| Convenient stores in Japan can be
found all over the
place. They are on just about every street, and even in some larger
buildings
such as train stations and shopping centers. A few of the common stores
are
Family Mart, Lawson, Circle K, 7/11, Bell Mart, and Daily Yamazaki.
Family
Marts are most prominent in Nishioji, but Lawson stores are most
popular in Kyoto city. 7/11’s are
found in every town, and at most train stations because they are nice
medium
between the smaller convenient stores and the large grocery stores. You
can
find a little bit of everything in these stores, which is nice if you
need to
grab something on the run. Everything from food to cosmetics, school
supplies
to toiletries can be found in these little shops. |
|
They are open 24 hours a
day, 7 days a week, which is
“convenient” for those of us who get that late night urge for a cup of
noodles
or a light pastry snack. The best part about them is that they are
relatively
inexpensive compared to other places, which is always nice. They are
obviously
a little more expensive than a supermarket, but for the most part they
have
decent prices. You can always find college students or young
businessmen in a
convenient store in the middle of the night because there is always
someone who
needs to make a snack or alcohol run at 2am. Most of the time
you can find
an employee that speaks English, which is helpful for foreigners. I
have found
that all of the managers speak fairly good English, so you can always
ask to
speak to the manager if you have a question. If I were to compare these
little
shops to an equivalent in America,
I would say that they are similar to a 24 hour Walgreens.
|
|
|
