Steampunk vending machines appear in Japan, and here’s how to find them

Two unusual machines look like they’re powered by steam and wood.

If you’ve been living all your life in Japan like our reporter Mr Sato, vending machines tend to blend into the landscape, appearing on street corners with the same kind of look… and the same sort of drinks inside them. So when Mr Sato came across a vending machine on social media that made him stop and zoom in, he found himself filled with a strange urge to check it out, because… well, it had a steampunk design that made it look like it was built in the 19th century.

Doing some further research, he found there were actually two of these steampunk vending machines in Japan, and they were both in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture, with one near Yomiuriland-mae Station on the Odakyu Line, and one near Noborito Station.

▼ So he headed first to Yomiuriland-mae Station to begin his steampunk journey.

This was Mr Sato’s first time heading out with the sole purpose of finding a vending machine, and as he walked from the station to find it, he realised that unlike stores, these machines can be trickier to find as they often don’t have an exact address.

For the first machine, the only point of guidance was the fact that it was near “Cafe do Shuro”, and as he approached it, he came across a signboard stating that the cafe was 30 seconds away.

Following the directions, he arrived at what looked to be an old renovated house. The exterior didn’t give off any steampunk vibes, so he looked around and found a vending machine tucked around the corner.

▼ However, this wasn’t the steampunk machine he’d come for.

Still, it was cute and the contents were rather unusual too, as the only products available were 200-gram (7-ounce) bags of coffee beans and a “Transside Coffee” mug.

While he was slightly disappointed to not find what he’d been looking for, Mr Sato needed some time to regather his thoughts so he decided to stop at the cafe for a cup of Joe. Inside, he found the interior was far more charming than the exterior suggested, with a piano at the back, seating on the terrace and a fireplace on the first floor. Upstairs, the main seating area had large speakers and a record player, and the bookshelves were lined with books, creating a relaxed, casual vibe.

▼ Mr Sato ordered a gateau chocolat (780 yen [US$5.31]) and a coffee (650 yen, 100 yen off with a cake set).

Curious to taste the Transside Coffee, Mr Sato took a sip and was immediately hooked by how delicious it was. With a clean, crisp mouthfeel, and a slightly gritty aftertaste, this was exactly his kind of flavour. The bitterness had depth, and the taste and aroma lingered after drinking, with a long, rich finish like a fine wine. As the hot liquid went down his throat and into his stomach, Mr Sato felt his mood settle as a calmness washed over him.

When he popped a piece of gateau chocolat into his mouth, the sweetness spread like rain soaking into parched earth, flipping the flavour profile on his tongue like a single white stone turning over a board dominated by black in the game of Othello. The pairing of coffee and gateau chocolat was dangerously good, seducing him into a reverie that made it hard for him to leave.

Flicking through his phone, Mr Sato then made the discovery that he’d gone in the wrong direction for the machine — while this was a related site, as all the machines sell Transside Coffee, the steampunk vending machine was a seven-minute walk away, and on the other side of the station, at a place called Shurotei (棕櫚亭).

▼ So he walked back to the station…

▼ … and crossed the tracks, before taking a shortcut along a path next to McDonald’s.

Although the river looked large on the map, it turned out to be tiny, with an equally small bridge taking him over to the other side.

▼ As soon as he crossed over, he spotted his destination, with the word “Shuro” welcoming him.

Although he couldn’t see the vending machine at first, it didn’t take him long to find it around the corner, sitting there in a spot that looked like a movie set.

The silver body had just the right amount of aging, with the clever paint job giving it a sense of history that made it look significantly older than its age.

Even the setup around the machine had been carefully thought-out, with the casually placed firewood next to it looking like fuel.

You’d be forgiven for thinking you might have to toss some firewood into the hatch to operate the machine, especially as  there are no detailed explanations for how to operate it.

Just looking at it sparks up the imagination, transporting you back in time to a steam-filled world, and the yellow lights inside the front frame fits the scene perfectly.

▼ The lights would make the machine look particularly enchanting at night.

Like the first vending machine he visited, this one contains coffee beans and mugs, but the question was…how was he meant to get to them?

▼ Was he meant to turn this handle?

Fiddling with the knobs and handles, Mr Sato discovered that most of them were inoperable, but one little round door opened up to reveal…

▼ …paper bags for taking your coffee home with you!

This secret door was a brilliant touch, and since he would be buying beans, he took one of the bags out for his purchase.

With the machine looking so old, Mr Sato wasn’t sure if it would actually work, but when he popped his money into it, the display lit up, putting a huge grin on his face.

With the bottom buttons reserved for mug purchases, Mr Sato pressed one of the green lamps…

▼ …and out clunked his bag of beans, packaged in a Ziploc bag for freshness.

Mr Sato almost squealed in delight at his purchase — it’d been a long time since he’d had this much fun at a vending machine — and after taking a quick look online to find out more about it, he was surprised to learn that the machines were designed and produced by Hiroaki Kameyama of Atelier Darel, an interior design and space production company.

Kameyama is an award-winning designer who’s worked on TV dramas and films like Masquerade Hotel and The Confidence Man JP: Princess, and his skill is clearly evident in these vending machines, which act as wondrous works of functional art.

▼ Next stop, Noborito Station.

The second steampunk vending machine is about a three-minute walk from the station, right under the sign for Noborito Golden Gai (“登戸ゴールデン街”), a retro-style restaurant building with an interior designed by Kameyama.

▼ The second machine is just as eye-catching, with a slightly more vintage look.

▼ Covered in rusty hues, it looks like it’s been around for a hundred years.

You can clearly imagine black smoke billowing from the chimneys, fueled by firewood in the hatch beneath.

At the base is a contraption that looks like a stove, with what appears to be a coffee grinder attached above it. Everything is so well designed that the features blend together seamlessly, revealing hidden surprises as you stop to take a closer look.

▼ This machine also has a handle, appealing to our human nature to turn it.

▼ The paper bags for coffee are here too, behind this secret door.

The pipes, meters, and valves probably serve no real purpose, but somehow they look like they do.

The lineup is the same here — beans and mugs — and if you look closely, you’ll see the history of Transside Coffee posted inside.

The sign reads:

“What are Transside direct-fire roasted coffee beans?

The year was 1995, and a platypus built a teeny-tiny coffee roasting factory near a river, where he roasted coffee day after day. Finally, the platypus created a blend of coffee centered around Brazilian beans, calling the deep-roast Transside Coffee. Its addictive, strong bitter taste made it well-known and beloved by many people, and artisans have inherited that tradition, continuing to deliver the same taste and smiles to everyone today. You can enjoy the rich aroma for one month after roasting by storing the beans as is. Enjoy this special taste in the comfort of your own home.”

Mr Sato was totally enchanted by the story of this coffee, which began with a tiny platypus by the river and grew to be sold in steampunk vending machines today.

Having fallen in love with the blend when he first tasted it inside the cafe, Mr Sato took his batch home and found that the direct-fire roasted beans were dark and glossy.

▼ Pouring hot water over the freshly ground beans…

▼ … they bloomed up incredibly nicely, which is a good sign of fresh beans.

Although these were the same beans used in the cafe, the coffee Mr Sato made with them tasted slightly different. They were still delicious but lacked a professional’s touch.

Although he still has a way to go to acquire the coffee-making skills of Transside’s platypus, now that Mr Sato knows how good the beans are, and where to find them, he’ll definitely be making the trip out to try them again. Not only are the vending machines impressive, the flavour of the beans will surprise you too, and Mr Sato highly recommends trying them if you can, perhaps while visiting the region’s hidden onsen hot spring.

Cafe information
Café do Shuro / カフェ・ド・シュロ
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Tama-ku, Nishi-Ikuta 1-20-1
神奈川県川崎市多摩区西生田1-20-1
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekdays; 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekends and public holidays (meals from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.)
Closed: Tuesdays

Vending Machine information
Shurotei / 棕櫚亭
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Tama-ku, Nishi-Ikuta 3-9-9
神奈川県川崎市多摩区西生田3-9-9

Transside Coffee / トランサイド珈琲
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Tama-ku, Noborito, 2432-1, Bluewater Building
神奈川県川崎市多摩区登戸2432-1 ブルーウォータービルディング

Related: Instagram/@cafe_do_shuro.2009,  Instagram/@transside_coffee, Atelier Darrell, Transside Coffee
Photos © SoraNews24
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