All signs point to a hungry spirit desperate for a bowl of hot noodles.
Japan is famous around the world for its vending machines, which commonly dispense a wide variety of beverages and canned soups on almost every street corner around the country. And if you’re hungry for a meal, Japanese vending machines have you covered too, offering fruit and hot meals for your convenience at any time of the day or night.
Sometimes, though, vending machines seem to have a mind of their own, making us wonder if they’re possessed or simply being operated by someone from the spirit world. That’s when they’re so eager to please that sometimes they don’t know how to stop themselves…quite literally, if this video is anything to go by.
▼ “Yesterday I went to this udon noodle vending machine in the dead of night and panicked when I encountered this strange phenomenon.”
https://twitter.com/yy5u6aru8668/status/1053880536203063297The video above was filmed by Japanese Twitter user @yy5u6aru8668, who said they came across the scene at 3 in the morning. Everything about the clip is eerie, from the lighting to the gently swaying piece of plastic in the foreground (is that an udon noodle? what on Earth is that all about?) and it’s something we definitely wouldn’t want to see on our own in the middle of the night. Then, bowl after bowl of freshly made udon noodles comes tumbling out of the machine, one after the other, falling onto a green mat placed there to mop up small drips, not major spillages like this one.
With Halloween less than a week away, Twitter users were quick to react to the spooky video, giving it thousands of likes and retweets, and leaving comments like:
“It’s ALIVE!!!”
“This must be the work of a poltergeist.”
“Maybe it’s AI, trying to persuade you to eat udon.”
“It might be a malfunction, but it’s creepy all the same.”
“This is like a dream come true! You should’ve gone in and grabbed yourself some free all-you-can-eat udon!”
To their credit, the uploader of the video says they didn’t want to touch the noodles because they hadn’t paid for them. But it’s probably best they didn’t interfere with what was going on — after all, nobody wants to get in between a hungry spirit and their udon vending machine.
Source: Twitter/@yy5u6aru8668 via Jin115
Images: Twitter/@yy5u6aru8668


Retro noodle soup vending machine is immortalized in an udon soup-flavored pound cake
Our reporters Mr. Sato and Yoshio go chasing their youths at a noodle vending machine 【Pictures】
Vending machine noodle ice cream: A retro icon in Japan brings joy to a new generation
Japanese vending machine mecca: Around 100 rare retro machines await you at this unusual location
Retro vending machine corner is a hidden gem in the Japanese countryside
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Can a downtown Tokyo super sento bathhouse beat a hotel for a one-night stay?
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Fading Tokyo – Searching for signs of the Showa era as local neighborhoods evolve[Photos]
Japan’s full-facemask Ninja Parka still lets you eat ice cream[Photos]
One Piece and music lovers can now add Brook’s iconic Shark Guitar to their collections!
Perfectly recreated 1960s Japanese apartment lets museum visitors go back to mid-Showa era【Pics】
Totoro Fund line of beautiful artwork and apparel lets you help the real-world Totoro Forest
Sailor Moon’s Artemis is part of the Artemis II NASA mission control team[Video]
Tokyo’s best museum for foreign travelers finally reopens after being closed for four years
Pokémon lacquerware series expands for Year of the Horse with new handcrafted design[Video]
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
Tokyo subway and almost all Tokyo train lines now accepting credit card tap payments
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
Studio Ghibli adds new My Neighbour Totoro 2026 Corn Gift to its anime store for Mother’s Day
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Shake Udon one-hand takeout bukkake noodle cups look to shake udon eating in Japan【Taste test】
Ramen vending machine in Tokyo satisfies noodle and gyoza cravings at any time of day or night
Ramen vending machine brings a new noodle stand experience to Tokyo station
Japan’s new ramen vending machine cooks noodles in just 90 seconds, serves four different types
Do cold noodles from a Japanese vending machine fill us with joy or regret?
World’s first real ramen in a can now available at Japanese vending machines
Bottles containing flying fish now available from Japanese vending machines in Tokyo
Taste-testing Tokyo’s 100-times spicy, and sweatiest, udon noodles【Photos, video】
Some of Japan’s most iconic vending machines will soon be no more
Our reporter finally tried vending machine ramen, and his life is changed forever
Japanese origami vending machine makes news around the country
Japanese udon noodles mascot character imitates Banksy by shredding itself in a painting
Japanese udon noodle-flavor tortilla chips are the latest delicious way to multi-task snack
Limited-edition Carbonara Udon will anger noodle purists and pasta lovers 【Taste test】
Weird Japanese vending machine art installation has us sweaty, disturbed