Japanese bear meat vending machine becomes huge hit

In the 1880s, vending machines were used to dispense postcards. Eventually, it shifted to packaged food items. But Japan has recently installed a vending machine that sells fresh bear meat. It has become an unlikely hit, as it sells the meat for $16.50 per 250 g to passengers arriving at a nearby railway station in Semboku town. It has also received requests for mail order deliveries from places as far as 400 km away in Tokyo.

As per the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper, the vendors stock the machine with a locally killed wild bear, a mixture of lean and fatty meat, The Guardian reported. A local hunting club legally kills a permitted amount of mountain bears, which later get stocked in the machine. The machine came into existence after a local restaurant Soba Goro grabbed the chance to attract tourists with ursine cuisine.

Northern Japan has a high consumption of beat meat. Canned bear meat and instant curry are frequently purchased grocery items in such areas. Bear meat is said to have a wild and distinct flavour. People in Japan often serve meat with stew. A Soba Goro spokesperson stated, "Bear meat tastes clean, and it doesn’t get tough."

Japan's vending machines are famous for selling a myriad of edible products, from coffee and hamburgers to insects. Japan Vending Machine Association reported that the number of machines peaked at 5.6 million in 2000. However, it has declined to over 4 million by 2020. Interestingly, Japan has the largest number of vending machines per capita in the world.

The interaction between bears and humans does not confine to the dinner table. In recent years, the number of bear encounters has increased to over 20,000 in 2020. According to the environment ministry, two people were killed and 158 injured in bear attacks in 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)

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