Where vending machines linger at every bend in the road

Along a narrow road crossing over a mountain, between one village and the next, a single vending machine stands where hardly anyone passes. Japan's jihanki — drink vending machines — number around 4 million, giving the country the highest per-capita density in the world. In cities, it is common to see two or three on a single block; in mountain areas or beside rice fields, a lone machine is a familiar sight.

Inside the same machine, the row marked with a red strip at the top dispenses warm cans, while the row marked with a blue strip below offers cold ones — and with the seasons, the drinks inside change almost completely. This landscape took hold in the 1960s, as unattended roadside sales became widespread. At night, the small light left on around the clock can also mark a dark road. In some countries, vending machines remain around stations and schools. In Japan, they linger at the bends in the road.