Little-visited Japan town partners with a startup to sell souvenirs

SHIZUOKA, Japan — The town office of Higashiizu, along a peninsula southwest of Tokyo well known for its hot springs, has come up with a novel approach to attracting tourists, unstaffed souvenir shops.

Its three Dozo shops, provided by Tokyo-based startup Newpeace, look like enlarged vending machines with Japanese tiled roofs. To buy something from one of these machines, shoppers use their smartphones to scan QR codes.