There’s a reason Sagamihara, Japan, isn’t in travel guides. It’s a sprawling commuter city for nearby Yokohama and Tokyo; a mix of main roads, light industrial estates and quiet towns people go through rather than stop.However, a 30-minute bus ride from Sagami-Ono station and tucked behind a main road lies Tatsuhiro Saito’s used tire shop, an unexpected and remarkable destination for those looking for a taste of Japan’s recent past — dispensed from around 70 restored and working food vending machines from the Showa era (1926–1989).
This small Japanese town is a vintage vending machine paradise
