Now this is all well and good and there is nothing so odd about it, but there have been some rather inflammatory and unsavory rumours regarding a certain type of "white machine" that dispenses not only panties, but used schoolgirl panties.

What can one make of this scurrilous hearsay? Well, it is completely true. At least, it was completely true. In the early 1990's there began a enterprise involving three business men.

They positioned and stocked about 90 vending machines in outer Tokyo with used underwear that was "guaranteed to have been worn by a Japanese schoolgirl." The price was about $29 USD. The authorities were not amused.