Panties Vending Machine Tokyo | How to Buy One?
Panties vending machine in Tokyo are adult-themed gachapon that sell new, packaged lingerie, not real used underwear. Found mainly in Akihabara, these novelty machines cost about ¥500–¥1,000 and serve as playful souvenir attractions.
Tokyo has long been associated with Japan’s burusera culture.
Well, if you haven’t heard of it yet, it is a subculture that once involved selling school uniforms and undergarments.
From that background emerged a modern curiosity: capsule-style vending machines that dispense women’s panties.
One well-known example is found at M’s Pop Life Department Store in Akihabara, a seven-story adult-themed complex that features a “used panty” gachapon machine. For around ¥1,000, customers insert coins, twist the handle, and receive a capsule containing a sealed pair of panties.
Are they Selling Used or New Panties (Used vs. New)
If you visit one of these subreddits, there is an ongoing debate over whether these machines truly sell “used” items.
Media outlets like Time Out Tokyo describe the panties as being “marketed as used,” yet most evidence indicates they’re new garments packaged to mimic the idea of fetishized used underwear.
These machines are marketed mainly as novelty or fetish-themed attractions rather than as sources of ordinary lingerie.
Travelers report that the items are often factory-sealed in foil pouches, sometimes with playful presentation or a themed note. While the illusion of authenticity persists, nearly all signs point to these being unused novelty items meant to evoke the burusera fantasy rather than actual secondhand underwear.
How Much do these Vending Panties cost?
| Location / Store | Price per Capsule | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| M’s Pop Life Department (Akihabara) | ¥1,000 | 1–2 pairs of panties + occasional note |
| Kabukicho (Shinjuku) | ¥500 – ¥1,000 | 1 pair (sometimes 2 for ¥1,000) |
| Don Quijote (Asakusa) | ¥500 – ¥1,000 | 1 pair |
| Nakano Broadway (unconfirmed) | ¥500 – ¥1,000 | 1 pair |
Purchasing from one of these machines is similar to using any capsule or gacha toy dispenser.
You insert money, typically ¥500 to ¥1,000, turn the knob, and receive a capsule.
The experience is largely about the playful, tongue-in-cheek nature of the purchase rather than a serious retail transaction.
Known Locations
Panty vending machines are extremely rare today and mainly exist as novelty installations inside adult stores.
The most well-documented example is at M’s Pop Life Department in Akihabara. Other rumored or anecdotal locations include:
- Kabukicho (Shinjuku): Tokyo’s red-light district reportedly has adult-themed gachapon machines offering underwear for around ¥500–¥1,000, often tucked inside 18+ stores or near Don Quijote outlets.
- Don Quijote (Asakusa): Some travelers have mentioned spotting similar machines in the adult section of this discount chain’s Asakusa branch, behind a curtained area.
- Nakano Broadway: They are known for quirky gachapon machines; some forums claim underwear-themed capsules occasionally appear here, though these sightings are unverified.
Typically, these machines are hidden indoors, not on the street, and usually placed in restricted or adult-only zones of multi-floor entertainment stores.
FAQs
Are panty vending machines legal in Tokyo?
Yes, panty vending machines are legal only if they sell new or novelty underwear. Machines selling genuinely used panties are banned under Tokyo’s youth protection laws.
When did Japan ban the sale of used panties?
The ban took effect in June 2004, when the Tokyo Metropolitan Government updated its youth protection ordinance to target the burusera (used-uniform and underwear) trade.
What does the 2004 ordinance prohibit?
The ordinance forbids the sale, purchase, or facilitation of real used underwear — especially those claimed to be from minors. It also covers anyone operating or supporting such sales.
So what do today’s “panty vending machines” actually sell?
Modern panty vending machines in Tokyo sell new, factory-sealed lingerie that’s marketed as “used” only as a novelty or fetish-themed souvenir. They do not contain authentic, worn garments.
Why do these machines still exist if used ones are banned?
They survive as adult-themed curiosities, part of Japan’s unique gachapon (capsule toy) culture. The experience is playful and suggestive, but entirely legal because the products are new.
My Personal Opinion
While panty vending machines in Tokyo continue to attract curiosity, they now serve as novelty or fetish collectibles, not as sources of genuine used underwear.
Since the 2004 ban, selling authentic worn garments has been illegal, and today’s machines dispense new, packaged panties made to resemble burusera-style memorabilia.
Prices generally range from ¥500–¥1,000 per capsule, and the experience is intended more as an adult-oriented curiosity or souvenir than as a functional purchase.
The best-known location remains M’s Pop Life Department Store in Akihabara, with scattered anecdotal reports of similar setups in Kabukicho and Asakusa.
