The machine in the northern prefecture of Akita sells locally killed wild bear captured by local hunters
has added to its large and eclectic pool of vending machines with a new model that sells fresh bear meat – and which has proved an unlikely hit.
The machine, in the northern prefecture of Akita, has attracted a steady stream of customers since it was installed at the end of last year, according to media reports. The meat, which sells for ¥2,200 per 250g, is proving popular with passengers alighting at a nearby railway station in the town of Semboku, but the operator has also received requests for mail order deliveries from Tokyo, about 400km away.The machine, which touts its contents as a regional speciality, was stocked with locally killed wild bear and sold a mixture of lean and fatty meat, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper said.
The meat came from bears captured in the mountains by members of a local hunting club who were permitted to kill a certain number during the annual hunting season, the paper added. The vending machine appeared in November after Soba Goro, a local restaurant, spied an opportunity to use ursine cuisine as a tourist attraction., where it is sold in cans and even as instant curry. It has a slightly gamey flavour that some have likened to venison, and is often served in stew.
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