Tokyo gets its first Bitcoin ATM–at The Pink Cow of all places

While most ATMs in Tokyo are located in convenience stores, in train stations, or on important street corners, Tokyo’s first fully operational Bitcoin ATM is located in The Pink Cow, a Cal-Mex restaurant and bar in the middle of Roppongi. The bar is a popular expat hangout in the city, and is a gathering place for artists and musicians. More recently, the restaurant has been home to frequent gatherings of Bitcoin fans in Tokyo, and incidentally became the first restaurant in Japan to accept Bitcoins.

According to Jeff Quigley at Tech in Asia, as of Friday, the ATM had been used 75 times since it was unveiled. Despite the collapse of Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, this February, when the theft of several hundred thousand Bitcoins forced the company to declare bankruptcy, it seems that faith in the virtual currency is still strong.

Just make sure that you don’t withdraw your entire savings while inebriated. The staff at The Pink Cow are notorious for being generous with the alcohol when they mix cocktails. (I would know since I worked behind the bar for a year.)