Matsuya Gyudon Vending Machine

A new innovation is hitting Japan’s gyudon industry with the introduction of Japan’s first ever gyudon vending machine. Japan is known the world-over for its vending machines, which can just about be found on every street corner from major cities like Tokyo and Osaka to little country towns in the middle of nowhere.

Most of these sell hot or cold drinks and sometimes even snacks, but now there is a game-changer with the world’s first gyudon vending machine from fast-food chain Matsuya.

Matsuya is a popular restaurant chain in Japan that serves gyudon (beef bowls) and Japanese curry. They are known for their budget-friendly menu items that are quick, cheap, and tasty. By far, their most popular dish is their gyudon (shredded beef and onions served over a bowl of steaming rice).

Matsuya Restaurant | Wikimedia Commons

This unique gyudon vending machine has been installed at the employee cafeteria of Gree, a Tokyo-based mobile game company.

The vending machine is fully-stocked with a variety of Matsuya’s most popular dishes including their standard beef bowl and Japanese curry. Prices range from 450-500 yen (USD$4.15-$4.60), which is comparable to the regular prices at their restaurants.

The dishes come with miso soup and need to be warmed up in the microwave which is adjacent to the vending machine.

Matsuya Gyudon with Miso Soup | Photo by: エドガー on Flickr

We are hoping that Matsuya roll out their enhanced version of the vending machine to other locations around Japan soon, so we can give it a try. What do you think? Are you keen to give this new vending machine a try? Please leave your replies in the comments below.