Beppu Jigokumeguri Vending Machines

This photograph shows a trio of commercial beverage vending machines standing side-by-side on a paved surface, set against a backdrop of green trees. Each machine is uniquely colored—green, red, and blue—and all feature a horizontal band of yellow and black tiger stripes at the bottom, referencing the traditional attire (tiger-skin loincloths) of Japanese demons known as Oni. On the mid-section of each machine, a cartoon illustration of an Oni is depicted: a green Oni on the left, a red Oni in the center, and a blue Oni on the right, each holding a tetsubo (iron club).

The imagery connects to the 'Jigokumeguri' (Hell Tour) of Beppu, a famous geothermal tourist destination, which draws upon the Buddhist iconography of the afterlife, where Oni serve as wardens of the infernal realms.