business/vending/suntory/",
      "note": "Selective cooling/heating, heat recovery and insulation."
    },
    {
      "title": "Suntory: cashless machines",
      "url": "https://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/jihanki/vending-machine/cashless/index.html",
      "note": "Electronic payment options; support depends on the machine."
    },
    {
      "title": "Suntory: Jihanpi nationwide rollout",
      "url": "https://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/news/pr/article/SBF1568.html",
      "note": "App-enabled vending rollout beginning March 2025."
    },
    {
      "title": "acure: sundubu soup",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/products/sonota/sundubu.html",
      "note": "Product ingredients and description."
    },
    {
      "title": "DyDo: Namba station diaper-and-drink installation",
      "url": "https://www.dydo.co.jp/news/news_file/file/20220425_02.pdf",
      "note": "April 2022 installation announcement."
    },
    {
      "title": "Sanden: Dohiemon product catalog",
      "url": "https://www.sanden-rs.com/product/sprati00000023d7-att/catalog_dohiemon_2025.pdf",
      "note": "Frozen-food vending equipment, 2025 catalog."
    },
    {
      "title": "DyDo: handling goods beyond drinks",
      "url": "https://www.dydo.co.jp/jihankiconsul/recommend/collaboration/",
      "note": "Storage, delivery and packaging differences for non-drink products."
    },
    {
      "title": "Suntory: office and factory installations",
      "url": "https://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/jihanki/solution/voice/index.html",
      "note": "Workplace examples, including factories without cafeterias or shops."
    },
    {
      "title": "Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan: Expo Park installation",
      "url": "https://en.ccbji.co.jp/news/detail.php?id=1371",
      "note": "A documented park installation announced in December 2022."
    },
    {
      "title": "DyDo: Hokuriku Gakuin University installation",
      "url": "https://info.dydo.co.jp/jihankiconsul/casestudy/s56",
      "note": "A documented campus machine supporting children’s cafeterias."
    }
  ],
  "location_graphic_method": "Six documented types of setting; illustrative layout, no location shares inferred.",
  "price_examples": [
    {
      "product": "From AQUA mineral water",
      "size": "550 ml",
      "price": 120,
      "currency": "JPY",
      "tax_included": true,
      "basis": "Posted standard price",
      "checked": "2026-09-08",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/products/2022/tanigawatennensui.html"
    },
    {
      "product": "Covered Aomori 100% apple juice products, excluding Meigetsu",
      "price": 220,
      "currency": "JPY",
      "tax_included": true,
      "basis": "2026-02-27 price revision, phased in by 2026-04-01",
      "url": "https://www.acure-fun.net/release/pdf/afad6e293ea889b56be4a53f6890a6c75416712d.pdf"
    }
  ]
}