Japanese umbrella vending machine

Vending machines for water and soft drinks are literally everywhere in Japan, sometimes even clustered in groups. Truth is that frequent hydration is a necessity in Japan, during the hot, humid summers.

Another necessity during the Japanese summer is... the umbrella, because the rain often starts suddenly. Due to the frequent usage, umbrella is regarded as a consumable and every convenience store sells cheap umbrellas, which are often discarded as soon as the rain stops. So, no wonder that vending machines selling umbrellas were also created, but they are quite rare, usually found inside the train and metro stations... That's the case with this vending machine, photographed in Kyoto, inside the Karasuma Oike Subway Station.