ConsumerSuntory Beverage unit prints custom acrylic cards of favorite stars, charactersAcrylic cards printed by a Tag-Live! Card vending machine are shown at an industry event at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center on June 17. (Photo by Hikaru Yagi)TSUGUMI KAIJune 21, 2026 13:38 JSTTOKYO -- Even as Japan's vending machine market shrinks, one top operator is busy adding machines by targeting the legions of pop idol and anime superfans.Read NextMedia & EntertainmentWeverse app, made famous by BTS, helps turn superfandom into economic forceMedia & EntertainmentJapan's otaku culture takes off in Manila with CyberAgent festivalArtificial intelligenceAsian streaming services go big on microdramas and AI contentBusiness trendsJapan sticker trading craze engulfs girls and mothers in 'fierce scramble'OpinionSouth Korea seeks to turn hit movies into lasting industry successMedia & EntertainmentPoke-bubble? Japanese trading cards fetch sky-high pricesMedia & Entertainment'KPop Demon Hunters' taps South Korean culture to fuel global phenomenonMedia & EntertainmentAnime fandom buoys Japan's soft power, but falls short of lifting exportsMedia & EntertainmentCapsule toys capture overseas visitors in Japan's latest cultural crazeMedia & EntertainmentJapan's Monchhichi doll sales soar alongside Labubu crazeLatest on ConsumerConsumerUS luxury label Chrome Hearts struggles to meet Japan demandConsumerJapan's ASICS to spin off Onitsuka Tiger high-end sneaker businessConsumerJapan's Mirumi plush robots aim to go worldwide with cute glances