Where did all the gyoza go?

The frozen gyoza vending machine that appeared in my neighborhood last year is now empty. No gyoza, no product descriptions. I inquired at the small, narrow izakaya to the right of the machine and they didn't know what was going on. Perhaps this place was not the best location to sell gyoza? (Perish the thought!) I will continue to investigate...

UPDATE 6/8/23: The machine is gone...

But not to worry. There's another gyoza vending machine a mere 10-minute walk away that is still working, located between a canal and a hair stylist shop right across from the small Shinto shrine under the Kayashima train station.

UPDATE 7/1/23: This machine is now gone as well...

And if that doesn't satisfy me, at the station closest to my work, I can buy some frozen meat and a bottle of dashi (a soup stock and ingredient that is said to add umami flavor) and then take a picture of myself with my new purchases in the photo booth.

This is all too convenient...

And a product of COVID-19 and meshi tero?

New Gyoza Vending Machine In My Neighborhood!

This bright red machine suddenly appeared in my neighborhood, so I had to try it! I was hoping the gyoza would come out cooked, but alas it was frozen...

Official Gyoza Ichiryudo website (in Japanese):
https://ichiryudogyoza.com/

Link to more gyoza vending machines, click here.

Bonus! Meat vending machines! (photos courtesy of M.H. on his walk to the train station from work)

"Tokyo gyoza shop hopes their skateboard gyoza set will boost your luck at year-end jumbo lottery"

Image and text from Japan Today, 11/24/21.

From Nov 24 to Dec 24, the Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho branch 新宿思い出横丁店 of gyoza specialty restaurant chain Gyoza no Antei 餃子の安亭 will offer a new winter menu item which will surely surprise you and invite you to snap a picture for your social media account.

Called the 年末ジャンボスケボー餃子 nenmatsu janbo sukebo gyoza (Year-End Jumbo skateboard gyoza), the unconventional gyoza dish brings together two incongruous sources of inspiration, the first and most obvious one being skateboarding which made its Olympic debut this year in Tokyo, giving Japan five medals. The second one is Japan's Takarakuji Lottery and its Year-End Jumbo (年末ジャンボ nenmatsu janbo in Japanese), the first and second prizes of which total one billion yen.

The owner of the restaurant, who has been a lottery fan for 30 years, wanted to support customers who dream of becoming millionaires. The main star of the dish is a giant board-shaped version of Gyoza no Antei's gyoza dumplings, attached to a set of nori seaweed roll "wheels" made from the chain's popular Golden Fried Rice. The wheels are connected by an axle made of a Matcha-flavored Pocky cookie stick.

Taking a hint from the Japanese skater term ゴン攻め gon-zeme (bravely taking on hard obstacles) which went viral this summer after former skateboarding champion Ryo Sejiri used it when he was guest commentator on public broadcaster NHK's coverage of the events, the dish has "G" for gyoza, "O" for 大きい oki (big), and "N" for nenmatsu janbo, making it a GON-zeme culinary creation.

The dish is 8 cm long, 17 cm wide, and 3.5 cm high (including the wheels), which is apparently a reference to the Jumbo Lottery. The gyoza "deck" of the board weighs about 120 grams fully cooked), which is equivalent to about five regular gyoza dumplings (22 to 24 grams each), making it quite a mouthful.

Read more, including shop info...

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/features/food/tokyo-gyoza-shop-hopes-their-skateboard-gyoza-set-will-boost-your-luck-at-year-end-jumbo-lottery