Japan Runs on Vending Machines. It's About to Break Them

Gift link: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/world/asia/japan-bank-not...

> Japan is set to introduce a new set of bank notes this summer, something it does every 20 years or so to thwart counterfeiters.

> New yen notes [...] won’t be compatible with many machines that businesses like ramen shops rely on.

> The country has 4.1 million vending machines...

Sure sounds like planned obsolescence, at scale.

Not being the pro here, but something tells me that they've already figured it out when they do it every 20 years.

What do you think? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyl-RDs-IC0

Why would this not be resolved with a firmware patch?