Pokemon Vending Machines In Japan Lets You Catch ‘Em All

If you have ever been to Japan, you will have experienced first-hand how wacky and convenient the Japanese vending machines are. The vending machines there can serve anything from cigarettes to soups, even alcohol.

Do you know what else the Japanese love? Pokemon. The series has been a trademark of Japan since the creation of the anime in 1997, and the game in 2008. Combine both together, and the PokeStand was born.

The PokeStand is a vending machine that dispenses Pokemon merchandise, courtesy of the Pokemon Centre. They can be found at several locations in Japan which we will list at the bottom of this article, but for the purpose of this article, we will talk about the two new ones that have opened in Haneda Airport in Tokyo.

At these new PokeStands in Haneda Airport, you will be able to get your hands on this exclusive Pikachu plush toy, dressed in either a pilot or stewardess’ uniform with Haneda initialled on it. The Pikachu plush comes in two variations seen here.

Navigating through the PokeStand, a virtual Pikachu will interact with you throughout the process of helping you “catch” your Pokemon. The Pokemon that are sold in this vending machine cost between  JPY 540 (approximately S$7) and  JPY 1730 (approximately S$22). The machine currently supports four languages- Japanese, Korean, Chinese and English so you do not have to worry about any language barrier when choosing your Pokemon.

In addition to being a vending machine, the PokeStand also doubles as a gym for people who play Pokemon GO. If you play Pokemon UltraSun or UltraMoon, you can get a serial code which allows you to change the form of the Pokemon Rotom.

Sadly, these vending machines can only be found at the heart of Pokemon, in Japan. But who knows, now that Singapore is host to the only Pokemon Center outside of Japan, maybe one day we will have our own PokeStand as well.

Prices: JPY 540 – JPY 1730

PokeStand Locations: Haneda International Airport Terminal – 3rd floor (Departure Area near Gate 107)Haneda Domestic Airport Terminal 1 – 2nd floor (Departure Lobby, North Wing, at the back of Kids Corner), Haneda Airport International Terminal 5th Floor Cool Zone, Aqua City Odaiba 3rd Floor, Ebina Service Area (Toward Tokyo) 2nd Floor, Ashigara Service Area (Away from Tokyo) 1st Floor