Jihanki
On a 2023 trip to Japan, I could not help but notice the proliferation of vending machines (jihanki), not only in Tokyo but in rural areas as well. They are a ubiquitous part of everyday life, seemingly invisible to most Japanese citizens, but something I was inextricably drawn to photograph.
In 2024, I created a handmade book of photographs containing some of these images printed on Moab Lasal Matte double sided archival paper and bound together using a Japanese Stab Leaf binding. 5.75” x 8.75”, 34 pages. Linen bookcloth covers and handcut window. Washi slip sheets and endpapers. Matboard, PVA, coated linen thread. Fonts: Chiller (title); Candara (text). Open, numbered edition. $95. Email to purchase.
Vending machines – Jihanki (or Jidouhanbaki) – are everywhere in Japan. You will find them tucked into narrow alleys on crowded Tokyo streets and lighting empty streets in quiet mountain towns. There are old rusted boxes hawking cigarettes and beer, and modern contraptions peddling hot ramen, cold drinks. Japan has one of the highest concentrations of vending machines in the world: a testament to its citizens’ penchant for convenience and technical innovation, and a necessary response to an aging population and a declining workforce.
Familiar features of the local landscape that are passed without notice by most local residents, they can be captivating to a visitor’s eye. But as Japan updates its currency, many of these old metal boxes are destined for the scrap heap, unable to take the new coins or read the new bills. Though many will be replaced with updated modern machines, a piece of old Japan will disappear when they are gone. In a world that is becoming ever smaller and more homogenous, it is often the ordinary that becomes interesting, and helps us find a sense of place in our travels.
