SoraNews24 —Japan News—

Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today.

RocketNews24 Japanese

Featured

Japanese vending machine sells PCR tests at 350-year-old temple in Tokyo【Photos】

We pick up a testing kit at the last place we ever expected to find one.

You can find some pretty amazing stuff in Japanese vending machines. Canned coffee, hot tea, and beer are probably their three most publicized wonders, but if you keep your eyes peeled you can also spot machines selling cutlet sandwiches, hot fish stock, and even miniature panties (to use as coasters, obviously).

But we’d never seen a vending machine like this one our Japanese-language reporter Shawn recently discovered…

…which is stocked with PCR test kits!

Shawn stumbled across the machine while out for a walk around his neighborhood in Tokyo’s Taito Ward. It’s located on the grounds of Jomyoin, a Buddhist temple that was founded in 1666.

As you might expect, a PCR test is a little pricier than a bottle of Coca-Cola or Pocari Sweat, and Shawn had to feed 3,500 yen (US$34) worth of bills and coins into the machine. Once he did, though, he hit the button and got his kit, which comes in a square box.

He was a little confused by the stamped text that read “Takenoko PCR Test Kit,” since takenoko is usually the Japanese word for bamboo shoot. In this case, though, Takenoko is also the name of an ear, nose, and throat clinic in Saitama Prefecture, which supplies and processes the test kits sold in the vending machine.

▼ And yes, the clinic has a family of cute anthropomorphic bamboo shoot mascot characters.

Back home Shawn opened up the box to find the equipment he’d need to take a saliva sample and written instructions on how to do so.

The process only took about five minutes to complete, and once he was done Shawn wrapped his sample in the padded packing material that came with the kit, placed it in the provided envelope, and dropped it in the mail.

Takenoko promises processing within 24 hours of receiving the test. Just two days after he’d dropped it in the mail, Shawn got his result via the email address he’d provided when submitting his sample…

…and is happy to report his test came back negative!

On the other hand, for those who do test positive, Takenoko contacts both the infected party and their local public health office, so that they can coordinate on treatment and quarantine procedures.

Much like with vending machines selling masks, it’s an unusual sign of the times to be able to buy a PCR test from a machine, but with public health more important than ever, it’s encouraging to see the effort to make getting tested simple and convenient.

Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]

Like this:

Like Loading…

Related Stories

Trackbacks

  1. There are no trackbacks yet.
  2. Trackback URL

Trending Today

  1. Japan ends tax-free shopping system for foreign tourists, new refund request system now in effect
  2. Beautiful Ghibli diorama kits lets you build anime characters’ homes inside yours [Photos]
  3. Japanese government announces criteria for creating backup capital of Japan
  4. Starbucks Japan releases now Tokyo Reserve Roastery Christmas drinkware collection [Photos]
  5. Japan’s TeamLab digital art group is opening a permanent museum in America
  6. This hot spring near Osaka’s Kansai Airport resolves the pick-two-out-of-three bathhouse dilemma
  7. Japan’s mini Shikoku Pilgrimage walking tour left us feeling immensely satisfied
  8. Tokyo Skytree set to offer breathtaking Diamond Fuji natural phenomenon view this month
  9. Starbucks Japan invites us to par-tea with its new Earl Gray Frappuccino [Taste test]
  10. Family Mart releases 47 convenience store socks and stickers, one for every prefecture in Japan

© SoraNews24 —Japan News— / SOCIO CORPORATION

Powered by WordPress VIP

%d