Some vending machines in Aomori, mainly in the Tsugaru region, are out of operation during the winter. There are various reasons for this, such as heavy snowfall and lack of visitors.

Hiroshi Yoshida, president of Sun Vending Aomori, a company that manages and operates vending machines (Umayashiri Shimizu-ryu, Aomori City), said, ``There are times when parking spaces reserved for shoveling snow and replenishing products are not available in the winter. For this reason, we have closed winter sales for about 15 years."

The company's vending machines will be out of operation from early December to mid-March. It will be determined by the weather and snow conditions. “In the industry, the theory is that once a vending machine is closed, customers will leave, but in our case, the number of customers did not decrease,” says Yoshida. “Our company may be the first in Japan to have vending machines closed in winter.

According to Yoshida, about 40 of the company's vending machines in the Tsugaru region stop working in the winter. It is said that there are also in the city centering on farmland. "Considering the cost and effort of making patrols in winter, it was convenient for us to close sales, but customers said, 'This year will be over,' and 'See you next year.' Sometimes you can be hung,” says Yoshida.

The vending machines that are out of service have posters saying, "Spring 2023. See you when the snow thaws." Mr. Yoshida said with a smile, "Sometimes people are happy to say, 'It's going to start again this year.'