This umbrella vending machine is both good looking and very, very convenient indeed. Good work Japan.The Japanese seem to be very fond of both vending machines and umbrellas it seems. Perhaps they are in short supply in the future, or perhaps, are a lost technology from the Dark Ages of Technology of the 21st Century!
Since we are not in the future here we will never know the fate of our civilizations. Clearly, such a limited resource needs protection at all times hence the need for 'bike-lock' umbrella stands.As technology progresses their tends to be a trend towards miniaturization of parts and appliances. If we follow this trend forward logically everything can be shrunk to as small as reasonably possible.
That's exactly what has happened in Japan. Even their fast food restaurants are unrecognizable to us in the past. How cute.As populations grow and space becomes an ever-increasing premium in the future the obvious solution is to pack as many people into one place as possible. This is exactly what we see in the future of Japan withNow you can live out your fantasies of living sleeping like characters from your favorite sci-fi film.The Japanese love their hotels, and robots it seems.