First, I want you to know that I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. How could I not be? Fifteen years ago, coming here was, for all intents and purposes, coming to the future. Everywhere I looked I saw cellphones whose least remarkable feature was polyphonic ringtones. It took two full years after I got back for phones could do more than squeak at us. Ubiquitous photo booths with facial recognition features that rival Google Hangouts today. LED displays I still haven’t seen in the US. It was incredible. And hanging out in Narita today, it’s clear you’re still an affluent, tech savvy country. Walking through the terminal is a whose who of mass market fashion: Hermès, Ferragamo, Dior, Coach, all on display like it’s Union Square. Cell phones have improved, but nothing that stands out from what we have in the U.S. Really, the only novel bit of tech I’ve come across has been vertically scrolling LED arrays, and those only because the orientation doesn’t work in English. It would seem we’ve finally achieved tech parity. And for the most part that’s cool, I get it. Flagging economy, aging workforce, increased demand in the U.S. But you need to think long and hard about what the hell happened to your vending machines.
Fifteen years ago, us ‘Muricans counted ourselves lucky if the vending machine didn’t eat our coins when we wanted to buy pretzels. Taking bills was an unreliable novelty. Your vending machines dispensed hot tea at a card swipe. (They also dispensed something called Pocari Sweat which I still haven’t figure out, but that’s neither here nor there). This is where you were at all those years ago:
This is where you are now:
I saved myself the trouble of digging through my old photo album and scanning a vending machine photo-U.S. Phones didn’t have cameras at that point
Not a damn thing has changed. Fifteen years ago in the U.S. we were thankful to have a soda explode on us because it meant that it actually dropped into the bin instead of getting stuck in the spinning coil of A5. Now we have engaging experiences with touchscreen-enabled robots that customize our bottle labels. Your’s haven’t changed. The designer in me is applauds you dedication to singularity of purpose and laser focus on doing the job right, but e child in me is pissed.
True, I still have yet to see vending machines in the US that dispense used panties, but I’m counting that as a blessing. Step up.