This Photo Zine Showcases the Ubiquitous Vending Machines of Japan

Last Updated on 01/10/2019 by Joy Celine Asto

This project could be a nice addition to photo zine collectors who are also fans of all things Japan.

Attention, photo zine collectors! If you’re fond of projects that are set in the eye-catching streets of Japan, here’s one you might want to support. Perth-based Natalie Blom is putting together a Vending Machines of Japan zine, which highlights the vending machines dotting virtually every corner in the country.

In the Kickstarter campaign for the project, Blom shares that the photos were from her strolls around Tokyo, Yokohama, Matsumoto, Kanasawa, Kyoto, Koya-San, Osaka, and Nara. While the prevalence of vending machines in Japan is something that is considered common knowledge these days, it wasn’t until this trip that she truly understood what it was like.

“Walking the streets of Tokyo, I would play a game where I would try to find places where a vending machine was not within a line of sight, which was not very frequent,” she added. “Amongst our adventures discovering Japanese culture, I capture frames and frames of images of vending machines we passed, often in unusual places — at the top of a mountain after a long hike, in the grounds of a centuries old castle.”

The photos eventually sparked the idea to make a zine about these ever-present machines across Japan. While many of us are aware that the vending machine is now a staple of Japanese street scenes and culture, it would indeed be interesting to see how they add character to the most unusual locations outside cities.

The Kickstarter campaign for the Vending Machines of Japan zine runs until February 18, so there are lots of time to get the word out to your fellow zine collectors and pledge your support. Check it out here to find out more and pledge at least AU$ 12 (about $8) to secure your copy.

All images by Natalie Blom via Kickstarter