No, the machines I got ice cream from were dispensing real, solid ice cream. They were shaped as cones and on sticks for easy handling, but they were real ice cream, not that soft-serve crap.
Yes, I imagine these machines would have to be pretty robust to maintain those temperatures in Japan's hot climate.
Note: some varieties actually had waffle cones; others did not. There were also handy recycling bins right next to the ice cream machines, placed by the vendor, just for the rubbish from that machine.
Yes, I imagine these machines would have to be pretty robust to maintain those temperatures in Japan's hot climate.