The difference between vending machine in Europe and Japan is that a lot of vending machines in Japan are located outside, on the streets where people can buy the beverages anytime. There are also many vending machines at the stations, even at the platforms.
The other difference is that you can buy both cold and hot beverage at the same machine in Japan.
Anyway, selling a hot bottled beverage at the vending machine in Europe is not common at all. Then, the interesting thing of Japan is that there are vending machines for alcohols too. Beer, sake and flavored shochu. On the other hand, vending machine for snacks is uncommon in Japan.
I think buying a beverage is so easy in Japan. Vending machines are everywhere even outside of city and so called convenience stores are everywhere too. If you woke up because you were thirsty in hotel in Prague, the only solution is to drink the beverage in the minibar and pay it later when you check out. Many hotels in Japan do have fridges but usually they are totally empty. On the other hand, mostly the vending machines are located on each floor. You just need to sneak out from your room and walk a few meters with your pajama and buy the beverage which is sold almost same as local stores.
The most thing to appreciate is that the beverages are sold nationwide in Japan for same prices. A same size of Coke is sold same price on streets of Tokyo or on street of a village in Hokkaido. The prices can be higher in case you are buying from the vending machines in ski resorts or certain places where consumers are limited. However you will never face a double price in Japan, even at the airports.
The photo is a vending machine on limited express Shiokaze. This machine is quite strange due to offering just cold beverages even in winter. If the price is marked as blue, it is cold beverage. If it is red, it is hot. Unfortunately no English explanations for the beverages but I think you can guess it easily.