Japan is absolutely chock-full of vending machines. According to Tech In Asia, as of 2014, there were 3.8 million "automatic sales" machines in the country, or about one for every 33 citizens. That number doesn't even include slight variations on the vending machine, like change dispensers or those ones that spit out toys in the little plastic bubbles.
Vending machines in Japan sell a huge range of stuff, including newspapers, hygiene products, and drinks. But even those normal categories manage to shock international tourists, since beer and sake can be purchased just like you would a soda.
However, the most infamous Japanese vending machine offering is a lot crazier than that. Also not included in the official numbers are machines that sell young women's underwear. Used underwear. While this sounds too out there even for Japan, Snopes verifies it's true. The clothing is extremely expensive, and the more used the pricier it is. Of course, there is no way to verify who wore it or for how long.
The machines seem to have appeared first in 1993, and there was a huge outcry against them, but they weren't breaking any laws. Obviously, no one had foreseen anything so gross. Finally, some businessmen were charged with selling antiques without a license (the idea being the underwear qualified since it was second-hand), and the machines allegedly went away. But if you go looking for them in Japan today, you can still find them in seedy areas.
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