For several months, a bear meat vending machine has been a huge success in Japan.
In the Land of the Rising Sun, a bear meat vending machine has been surprisingly successful since November 2022. The machine is located in Akita Prefecture in the north of the country, reports The Guardian.
The meat, sold at the price of 15 euros for 250 grams, is very popular with passengers who get off at Semboku station, located not far from the vending machine.
According to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun , the meat comes from bears captured in the mountains by members of a local hunting club, who were allowed to kill a certain number during the hunting season.
For their part, animal rights activists condemn the company that opened the vending machine: ” It’s a new low blow for wild animals ,” said a member of the World Society for the Protection of Animals in the columns. of the British newspaper.
“Bear meat tastes clean”
Besides the vending machine, the local restaurant Soba Gora also cooks bear meat. This food is particularly popular in northern Japan, where it is often served as a stew.
“ Bear meat has a clean taste. She’s not tough ,” a Soba Goro spokesperson told the Mainichi.
You may not know it, but vending machines are ubiquitous in Japan . They offer a myriad of food items, hot and cold drinks, and edible insects.
Last January, whale meat was sold in vending machines. A hundred distributors should be installed throughout the country during 2028.
