Here’s an idea that would likely get you booted off of Shark Tank: a vending machine selling bear meat has become a success in Japan.
With reportedly one vending machine for every 23 people, the Land of the Rising Sun has boxes that can fetch you everything from live lobster to edible bugs to lingerie, but the latest exotic edible is a local favorite.
According to The Guardian, one of the meat machines that was installed at the end of last year in the northern prefecture of Akita has been a big hit. About $16.50 will score you a little more than 5 ounces of the stuff, which has been sourced from local hunters permitted to cull the animals’ numbers annually.
The company that runs the machines has also received requests for bear meat by mail from as far away as Tokyo, where bear meat is commonly used in curries and stews.