NOBEOKA, Miyazaki -- Baked sweet potatoes -- "yakiimo" --can now be purchased from vending machines in Nobeoka, Miyazaki Prefecture.
The machines are operated by Wakosangyo, a local real estate agency, and the sweet potatoes are prepared by a local workshop that supports employment for people with disabilities.
The product is called Nofuku Yakiimo, the first word being a combination of characters used in the words for farming and welfare, signifying the collaboration between these two fields.
The first yakiimo vending machine stood in front of the Wakosangyo office, but due to their popularity the company has since installed three more machines in the city.
The baked sweet potatoes are sold hot and cold, and are popular with local high school students among others. Many customers come back for more, and some people come from out of town to try the snack.
Recently, the machines have been selling an average of about 500 yakiimo per month.
Putting the baked sweet potatoes in vacuum-pack cans extended the expiration date, from a few days to a week, to a whole month. They were previously priced at 210 yen or 250 yen depending on the variety, but are now all sold for 300 yen.
The workshop makes a profit of 40 yen per can, which is reflected in the wages paid to the disabled workshop participants.
By the end of the year, the company plans to have six machines in Nobeoka and nearby Hyuga. The goal is to bring in 20 million yen per year in sales.
"In addition to hot baked sweet potatoes, for the coming season I recommend cold yakiimo, which taste like a sweet treat," the Wakosangyo employee in charge said.
"It can help increase workshop participants' wages and maybe it will be picked up by other facilities that support people with disabilities," said Takashi Oshikawa, president of Medaka Family Group Co., the company that manages the workshop.
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