Revenue generated by vending machines in Japan fell 2.1 per cent to about 5.3 trillion yen ($67bn) in 2011 as the of number on machines on site declined 2.4 per cent to 5,084,340 units, the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association has revealed.
Last year's earthquake north-east of Tokyo and the ensuing tsunami damaged and destroyed many machines in the coastal region devastated by the wave, but seemed to have had minimal impact on Japan's vending industry overall.
However, following the disasters that hit on March 11, JVMA secretary general Takashi Kurosaki said he was endeavouring to assess their impact on the industry. In general, Japan's economic recovery has been slow and vending has not been an exception.
