Tucked away in a small retail strip near 6th Avenue and Lawrence Street in Eugene is a retail space filled with Japanese-style vending machines.
Yamada Vending Co. owner Eimi Yamada started the store two years ago after being laid off from a healthcare company. She was looking for a business with flexible hours.
Yamada Vending isn’t usually staffed — a QR code helps get you in the door. Inside, there are dozens of machines containing food, drinks, stationery and toys that she sources from small businesses in Japan. The vending machines, too, are shipped overseas. Yamada said it takes about two months for each one to arrive from Asia…