I was near Osaka about 1 months for work. For me, the main reason there are so much vending machine is the absence of theft and vandalism.
We visited the countryside, people there have their own version of automatic vending machine: there are racks alongside the road, the grower put his fresh vegetables in compartiments with price on a label. Buyers come, take the good and put the money in a box. Deal done.
Honor wagons are still a feature on some back roads in my county in WI. Flatbed farm wagon, whatever produce is in season, box for cash. Not as many as there used to be, but it’s convenient.
I assume if theft were a problem, the practice would end. Of course, this is an area where you still might wake up to find someone *donated* an overabundance of zucchini to you, stacking it by your mailbox.
we have those kinds of farmstands here. produce and box for money to make change.