The future is here, with Japan’s first stationery IoT vending machine.

If you’re looking to do a spot of last-minute souvenir shopping before you leave the country, Haneda Airport has you covered with a number of vending machines ready to serve your needs.

Our latest discovery is one of the best we’ve seen, because this humble vending machine sells Japanese stationery from popular brand Kokuyo. It can be found inside the Kokuyu Doors store on the second floor of Haneda Airport Garden, a commercial facility directly connected to Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3, where international arrivals and departures are located.

The vending machine is larger than most, and next to it is a sign that reads: “Japan’s first stationery IoT vending machine“. IoT, or “Internet of Things” is a relatively new development in the world of vending machines, enabling them to better track and manage inventory and process rapid, secure credit and debit transactions.

▼ No cash at this machine — electronic transactions only.

The screen on the vending machine displays all the many products on offer, which are mostly sold in sets like the “Mania Set”, filled with items like notebooks and glue tape, and the “Special Box”, which costs 2,000 yen (US$13.21).

The one that caught our attention was a set called “Secret”, which was branded with a question mark on the screen and the description: “A secret set filled with Kokuyo’s unique stationery“.

▼ This set was available in 2,000 yen, 5,000 yen, and children’s versions, but we settled on the 2,000 yen variety.

After we completed our card payment for the set, a video of what looked to be a stationery factory appeared on the monitor, giving us the impression that our products were fresh off the conveyor belt.

▼ When our set was ready, it appeared in a paper bag, perfectly positioned as if a person had carefully placed it there.

▼ So what was inside our Secret Set?

It contained the following items:

  • Sketchbook
  • Soft ring memo pad
  • Black ballpoint pen
  • Marking pen
  • Stapler
  • Correction tape
  • Keyring
  • Stickers
  • 5 percent off coupon for in-store use

▼ Cute designs in pastel colours, and all incredibly useful.

Kokuyo is known for its high quality products, and the first items we tried didn’t disappoint, with the pen and memo pad feeling wonderfully smooth and easy to write on.

▼ The first word we wrote was dedicated to our Japanese-language sister site, Pouch.

The stapler and correction tape were compact yet highly functional, and easy to store in a pencil case.

Our new stationery haul inspired us to put down our smartphones and spend a moment putting pen to paper, which helped to clear the mind and remind us of the joy and satisfaction that comes from taking physical notes as opposed to typing on a screen.

It was also a great reminder that Japanese stationery is a great souvenir to take home or gift to a loved one, but there is one thing to note if you plan to make a purchase at this machine and that’s the business hours, as it’s only in operation while Haneda Garden is open, from 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For more last-minute shopping ideas at Haneda, don’t forget there’s a vending machine that sells cotton candy and another one that sells cute cakes resembling onigiri rice balls!

Related: Kokuyo, Haneda Airport Garden
Photos © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!