Vending
Green tea vending machine includes a Japanese puppet show
December 8, 2020
Leave it to the Japanese to combine a puppet show with a vending machine.
The Oi Ocha Karakuri Machine at Haneda Airport offers Oi Ocha bottled green tea, as well as a puppet show demonstrating how the brand's signature brew is made, according to a timeout.com report. The machine, provided by Itoen, a green tea brand, uses a concealed mechanism called karakuri developed in the 17th century for making mechanical dolls.
As soon as the customer inserts ¥160 ($1.43) and pushes the button below the screen, the puppets start to move and green tea fairy Ryokumaru leads the customer through the tea production process. A video shows how the tea leaves are picked, rolled, dried, roasted and processed before brewing. A doll carrying a cup of tea rushes toward the machine's vending slot and the bottle of freshly made tea is dispensed.
The bottle features traditional Japanese illustrations set against the backdrop of Tokyo's modern city scape.
The machine is located in the departure lobby on the second floor of Terminal 1 in front of the security checkpoint.
