Per capita sugar consumption in the US

It is hard to imagine two more culturally dissimilar growth industries than the Japanese vending machine fleet and the American sugar intake, and yet between 2014 and 2022 they have ascended together (r = 0.959) with the quiet companionable air of two systems that understand their customer. One sells hot coffee at 3 a.m. in Hokkaido; one sells, essentially, everything else, sweetly. Both answer the same question: 'now?' Yes, now.

Japan's vending machines number roughly 4 million, one for every 31 citizens, and their offerings have expanded into hot soups, fresh eggs, umbrellas, and increasingly, vegan protein bars; US per capita sugar consumption, meanwhile, climbed back toward the 70 pound mark after a brief health-conscious dip, driven by flavored coffee drinks, sauces, and the hidden sugars in 'savory' products that Americans do not register as dessert. The underlying driver is the same: the 24-hour consumer who cannot be expected to walk anywhere, wait for anything, or notice a label. Both infrastructures were built, cheerfully, around that person.

A can drops in Shibuya. A glass fills in Kansas. Both transactions complete without a word exchanged.