New Unmanned Store in Yokohama Offers Whale Meat Vending Machines for Unique Shopping Experience

Yokohama, Japan – A new unmanned store in the port town of Yokohama near Tokyo is offering customers a unique shopping experience – whale meat vending machines. The Kujira (Whale) Store houses three machines for whale sashimi, whale bacon, whale skin and whale steak, as well as canned whale meat.

The store is the third location to launch in the Japanese capital region and is located in the Motomachi district of Yokohama, a posh shopping area near Chinatown. The white vending machines are decorated with cartoon whales and are operated by Japanese whaling operator, Kubo.

Kubo has been struggling for years to promote its products amid protests from conservationists. Major supermarket chains have largely stayed away from whale meat to avoid protests by anti-whaling groups, and they seem to remain cautious even though harassment from activists has subsided in recent years.

Kubo hopes that the vending machines will help to cultivate clientele and bolster sales. 61-year-old customer Mami Kashiwabara went straight for whale bacon, her father’s favorite. “As a result, many consumers who want to eat it cannot find or buy whale meat. We launched vending machines at unmanned stores for those people,” he said.

Whale meat has long been a source of nutrition in Japan, and the Kujira (Whale) Store is providing customers with a convenient way to purchase it. The store is open from 9am to 5pm and is a unique shopping experience for those who are interested in trying whale meat.