Photo/Illutration Ayumi Nakanishi stands beside a vending machine for products of her Nakanishi Horror Sweets Factory confectionery in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, on Sept. 13. (Kazuhide Setoguchi)

TOYONAKA, Osaka Prefecture--One of the more popular vending machines in this city is not for the faint-hearted.

Painted with large bloodshot eyeballs, the machine is located in a spooky corner of Osaka Monorail Co.’s Osaka-Airport Station.

Products in the machine include chocolates and cookies shaped like human body parts.

In mid-September, the machine was offering eyeball-shaped chocolates for 500 yen ($3.50), finger-shaped cookies (600 yen), ear-shaped cookies (500 yen), an assortment of fingers and another eyeball (900 yen), and other items.

It was set up by Ayumi Nakanishi, 43, operator of the Nakanishi Horror Sweets Factory confectionery in the city.

“I had always thought it would be great to see my sweets lined up at an airport and elsewhere as souvenirs from Toyonaka,” she said. “I owe the city so much for such a long time.”

She came up with the idea about 10 years ago when she wanted to give her eldest daughter something fun.

Inspired by sweets she saw at a Halloween party when she was staying in the United States, Nakanishi baked finger-shaped cookies for the daughter.

The cookies received favorable reviews after Nakanishi posted photos on social media. Her friends asked her to make some more.

She also started cooking up other horror-themed sweets, such as eyeball jellies and brain cheesecakes.

She received so many requests that she founded the confectionery studio in 2014. Nakanishi quit her job at a hotel to concentrate on her work as a confectioner.

Sales were limited to online purchases, but many customers wanted to buy her sweets at a physical store.

Nakanishi consulted with officials of the local chamber of commerce and industry late last year for advice on selling her spooky sweets through a vending machine.

The officials referred her to Osaka Monorail Service Co. in Suita, which is in charge of maintenance and management work for Osaka Monorail’s cars and stations. It also operates kiosks and vending machines.

“We thought it was interesting because (her sweets) can’t be found anywhere else,” an Osaka Monorail Service representative said.

But there were concerns.

“We were not sure whether the machine would be accepted at a public place like a train station,” the representative said.

Nakanishi and the company decided on painting eyeballs for the machine, the most visually striking design among her four concepts.

They also agreed that the sales lineup center on moderately priced goods.

Nakanishi invited members of the chamber of commerce and industry to the Aug. 8 unveiling ceremony.

“I was so happy to see my wish fulfilled to sell (my sweets) as local souvenirs,” Nakanishi said.

But sales went beyond expectations.

The midsummer Bon holidays began soon after the machine was set up, and many people making homecoming visits and other tourists bought the ghoulish goodies at the station.

Nakanishi had to refill the machine every day.

“I had no time to feel at ease because I couldn’t cook a big batch of cookies at one time,” she said.

She said that when she was replenishing the machine one time, a middle-aged corporate worker on a business trip from Tokyo bought three boxes of the sweets, saying they looked amusing.

She said she found the machine even more rewarding because many people told her they never had a chance to buy her sweets because they were sold only online.

The buying frenzy eased in September. But another surge in sales occurred after the vending machine was featured in a TV show.

Nakanishi plans to increase the supply of T-shirts and other goods. But for now, she is preparing for Halloween on Oct. 31.

“October is the busiest month of the year, but it may be even busier this year. Unlike usual years, I can’t make plans,” she said with a smile.

“I hope my sweets will take root as confections locally produced in Toyonaka, and that I can install vending machines at major stations and airports congested with tourists.”

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