FUJIYOSHIDA, Yamanashi -- Capsule vending machine items made from recycled acrylic panels that were used as protective barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic are attracting foreign tourists in this eastern Japan city at the foot of Mount Fuji.

Spring Inc., a company specializing in acrylic processing based in the Yamanashi Prefecture city of Otsuki, installed six capsule toy machines at Arakurayama Sengen Park in the city of Fujiyoshida in October last year. The items were a hit with tourists, who bought them faster than the company could restock them, prompting it to double the number of machines to 12.

There are four types of capsule items, including amulet-shaped keychains and acrylic stands that buyers assemble themselves. They include motifs of Mount Fuji and the Chureito Pagoda, a five-story pagoda in the park, with four or five different designs each. Prices range from 300 to 500 yen (about $1.90 to $3.15) per item.

Sales far exceeded expectations, with more than 90,000 items sold in the six months from October last year to March this year. The average daily sales were about 300,000 yen (about $1,890).

The company donates 100 yen (about 60 cents) from each item sold to the city. In April, it transferred 9,130,600 yen (about $57,457) for the past six months. According to the municipal government's Roads and Parks Division, the funds are used for park cleaning, repairs and restoring the health of cherry trees.

Acrylic panels that were used as partitions in offices and other places often end up as industrial waste and are costly to dispose of. Spring collects such acrylic panels free of charge from private companies both inside and outside the prefecture, cleans and sterilizes them, and then repurposes them into keychains and other items.

"In addition to our goal of environmental conservation, we hope visitors will enjoy these items as souvenirs of their trip," a company representative commented.

The company has received inquiries from multiple municipalities about installing similar capsule toy vending machines and plans to expand the initiative. A representative said, "The park's scenery is its main attraction, but we believe the items are also popular due to the demand for products that can be kept as souvenirs after taking photos. Even though they are upcycled items, we're aiming for high quality and are committed to elaborate design using a high-precision laser."

(Japanese original by Ayane Matsuyama, Kofu Bureau)