Sake vending machine comes to Japanese rail station
One of the largest private railway companies in Japan has launched a self-service sake dispenser inside its Tobu Nikko Station, with four different brands to try. The post Sake vending machine comes to Japanese rail station appeared first on The Drinks Business.
One of the largest private railway companies in Japan has launched a self-service sake dispenser inside its Tobu Nikko Station, with four different brands to try.
Producers in Provence have been trialling controversial roadside wine vending machines that can hold up to 1,000 bottles, and now a Tokyo rail station is trialling a similar concept for sake, albeit on a smaller scale.
Tobu Railway Company has teamed up with Kanaya Hotel Co. to launch a self-service sake dispenser inside The Kanaya Terrace café in Tobu Nikko Station.
The facility, which is initially available until the end of August 2025, allows customers to choose from four different sakes hailing from brewers in Ōtawara, Kanuma and Nikko, all within the Tochigi Prefecture. The Tobu railway line runs right through Tochigi, as well as through Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Gunma, and it is hoped the vending machine will inject cash into the region.
"By offering a casual and accessible way to enjoy regional sake, Tobu aims to support local producers and revitalise the area along the railway line," said a spokesperson for the railway company.
Customers purchase tokens at the café counter at a cost of ¥1,200 (£6.15) for three tokens, then insert a token into the sake dispenser. One token will get you one cup of your selected sake. However, tokens are only sold in sets of three, encouraging visitors to try a range of different producers and styles.
The sakes currently on offer are: Nikko Homare (pure sake) Watanabe Sahei Shoten, Nikko; Nikkoji (refined sake) Katayama Shuzo, Nikko; Shaso Kobayashi Jozo, Kanuma; Tentaka Tentaka Shuzo, Ōtawara.
It would appear that Tubu is mainly targeting tourists with the sake dispenser service, as it has been launched in tandem with a new guided tour experience conducted in English and aimed at international visitors to help them discover Nikko’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Producers in Provence have been trialling controversial roadside wine vending machines that can hold up to 1,000 bottles, and now a Tokyo rail station is trialling a similar concept for sake, albeit on a smaller scale.
Tobu Railway Company has teamed up with Kanaya Hotel Co. to launch a self-service sake dispenser inside The Kanaya Terrace café in Tobu Nikko Station.
The facility, which is initially available until the end of August 2025, allows customers to choose from four different sakes hailing from brewers in Ōtawara, Kanuma and Nikko, all within the Tochigi Prefecture. The Tobu railway line runs right through Tochigi, as well as through Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Gunma, and it is hoped the vending machine will inject cash into the region.
"By offering a casual and accessible way to enjoy regional sake, Tobu aims to support local producers and revitalise the area along the railway line," said a spokesperson for the railway company.
Customers purchase tokens at the café counter at a cost of ¥1,200 (£6.15) for three tokens, then insert a token into the sake dispenser. One token will get you one cup of your selected sake. However, tokens are only sold in sets of three, encouraging visitors to try a range of different producers and styles.
The sakes currently on offer are: Nikko Homare (pure sake) Watanabe Sahei Shoten, Nikko; Nikkoji (refined sake) Katayama Shuzo, Nikko; Shaso Kobayashi Jozo, Kanuma; Tentaka Tentaka Shuzo, Ōtawara.
It would appear that Tubu is mainly targeting tourists with the sake dispenser service, as it has been launched in tandem with a new guided tour experience conducted in English and aimed at international visitors to help them discover Nikko’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
