Among the most reliant on the machines are ramen shops, which serve one of the Japanese working class’s favorite, most affordable meals.

Ramen, wheat noodles in a richly flavored broth, became an integral part of Japanese cuisine after being popularized in the 1980s as the country’s economy took off.

So after Japans economy took off, cheap affordable food for the working class became popular? Guess someoneclass didn’t see those gains.