A shokken machine at a Matsuya restaurant

Shokken (in Japanese:食券) are a type of Japanese ticket machine/vending machine.

Information

Shokken machines were first seen in 1926 at Tokyo Station[1] There are currently over 43,000 shokken machines in Japan.[2]

Shokken are often found in restaurants, cafes, fast-food restaurants and other establishments. A typical shokken machine features buttons where the customer can select an item, a coin slot, where the customer can pay for the item and a printer where the customer can receive their receipt. Upon receiving their receipt, the customer can then exchange their receipt for their purchased item.[3][4][5][6][7][8] Shokken machines can be standalone machines and sometimes are located on countertops and tables. Shokken machines can also be modified for other uses.[9]

Companies often use shokken machines as they can reduce the amount of staff needed, reduce theft, reduce the turnover rate and can help reduce ordering errors.[10] While useful, shokken machines are not associated with a fine dining atmosphere,[10] as they are often seen in inexpensive restaurants such as Matsuya, Yoshinoya and Sukiya. Shokken machines also can break and limit customized orders.[9][11]

References

  1. 進化しながら働き続ける券売機約100年の歴史 [About 100 years of ticket vending machines that continue to work while evolving] (in Japanese), kenbaiki.jp, 2017, retrieved 13 March 2023
  2. 去日本吃拉麵第一關就被這台機器難倒?日本餐飲業為何這麼愛用餐券機? [Frustrated by this machine at the first level of eating ramen in Japan?] (in Chinese), yam.com, 2021, retrieved 13 March 2023
  3. Japan Made Easy, publisher: Passport Books, published: 1995
  4. Japanese language and culture for business and travel, publisher: University of Hawaii Press, published: 1987
  5. Japanese: Familiarization & Short-term Training, publisher: Foreign Service Institute, Department of State, published: 2011
  6. These Ticket Machine Button Keychain Toys Will Bring Back Memories Of Eating Out In Japan (in Japanese), grapee.jp, 2019, retrieved 13 March 2023
  7. Baseel, Casey (2015), Man arrested for buying beef bowl with bloodstained cash, might also like his steak extra-rare, Soranews24, retrieved 13 March 2023
  8. 【自販機大国にっぽん!】海外の人は知らない食券機の使い方 [[Vending machine powerhouse Japan! ] How to use a ticket machine that foreigners do not know] (in Japanese), livejapan.com, 2019, retrieved 13 March 2023
  9. 1 2 食券機を導入するメリット・デメリット [Advantages and disadvantages of introducing a ticket machine] (in Japanese), kenbaiki.hp, 2020, retrieved 13 March 2023
  10. 1 2 "Explain the merits and demerits of introducing meal ticket machines in restaurant management".
  11. Read Practical Japanese, publisher: Kenkyusha, published: 1976
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