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Vending machines are ubiquitous in Japan. You’ll find them on most street corners, outside office blocks, lined up at bus stops, and even on the top of Mount Fuji. Prices vary, but the lowest you’ll find in Tokyo is usually the ‘one coin’ machines where everything costs just 100 yen (US$0.98). How can they sell them so cheap? Are they actually profitable? The answer is yes, and many ordinary business-minded folks are taking advantage of the opportunities they offer to put away a nice chunk of cash each month.
Tokyo’s selection as the site of the 2020 Olympics seems to have put all of Japan in a good mood. Economic analysts wondered if this optimism would carry over into the investment world, and indeed a modest market-wide rally seems to be building.
One corporation caught up in the surge, however, saw its entire stock price increase wiped out in less than an hour, with some saying the fluctuation was caused by its name.
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