Vending machines, like this pair at Yokota Air Base, are a regular presence on U.S. military bases in Japan. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan – The ubiquitous Japanese vending machine is keeping its place on U.S. military bases, despite a nationwide round-up of obsolete machines.

Many of the 4.1 million vending machines across Japan, each worth around $13,000, will be replaced this summer when Japan rolls out a new set of bank notes featuring holograms to stop counterfeiting, according to a New York Times report June 8. Some older machines will not accept the new currency.

The change-out will not affect most vending machines on U.S. military bases from Misawa Air Base in the north to Marine Corps camps in the south, according to the Army and Air Force Exchange Service and the Navy Exchange. They and local contractors maintain and operate 3,800 machines.

Vending machines occupy space in Japan from the expected to the unexpected, from train stations to street corners and alley ways, and sell everything - bottled water, beer and snacks, toys, hot and cold coffee and items of clothing. Their place in Japanese life is difficult for foreigners to at first to comprehend.

U.S. Army and Air Force bases account for 1,800 vending machines “providing convenient options for troops and family members on the go,” AAFES spokeswoman Marisa Conner said by email June 18.

“The Army & Air Force Exchange Service anticipates a limited impact as distribution of the new bank notes will be gradually introduced and vending machines will continue to accept currency already in circulation,” she said.

Likewise, NEX sees no impact to its 2,000 machines, which generate $5 million annually dispensing beverages, snacks, candy and toys.

“We do not foresee any changes with the [Navy Exchange Service Command] vending business in Japan,” NEX spokeswoman Courtney Williams said by email June 13.

The NEX vending machine operations include photo booths and coin operated laundries, she said.