How to Use Vending Machines in Japan: Payment Methods and Fun Machines to Try

As you travel around Japan, you’ll see vending machines almost everywhere — on train platforms, near hotels, at tourist spots, and on street corners.

They’re convenient when you want a drink right away, but if it’s your first time using one in Japan, you may wonder:

“Which coins and bills can I use?”

“Can I pay with Suica or a credit card?”

“How do I actually use one?”

The short answer is: Japanese drink vending machines are not difficult to use, even if it’s your first time.

That’s basically it.

But vending machines in Japan can also be a little more interesting than you might expect.

You may even come across a few that are worth trying just for the experience.

There are vending machines at the summit of Mt. Fuji, too!

In this guide, I’ll walk you through what you need to know when using vending machines during your trip to Japan.

Japanese drink vending machines are simple to use

According to the Japan Soft Drink Association, Japan has about 2 million soft drink vending machines.

You’ll find them not only at stations and on city streets, but also in parks, hospitals, schools, offices, and many other places.

The best thing about vending machines is simple:

you can buy a drink immediately without going into a store.

Need water on a hot day?

Want some tea on the way back to your hotel?

Feel like a hot coffee on a cold winter morning?

That’s exactly when a vending machine comes in handy.

One thing to remember: if a vending machine is inside a building, you may not be able to use it after that building closes.

A vending machine is not automatically available 24 hours a day just because it’s a vending machine.

With a Japanese drink vending machine, all you really need to check is the drink you want, the price, and how you can pay.

How to buy a drink with cash

Let’s start with cash.

On a typical drink vending machine, the steps are simple.

On some machines, the buttons for drinks you can buy light up after you insert your money.

Press the button for the drink you want, and it will drop into the dispenser below.

There’s nothing complicated about it.

Which coins and bills can you use?

On a typical Japanese drink vending machine, you can generally use:

For example, standard Coca-Cola vending machines in Japan also accept this combination.

On the other hand:

are not accepted by a typical drink vending machine.

Can you use Suica or PASMO?

If the vending machine accepts transportation IC cards, you can use Suica, PASMO, and other supported cards.

Not every vending machine supports them.

Take a look at the payment area first.

If you see the logo for Suica or another transportation IC card, that payment method is supported.

The exact steps vary a little depending on the payment terminal.

For example, on a machine where you need to select the type of electronic money first:

That’s the basic flow.

Other machines do not require you to select an electronic payment method first — you can simply tap your IC card.

So if:

“I tapped my Suica, but nothing happened.”

check not only for the transportation IC logo, but also:

whether you need to press a payment-method button first.

Some vending machines also accept credit cards and QR payments

Cashless vending machines are not limited to transportation IC cards.

Depending on the machine, you may be able to use:

The available payment methods vary from machine to machine.

Check the logos shown on the payment panel to see what that particular machine accepts.

Check the HOT, COLD, 売切, and 準備中 labels

Before choosing a drink from a Japanese vending machine, take a quick look at the labels.

These are especially useful to know:

In winter, make sure you don’t mix up HOT and COLD

In colder months, the same vending machine may sell both cold and hot drinks side by side.

Before choosing, look for:

HOT (red label)

COLD (blue label)

In winter, you’ll often see hot canned coffee, tea, milk tea, and other warm drinks.

You don’t want to think you’re buying a hot coffee and end up with a cold one instead.

Check the HOT or COLD label before you press the button.

売切 means SOLD OUT

売切 means SOLD OUT.

If you see 売切 on or near a product button, you cannot buy that item at that moment.

Choose another drink or look for another vending machine nearby.

You also can’t buy a drink marked 準備中

A recently restocked drink may sometimes be marked:

準備中

This means the item is temporarily unavailable.

You cannot buy that item while 準備中 is displayed, even if you insert money.

There’s no way to know exactly when it will become available, so if you’re in a hurry, it’s faster to use another vending machine.

Green tea in Japan is usually unsweetened

Most regular green tea sold in Japanese vending machines is unsweetened, with no sugar added.

If you’re used to sweetened green tea in your home country, this is worth remembering.

If you want something sweet, check the product name and label before you buy it.

Coke ON vending machines can connect to your smartphone

Coke ON-compatible vending machines are very common in Japan.

And not just in big cities.

You may find yourself thinking:

“Even a vending machine way out here supports Coke ON?”

They’re common in surprisingly rural places too.

Coke ON is not simply a way to buy a drink with your smartphone.

Coca-Cola has been turning its vending machines into a sales network connected to smartphones.

It feels like a very Coca-Cola-style strategy for a company that has built such a huge vending-machine network across Japan.

Coke ON is Coca-Cola’s official smartphone app.

You use it by connecting your phone to a compatible vending machine.

One of Coke ON’s main features is its stamp system.

If you buy a drink while your app is connected to a compatible machine, you earn a stamp. Collect 15 stamps and you get one drink ticket for a free drink.

You can still earn stamps when paying with cash or electronic money, as long as your app is connected to the vending machine.

And if the machine supports Coke ON Pay, you can also buy a drink using the payment method registered in the app.

You can find Coke ON machines in the app

The Coke ON app includes a vending machine map.

If you want to try Coke ON while you’re in Japan, you can use the map to find a compatible machine.

Some compatible vending machines — especially those inside buildings — may not appear in the search results.

The official Coke ON website and app are also available in English.

Visit the official Coke ON website

You don’t need Coke ON for a short trip

Of course:

You do not need Coke ON to use vending machines in Japan.

You can buy drinks normally with cash or with whatever cashless payment methods that particular machine supports.

If you’re only in Japan for a few days and will use vending machines a handful of times, there’s no real need to install Coke ON.

If you expect to use Coca-Cola vending machines often during your trip, however, installing the app lets you collect stamps.

Interesting vending machines to look for during your trip

Japan also has vending machines that sell things other than drinks, as well as machines with unusual functions.

If you see one that makes you think:

“You can buy that from a vending machine too?”

it can be fun to give it a try.

Here are a few vending machines worth looking out for during your trip.

17 ICE: buy ice cream from a vending machine

One machine you’ll often see at stations and commercial facilities is:

Glico’s 17 ICE.

17 ICE is an ice cream brand sold through dedicated vending machines.

You’ll find stick-style ice cream, cones, and other options that you can buy and eat on the spot.

You may see these machines at stations, shopping facilities, leisure facilities, and similar places.

The official website also has a 17 ICE MAP that helps you find nearby machines.

The colorful dedicated machines look completely different from a regular drink vending machine.

Visit the official 17 ICE website

You can still find cup noodle vending machines on ferries

In Japan, vending machines are sometimes installed inside vehicles and ships too.

One slightly retro example is:

the cup noodle vending machine.

And this is not just something from the past.

For example, Shin Nihonkai Ferry’s Suzuran and Suisen currently have:

cup noodle vending machines and hot-water dispensers.

If you’re taking a long-distance ferry, have a look around the ship.

Some ferries have vending machines not only for drinks, but also for ice cream and food.

Buying cup noodles from a vending machine and eating them onboard at night is one of those small experiences that feels very much like a long-distance ferry trip in Japan.

There are vending machines at the summit of Mt. Fuji

One place that really makes you think, “Japan has vending machines even here,” is Mt. Fuji.

There are drink vending machines at the Fifth Station.

And during the climbing season, you can even find drink vending machines at the summit of Mt. Fuji.

The conditions up there are completely different from those in town.

Everything has to be transported up the mountain, so prices are much higher than at street-level vending machines.

That said:

this does not mean you can skip carrying water because “I’ll just buy some at the top.”

If you’re climbing Mt. Fuji, prepare the water you need before you start.

Do not rely on the summit vending machines as your main source of hydration. Use them only as a backup if you run short.

There are also tax-free vending machines for international visitors

There are also vending machines designed for international visitors that can complete Tax-Free procedures automatically.

Japan has a system called:

自動販売機型輸出物品販売場.

Under this system, approved vending machines that meet government requirements can complete tax-free sales procedures without a staff member handling the process.

Unlike an ordinary drink vending machine, the machine checks whether the buyer is eligible for Tax-Free shopping and completes the required steps automatically.

The verification uses facial recognition and a passport.

Not every vending machine in Japan is Tax-Free.

Only specially approved vending machines that support the Tax-Free system qualify.

Japan’s Tax-Free system will also change to a refund system from November 1, 2026.

From November 1, 2026, shoppers will first pay the tax-inclusive price. After customs confirms that the goods are leaving Japan at departure, the amount equivalent to the consumption tax will be refunded.

Alcohol and tobacco vending machines are much less common than they used to be

Japan still has some vending machines that sell alcohol and tobacco, but there are far fewer than there used to be.

According to Japan’s National Tax Agency, there were 8,521 alcohol vending machines nationwide as of April 1, 2025, down sharply from 185,829 in 1996.

International visitors, just like everyone else in Japan, must be at least 20 years old to buy alcohol or tobacco.

Tobacco vending machines require age verification, so they are not a practical option for most short-term international visitors.

If you want to buy alcohol or tobacco, use a convenience store instead.

The box beside a vending machine is not a general trash can

After you finish your drink, you may wonder:

“Where do I put the empty bottle or can?”

You’ll sometimes see a collection box next to a vending machine.

But:

this is not a general trash can.

It is a recycling box for empty drink containers.

These are the kinds of drink containers the box is meant for.

It is not a place for:

Do not put a container in the box if there is still drink left inside.

If there is no recycling box nearby, do not leave the container on the street. Keep it with you until you find somewhere appropriate to dispose of it.

If your drink or change doesn’t come out, check the sticker on the machine

Occasionally, something goes wrong with a vending machine.

For example:

“I put money in, but the drink didn’t come out.”

“My change didn’t come out.”

“My money got stuck.”

If that happens, check the front of the vending machine.

There should be a sticker with the vending machine operator or contact information.

If your drink or change does not come out, contact the number shown on the sticker.

If possible, check:

Having those details ready will make it easier to explain the problem.

It’s also useful to know that some vending machines display their address

There’s one more label on Japanese drink vending machines that can be useful while traveling.

Some outdoor vending machines have:

a sticker showing the address of the location where the machine is installed.

If you ever find yourself thinking:

“I don’t know exactly where I am.”

or if you need to tell the police on 110 or an ambulance/fire dispatcher on 119 where you are, the address sticker can help you identify your location.

If you use vending machines in Japan, remember these basics

Here’s the short version.

You can use a typical Japanese drink vending machine in this order:

If the vending machine accepts Suica or another IC card, you can simply tap to pay.

If it does not, use cash. Keep a ¥1,000 bill or some coins with you.

You do not need Coke ON for a short trip.

Once you’re comfortable with regular drink vending machines, look out for 17 ICE, tax-free vending machines, cup noodle vending machines, and other unusual examples.

By the way, when I visited Poland, I used a vending machine at the bus terminal in Kraków.

Unlike the vending machines I’m used to in Japan, it had a coin slot where you inserted the coin from the front and let it drop down. I still remember being a little surprised by it.

Even something as simple as a vending machine can be different from one country to another. That’s part of what makes travel interesting.