A Complete Guide to Drinks, Payments and Hot & Cold Labels

Japanese vending machines are one of the most visible parts of everyday life in Japan.

You can find them near train stations, outside shops, beside office buildings, along residential streets and even in relatively remote areas.

Most Japanese vending machines sell drinks, although machines selling ice cream, food, rice, soup stock and other unusual products can also be found.

For first-time visitors, buying a drink usually looks simple:

Insert money, press a button and collect the product.

However, modern machines may also accept transportation IC cards, contactless payments, QR-code payments or smartphone apps.

The exact payment process and available methods differ from one machine to another, so it helps to understand the symbols before you begin.

🇯🇵 Quick Facts

Item	Details
🥤 Most Common Products	Water, tea, coffee, soft drinks and sports drinks
🔴 Red Label	Hot drink
🔵 Blue Label	Cold drink
💴 Payment	Cash, IC card or mobile payment depending on the machine
🚆 IC Cards	Suica and other compatible cards work on many machines
♻️ Nearby Box	Usually for empty drink containers—not general rubbish
🌍 English Required	Usually unnecessary
⭐ Difficulty	Very Easy

Japanese drink machines commonly use red labels for hot products and blue labels for cold products.

How to Buy a Drink in 6 Steps

Step 1: Look at the Products

Each product has its price displayed below or beside it.

Check:

The product image
The price
The size
Whether it is hot or cold
Whether the selection button is available

A lighted or active button normally means the product can be purchased. A sold-out product may display:

売り切れ
Sold Out

Step 2: Check Whether It Is Hot or Cold

Look at the color below the product.

🔴 Red

あたたかい
Hot

🔵 Blue

つめたい
Cold

Some vending machines sell both hot and cold drinks at the same time, particularly during cooler months. Typical hot products include coffee, tea, café au lait and occasionally canned soup.

Do not assume that a coffee can is cold simply because it is displayed beside bottled water.

Step 3: Choose a Payment Method

Check the payment area for accepted logos.

Depending on the machine, you may be able to use:

Cash
Suica
PASMO
Other compatible transportation IC cards
Electronic money
Contactless cards
QR-code payment services
A dedicated vending-machine app

Many vending machines accept transportation IC cards, but not all of them do. Look for the IC-card logo or reader before trying to tap.

Cashless-enabled machines display stickers or payment panels showing the services they accept. The available options differ by machine.

Step 4: Pay

Paying with Cash

Insert an accepted coin or banknote into the payment slot.

The amount inserted will usually appear on a small display.

Once enough money has been inserted, the available product buttons will light up.

Paying with an IC Card

The order varies slightly by machine, but you will generally:

Select the product.
Touch your IC card to the reader.
Wait for the confirmation sound.
Collect the drink.

Some machines may ask you to touch the card first and select the product afterward. Follow the lights or screen instructions.

Suica and Welcome Suica can be used for purchases at compatible vending machines displaying the relevant e-money mark.

Paying by QR Code or Smartphone

Some machines allow you to scan a QR sticker, select the product on your phone and choose a supported mobile payment service.

Supported services vary, so always check the payment logos on the machine.

Step 5: Press the Product Button

Press the illuminated button below the product you want.

The machine will release the bottle or can into the collection compartment near the bottom.

On machines with a touchscreen, select the product on the screen and follow the payment instructions.

Step 6: Take Your Drink and Change

Open the product compartment and remove your drink.

When paying with cash, also check:

The change tray
The banknote-return area
The payment display

Some machines return change automatically after the purchase. Others may have a change-return lever or button.

Before walking away, make sure you have collected:

Your drink
Your change
Your IC card or phone
Any receipt issued by the machine

Can You Use Suica or PASMO?

Yes—on compatible vending machines.

Look for an IC-card logo near the payment reader.

Transportation IC cards can be used at many vending machines, convenience stores and other retail locations, but a machine without the appropriate e-money symbol may require cash or another supported method.

A physical IC card must also have enough stored balance to cover the full price.

Welcome Suica cannot normally combine its stored value with cash for one vending-machine purchase, so recharge the card first when the remaining balance is too low.

Do Japanese Vending Machines Accept Credit Cards?

Some newer machines accept contactless cards or smartphone wallets, but ordinary credit-card acceptance is not universal.

A machine may support:

Transportation IC cards
iD
Rakuten Edy
Contactless credit cards
Apple Pay
Google Pay
Selected QR-payment services

Only use a payment method whose logo appears on that specific machine. Multi-payment vending machines are marked with a reader panel and acceptance stickers.

For travelers, Suica or cash is often easier than trying several foreign cards.

What Is Coke ON?

Coke ON is Coca-Cola Japan’s smartphone service for compatible vending machines.

Depending on the machine and account setup, users can:

Connect to a compatible vending machine
Purchase drinks through a smartphone
Collect stamps
Receive drink tickets
Use supported cashless payment methods

Coca-Cola stated in 2026 that Coke ON was available at more than 530,000 compatible vending machines nationwide.

You do not need Coke ON to use an ordinary Coca-Cola vending machine. It is an optional service for compatible machines.

Hot Drinks from Vending Machines

Hot drinks are one of the features that often surprise first-time visitors.

During cooler seasons, you may find:

Black coffee
Café au lait
Milk tea
Green tea
Lemon drinks
Cocoa
Corn soup
Other canned soups

Red labels indicate hot products, while blue labels indicate chilled products.

Be careful when first holding a hot can or bottle, as it may feel warmer than expected.

What Else Can You Buy?

Although beverages are the most common products, Japan also has vending machines selling:

Ice cream
Snacks
Frozen food
Ramen
Rice
Soup stock
Local produce
Toys
Umbrellas
Masks
Regional specialties

JNTO notes that the majority of vending machines sell beverages, while specialist machines can sell products ranging from ice cream and rice to prepared meals.

These unusual machines are interesting, but they should not be mistaken for the standard drink machines found on most streets.

Drink Machines vs Restaurant Ticket Machines

A restaurant ticket machine is different from a normal product vending machine.

At many ramen, soba and casual restaurants, you:

Choose a meal.
Pay at the machine.
Receive a paper ticket.
Give the ticket to the restaurant staff.
Wait for the meal to be prepared.

The machine does not dispense the food itself.

JNTO notes that many ramen restaurants use meal-ticket machines and require payment before ordering.

This topic deserves its own article:

How to Use Restaurant Ticket Machines in Japan

What Is the Box Beside the Vending Machine?

The box beside a drink machine is usually a recycling box, not a general rubbish bin.

It is intended for empty:

Plastic drink bottles
Cans
Glass drink bottles

Do not put in:

Food packaging
Plastic cups
Shopping bags
Cigarettes
Batteries
Household rubbish
Containers with liquid still inside

Japan’s soft-drink industry explicitly states that vending-machine recycling boxes are for empty beverage containers and that leftover liquid and unrelated waste interfere with recycling.

Drink the contents completely before placing the container inside.

A recycling box is normally installed where appropriate, but one may not be available at every vending-machine location.

What If There Is No Recycling Box?

Keep the empty bottle or can with you until you find an appropriate recycling point.

Possible locations include:

Another vending-machine area
A train station
A convenience store
Your hotel
A public recycling station

Do not leave the container beside the machine.

Also avoid putting drink containers into a recycling box that is clearly labelled for another material.

What If the Machine Takes Your Money but Gives No Product?

Look on the front or side of the machine for a management sticker.

It should show information such as:

Operator or management company
Telephone number
Address or machine identification
QR code for support

The Japan Soft Drink Association advises customers to contact the manager using the details shown on the machine when money is taken but no product is dispensed.

Take a photo of:

The whole vending machine
The management sticker
The product and price
The location
Any error message

This makes it easier to explain the problem.

Common Vending-Machine Mistakes

1. Buying a Hot Drink by Accident

Check whether the product label is red or blue.

2. Tapping an IC Card Where It Is Not Accepted

Look for the IC logo before tapping.

3. Using the Wrong Cashless Reader

Some machines have separate readers or QR instructions for different payment services.

4. Walking Away Without Your Change

Always check the change tray after paying with cash.

5. Treating the Recycling Box as a Rubbish Bin

It is intended for empty beverage containers only.

6. Leaving Liquid in the Bottle

Finish or empty the drink before recycling the container.

7. Assuming Every Machine Works the Same Way

Payment order, accepted methods and screen layouts differ.

Pause briefly and follow the illuminated buttons or display.

Vending-Machine Etiquette

Japanese vending machines do not require complicated etiquette, but a few simple habits help.

✅ Do

Decide what you want before blocking the machine.
Check whether the drink is hot or cold.
Collect your drink and change promptly.
Move aside after purchasing.
Use the recycling box only for drink containers.
Keep the area clean.
Take your container with you when no box is available.

❌ Don’t

Leave bottles beside the machine.
Put food rubbish into the recycling box.
Shake, hit or tilt the machine.
Block a narrow pavement while choosing.
Leave children to climb on or play with the machine.
Force coins into an unsuitable slot.

🇯🇵 HONNE JAPAN PICK

For most first-time visitors, the simplest method is:

Choose a drink, check the red or blue temperature label, look for the Suica logo, tap your IC card and collect the product.

When Suica is not accepted, use cash or check the displayed payment logos.

The most important detail after drinking is also easy to remember:

The box beside the machine is for empty drink containers—not general rubbish.

FAQ

Are Japanese vending machines available 24 hours?

Outdoor machines are generally accessible whenever the surrounding area is open.

Machines located inside stations, malls, offices or attractions can only be used during the facility’s opening hours.

Are drinks expensive?

The price is clearly displayed beside every product.

Prices depend on the product, size, location and machine operator.

Can I use foreign credit cards?

Only when the machine supports the card or contactless wallet being used.

Check the logos on the payment panel.

Can I use Suica?

Yes, on machines displaying the compatible IC-card symbol.

How do I know whether a drink is hot?

Hot drinks normally have a red label. Cold drinks normally have a blue label.

Do vending machines give change?

Cash machines normally have a change tray or return mechanism. Check the lower part of the machine before leaving.

Can I throw other rubbish into the box beside the machine?

No. It is a recycling box for empty beverage containers.

What should I do if the machine does not dispense the product?

Photograph the machine and contact the operator using the telephone number or QR code on the management sticker.

Do all vending machines sell drinks?

No, but beverage machines are the most common. Specialist machines may sell food, ice cream and other goods.

Final Thoughts

Japanese vending machines are designed to make everyday purchases quick and convenient.

Although different machines support different payment systems, the basic process is simple:

Check the product.
Confirm whether it is hot or cold.
Check the accepted payment methods.
Pay.
Select the product.
Collect your drink and change.

Once visitors recognize the red and blue labels, IC-card logo and beverage recycling box, most Japanese vending machines become easy to use.

They are more than a travel novelty—they are a small but highly visible part of Japan’s everyday infrastructure.

How to Use Suica and PASMO in Japan
Cash or Credit Card? How to Pay in Japan
Where Are the Trash Bins in Japan?
How Japanese Convenience Stores Really Work
How to Use Restaurant Ticket Machines in Japan
How to Use Coin Lockers in Japan
How to Stay Hydrated During a Japanese Summer