From 誤った eyelashes in Newcastle to hats for cats in Japan and fizz in Florida - are these the world's weirdest vending machines?

By Katrina Conaglen

Published: | Updated:

The first vending machine was built in the first century of the Roman Empire, by engineer Hero of Alexandria: he made a 装置 that 受託するd a coin and in return dispensed ワイン and 宗教上の water.

The more modern incarnation of vending machines was a British 発明, developed by Percival Everitt in?London in 1883 - a coin-operated machine to dispense postcards in 鉄道 駅／配置するs.

Now, they’re a ubiquitous part of the modern world.?

And their uses have become ますます ingenious, as we 明らかにする／漏らす here in this 一連の会議、交渉／完成する-up of the world's quirkiest vending machines, which dispense items from gold bullion to burgers.

JAPAN?

Cat in the hat automat: In Japan, vending machines dispense small hats for cats. Many of these machines bear the label ‘Item dispensed does not include the cat pictured’

Cat in the hat automat: In Japan, vending machines di spense small hats for cats. Many of these machines 耐える the label ‘Item dispensed does not 含む the cat pictured’

The spiritual home of 半端物 vending machines has to be Japan?- the country has four million vending machines, one for every 31 people.?

There, you can tap a debit card and walk away with umbrellas, 関係, white salaryman shirts, origami, lettuce, canned bread, 商売／仕事 cards or - a 特に adorable thought - small knitted hats for cats.

Many of these machines 耐える the legend: 'Item dispensed does not 含む the cat pictured.'

Hungry for more?

There are also?Cake in a Can vending machines, 最高潮の場面d by?Instagram and TikTok 星／主役にする Maz Green?@wheretofindme, who told MailOnline Travel the cakes were 'genuinely delicious'.

Maz Green (above) found a vending machine that dispenses cakes in cans in the Adores Shibuya arcade in Tokyo

Maz Green (above) 設立する a vending machine that dispenses cakes in cans in the Adores Shibuya arcade in Tokyo

Maz said the tinned cakes cost between £5.30 and £6
Maz said that her favourite tinned cake was the strawberry shortcake

Maz said that her favourite tinned cake was the strawberry shortcake (権利). She said the tinned cakes cost between £5.30 and £6

Maz discovered the machine in the Adores Shibuya arcade in Tokyo.?

She explained that the tinned cakes it 申し込む／申し出s cost between £5.30/$6.60 (1,000 Yen) and £6.00/$7.50 (1,145 Yen) that the 質 all 一連の会議、交渉／完成する was 'good', but that the strawberry shortcake was her favourite.?

In an Instagram clip, Maz can be seen buying the dessert and 明らかにする／漏らすing how it’s made from ‘soft whipped cream, vanilla sponge and Hokkaido strawberries’.

More 議論の的になる is a machine 開始する，打ち上げるd by the Kujira (鯨) 蓄える／店 in Yokohama 近づく Tokyo, where the company uses vending machines to dispense 鯨 sashimi, 鯨 bacon, and 鯨 steak.?

An employee checking the inside of the Kujira canned whale vending machine in Yokohama, near Tokyo, which dispenses whale sashimi, bacon, and steak

An 従業員 checking the inside of the Kujira canned 鯨 vending machine in Yokohama, 近づく Tokyo, which dispenses 鯨 sashimi, bacon, and steak

These were the brainchild of Japanese 捕鯨 操作者s struggling to 促進する their 製品s まっただ中に 抗議するs from conservationists.

The 無人の machines 許す clientele to 購入（する） the 議論の的になる meat, which has been ボイコット（する）d by most major Japanese supermarket chains.

Prices 範囲 from between £5.20 ($US6.50/1,000 Yen) to £15.70 ($US12.50/3,000 Yen).

類似して 注目する，もくろむ-raising are the vending machines in Semboku, in the northern Akita 県, run by Soba Goro restaurant, which serve wild 耐える meat as part of an 率先 to cull the 地元の 耐える 全住民. Wild 耐える attacks are a growing problem in the area.?

Bear necessities? Semboku, in the northern Akita Prefecture, has vending machines that serve up wild bear meat as part of an initiative to cull the local bear population

耐える necessities? Semboku, in the northern Akita 県, has vending machines that serve up wild 耐える meat as part of an 率先 to cull the 地元の 耐える 全住民

The wild 耐えるs - 含むing 黒人／ボイコット 耐えるs - are 逮捕（する）d in the mountains 近づく Semboku and killed by members of a 地元の 追跡（する）ing club.

Between 10 to 15 一括s of 耐える meat - each 重さを計るing 250g - are sold each week.

によれば a Soba Goro spokesperson: '耐える meat tastes clean, and it doesn't get 堅い, even when 冷淡な.’

CHINA?

Rather wildly, it’s possible to 購入（する） live crabs from a machine in?中国, dispensed with vinegar and ginger tea all ready to cook.

GERMANY?

In Munich you can 購入（する） Lego 始める，決めるs from a vending machine.

UNITED KINGDOM

In Newcastle, you?can purchase a pair of glamorous false eyelashes from a machine behind Old Eldon Square, in case you ever get caught short on a night out

In Newcastle, you?can 購入（する） a pair of glamorous 誤った eyelashes from a machine behind Old Eldon Square, in 事例／患者 you ever get caught short on a night out

To Newcastle, where you can 購入（する） a pair of glamorous 誤った eyelashes from a machine behind Old Eldon Square, in 事例／患者 you ever get caught short on a night out.

FRANCE?

In フラン, a company called Short ?dition 開始する，打ち上げるd a short-story vending machine for those 減刑する／通勤するing by trains.

圧力（をかける） a button and you can choose between a one, three or five minute short story that will then print out to keep you entertained on your 旅行 home.

The machines - which have been 駅／配置するd in フラン, the US, London and?Hong Kong - 証明するd so beloved by the director?Francis Ford Coppola, he had one 任命する／導入するd in his San Francisco restaurant, Cafe Zoetrope.

UNITED STATES?

A Moet & Chandon Champagne vending machine in Florida

A Moet & Chandon シャンペン酒 vending machine in Florida

America serves up its fair 株 of curious machines. There’s the 選択 to 購入（する） guitar strings from a machine in?Oregon.?

Moet & Chandon シャンペン酒 vending machines are ありふれた in upper crust hotel ロビーs now, while in Beverly Hills you can 購入（する） caviar, truffles - even escargot (snails) -?from a vending machine.

But given the US’s 協会 with burgers, perhaps the most 愛国的な vending machine to try out Stateside is?New Jersey’s burger vending machine, ‘RoboBurger’, which uses AI?to dispense a freshly cooked burger in six minutes.?

'RoboBurger? uses AI to dispense a freshly cooked burger in six minutes

'RoboBurger’ uses AI to dispense a freshly cooked burger in six minutes

'RoboBurger is an artificially intelligent, self-operating and 特許d kitchen designed to 含む all of the 過程s of a restaurant at a fraction of the size,' its developers explained.

A 'weird' vending machine isn’t always frivolous, though.

In San Joa quin Country, three machines dispense 解放する／自由な Narcan - a 麻薬 designed to 援助（する） people 取引，協定ing with opioid 撤退 (含むing ヘロイン and あへん).?

The opioid reversal drug Naloxone (branded Narcan) is available from a free vending machine at the Stockton Metropolitan Airport, United States. The drug works as an aid to people coping with opioid withdrawal

The opioid 逆転 麻薬 Naloxone (branded Narcan) is 利用できる from a 解放する／自由な vending machine at the Stockton 主要都市の Airport, 部隊d 明言する／公表するs. The 麻薬 作品 as an 援助（する） to people 対処するing with opioid 撤退

類似して, there are now 39 universities in 17 明言する／公表するs with 緊急 contraceptive vending machines.

In 新規加入 to ibuprofen and pregnancy 実験（する）s, they dispense the morning-after pill, as part of a 押し進める on college campuses to 確実にする 緊急 contraceptives are cheap, discrete and 広範囲にわたって 利用できる.

DUBAI?

In?Dubai, there are vending machines where you can 購入（する） gold bullion at that day’s market 率.

Whether you’re after a casual 2.5 gram 24-karat gold 冷淡な for your 最新の medallion, or a 完全に bling one-ounce of gold, this vending machine means all your 緊急の gold bullion needs are met.

Francis Ford CoppolaフランOregon中国AI