Convenience stores in Japanese are very… well, convenient. However, not all convenience stores are treated the same. Take it from fellow wota to give you the proper breakdown.
Sourced from a recent discussion on Japan’s internet basement known as 2-channel, a recent thread provides a very succinct and concise review of Japan’s various convenience store chains, or “conbini” as they are known in every Japanese language.
The breakdown goes sometime like this:
1. For bento lunch boxes, go to Seven Eleven.
My personal favorite: if for nothing else than the fact that 7-11 Automated Teller Machines are able to accept debit cards issues by foreign banking institutions.
There was also the fact that the lovely ladies from Nogizaka46 happened to be working at a 7-11 in Tokyo as part of a promotional event. I never wanted to go to 7-11 so bad in my life.
2. For ice cream, go to Lawson.
Convenience store ice cream has always left much to be desired in my personal experience. That being said, I’m certainly no conbini store ice cream connoisseur.
3. For magazines, go to Family Mart.
Unfortunately, the only magazine’s I buy happen to be manga magazines, which are generally available pretty much everywhere.
Normally I would ask if anyone agrees with this assessment, but judging from 2-channel’s comments, that’s far from the case:
- “48 wota’s probably don’t anything besides Seven and Family”
- “If I can buy tickets at 7-11, I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”
- “I’m a Lawson guy”
- “If you ever learn to to the grocery store, you’ll realize that convenience stores are a terrible rip-off.”
- “Lately it feels as if foreigners crowd around the bento sections in convenience stores”
- “This is laughable!”
EDIT: Speaking of convenience stores…
