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On a recent trip to the US, one of our Japanese reporters, Yoshio, heard about an unusual vending machine that serves up ice cream. Excited to see how the icy treats would be delivered, our reporter made a beeline for the machine’s nearest location: the local Walmart. We filmed the machine in action and got his take on the automated ice cream experience first-hand.

As he approached the machine, Yoshio’s hopes began to build, thanks to the attractive design and the invitation to “taste it and love it!” Taking a closer look, it reminded him of the popular claw crane games at Japanese arcades. Only here, there were no stuffed toys behind the glass; the only prize today would be a tub of delicious ice cream! He popped the money into the slot and stood back to take it all in.

While initially impressed by the freezer inside and the mechanism involved in passing the dessert from machine to person, our reporter commented that a soft serve delivery into a cone would make for an even better visual vending experience. Now that’s one vending machine we would definitely pay to use!
[ Read in Japanese ]