Pre-2020, few would salivate over a hot meal from a vending machine. But in the pandemic context, with hygiene and health concerns rife, these machines are giving frontline workers safe, touch-free access to plant-based food within high-risk hospitals.

Tech startup Civic has taken one of our most beloved purchases, beer, and eradicated the need to carry an ID when you want to buy it. Using blockchain, this new tech hints at changes taking shape in the way we verify who we are in an increasingly online world.

Coca-Cola Amatil has announced it will accept various cryptocurrencies at its vending machines around Australia and New Zealand. Not only is it riding on the growing acceptance of alternative currencies, but it also demonstrates the role crypto payments could play in a touchless economy.

How are Gen Zers ushering in the end for gender binaries? Why might city life change for good? And what might solo living look like in the post-pandemic era? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats and case studies to explore the behavioural norms shared by Japanese people in 2021.