Sweet Potato Vending Machine!

Spotted on the tourist strip in Kawagoe - a sweet potato vending machine! Kawagoe, an Edo period throwback town just 30 minutes from Tokyo, is known for its sweet potatoes. It is also known for "tabearuki" which means to eat while walking. Generally, eating outdoors is a no go in Japan, but there are places, such as Kawagoe, where it is not only accepted, but expected!

Sweet potato vending machine

Because of the tabe-aruki culture and Kawagoe's sweet potato infamy, seeing a vending machine that dispenses cooked sweet potato was no big surprise. But I was surprised that there is such a selection and that you can opt for either hot or cold sweet potato!

I was also quite surprised that the vending machine was still 'on' at 2 in the morning. I guess it gets some late night business from locals on the way home from the pub! The one that I may have bought was actually sold out, so I didn't indulge that night. Which is probably just as well because it may not have been worth the 800 yen. All the sweet potato in the machine cost 800 yen. I suppose you are paying for the convenience and the novelty!