Konbini & Vending Machines
55,000 Konbini.
4 Million Vending
Machines. All Cash.
Tokyo never sleeps — and neither does its coin economy. Here's why Japan still runs on yen, and why you need to be ready before you land.
Japan's vending machine culture is unlike anything else
One machine for every 23 people. Hot ramen at 3am. Umbrellas mid-typhoon. Fresh eggs in rural Kagoshima. These machines are woven into the fabric of daily Japanese life — and they run on coins.
Within 24 hours of landing, your wallet overflows with ¥1, ¥5, ¥10, ¥50, ¥100, and ¥500 coins. Six denominations. All different. No system.
"Every purchase under ¥1,000 generates coins. After one day in Tokyo, you carry a pocket full of metal."
Every corner of Japan demands exact change
7-Eleven · FamilyMart · Lawson
55,000+ locations nationwide, open 24 hours. Every konbini purchase under ¥1,000 ends in coins.
Vending machines
Hot drinks, cold drinks, ramen, umbrellas, novelties — ¥100 to ¥500 per item. Coins inserted first, always.
Coin laundry · Arcade · Lockers
¥100 per laundry cycle. ¥100 per game. ¥300-700 per locker per day. No card readers.
"Standing at a FamilyMart register at midnight. Seven people behind you. You need ¥340 in exact change. Your pocket has thirty mixed coins you can't identify in the dark."
The moment YENGO was built to solve
Six labeled slots. One thumb push. Two seconds.
YENGO organizes all 6 yen denominations in dedicated labeled slots. Press-release mechanism — exact change, instantly, every time. Never hold up a line again.
- ¥1 · ¥5 · ¥10 · ¥50 · ¥100 · ¥500 — all sorted
- One-thumb operation — works with one hand
- Clips to bag or belt — always accessible
