Published on October 18th, 2026
Last night, while walking back from the supermarket, I passed a small plot of land near home. Up until recently it was a little orchard, and now it’s being cleared to build something. Most of it is already gone, but a couple of persimmon trees are still standing, loaded with fruit.
In the dark, something bright red caught my eye: a small "営業中" (“open for business”) sign hanging in front of a table under one of the trees.
I walked over to take a look. On the table were a couple of baskets with a few plastic bags of persimmons, a handwritten sign saying 100円, and a small container in the corner for coins. The idea is simple: you drop your money in, take your persimmons, and go. Nobody is watching.
I’ve lived in Japan for many years, and even though I often see these unmanned stands here and there, they still feel strange to me. Back in Europe this would never work. Someone would take the fruit, and the coin box too. Or, most likely, they would take the coins and stomp on the fruit.
Here, it just works. It’s one of the many reasons I love Japan, despite the current political climate.