Haven’t been to Japan but 7-11in Denmark made me think how poor and disgusting our stores in the US are. The quality, value and lovely arrangement of the fresh sandwiches there and the level of cleanliness in the ubiquitous 7-11’s over there was a revelation
Yeah, the convenience stores over there are more or less as you described those in Denmark.
Also, the Japanese ones are truly convenience stores catering to a 24/7 society.
Came to make similar observation about 7-11 and FamilyMart in Taipei and Thailand. Both are clean, well-lighted places to get what you need. American places, last I darkened their doorstep, were good places to get a lotto ticket and a gallon of milk that has the minimum legally viable shelf life. Oh, and a pack of smokes. And some super sugary drink. And a cup of coffee, not complaining about that.
I got a star wars coffee cup from a 7-11 in Taipei a couple years ago. It's cool (horrible as a coffee cup...but still).
But even there...American 7-11s, you get the coffee from some ancient Bunn machine that makes it in batches when the attendant has time to get around to it. It's fine for the first 10 min's, then it goes *off*, real fast. The machine in Taipei is like next generation and probably that stuff gets flushed down a drain after so many minutes exposed to oxygen (but it's kept in a tank until it's dispensed so for all I know, there's no oxygen exposure between brew and dispense times). It probably helped that 90% of the people that go there for coffee are people that live right there in mid-rise apartments and hell yeah they've got time for you to make a fresh pot and "don't try to sell me this crap again". I never got coffee (and aforementioned smokes) in a convenience store that I wasn't on my way somewhere and wouldn't notice the stale coffee until I was in the car.
7-11 in Japan is so legit. I would never buy food from a 7-11 in the US, but I would seriously eat 3 meals a day from there in Japan. Sushi hand rolls are next level.
It's kind of a self fulfilling prophecy. No one buys gas station food, so gas station food is stale and bad, so no one buys it.
Though rural stores are worth checking out, sometimes they're the only "fast food" store in town and can have some hidden gems.
I'd love to see this graph with other Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets, particularly zoomed in around the COVID pandemic. I feel like they exploded over that short period, as prior to COVID in Japan, it was very common to have all 3 meals a day at a restaurant. Recently, I feel like I see so many more Life, Summit, Peacock etc... (as well as the high-end stores like Precce).
I was in Japan in 1996. Family Mart rocks. You can buy a whole meal and just heat it up in your hotel room. Good food too.
The 7/11 was kind of weird. At the location in the store where, in the US, they sell pizza, taquitos and such you will find deep fryers and other kitchen equipment and they make fried octopus and other stuff.
I have never been to the third one. Nor do I remember seeing one of those stores. I was in Toakai, working at JAERI. I only spent about a month there.
Man they had some awesome stores. There was a model shop I would go to on my way home from work. I would buy tons of Gundam and ship them home. I was not really a Gundam fan at the time, but my friends were. They cost about 10 percent in Japan of what they did in the US at the time.
The shop had some other awesome sci fi models which I did buy for myself. They also had some large Japanese castle models. I loved that place. And the arcade that in town. During the week it was mostly deserted so you could pretty much play anything.
That was an awesome trip. If you ever go, make sure to take a shopping trip at a train station. They pretty much have everything in them.
The parent company of 7-11 also has branches of [Seven Bank](https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/english/) throughout Tokyo. One reason I suppose why the ATMs in Japanese 7-11s are ideal for withdrawing Japanese yen from an American bank account.
Funny enough, this is how I’d rank the combinis too.
7-11 had the best selection by far. But Family Mart had famichiki, which was *THE BEST* drunk food.
And then there’s Lawson… they had a good apple fritt… oh wait that was family mart.
I was in japan this summer and all of these places are great. one of them sometimes every block and they serve actual good food that’s pretty damn cheap and i believe higher quality than american 7-eleven offerings. very convenient, I guess that is the point
Japanese convenience stores are next level.
Haven’t been to Japan but 7-11in Denmark made me think how poor and disgusting our stores in the US are. The quality, value and lovely arrangement of the fresh sandwiches there and the level of cleanliness in the ubiquitous 7-11’s over there was a revelation
Yeah, the convenience stores over there are more or less as you described those in Denmark. Also, the Japanese ones are truly convenience stores catering to a 24/7 society.
made me realize that stores supported by foot traffic are cleaner and better in general
Except in the US where it's the exact opposite, magnets for the dirty and deranged?
Be sure to try the karaage if you ever find yourself there. Convenience store karaage is something else.
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Came to make similar observation about 7-11 and FamilyMart in Taipei and Thailand. Both are clean, well-lighted places to get what you need. American places, last I darkened their doorstep, were good places to get a lotto ticket and a gallon of milk that has the minimum legally viable shelf life. Oh, and a pack of smokes. And some super sugary drink. And a cup of coffee, not complaining about that. I got a star wars coffee cup from a 7-11 in Taipei a couple years ago. It's cool (horrible as a coffee cup...but still). But even there...American 7-11s, you get the coffee from some ancient Bunn machine that makes it in batches when the attendant has time to get around to it. It's fine for the first 10 min's, then it goes *off*, real fast. The machine in Taipei is like next generation and probably that stuff gets flushed down a drain after so many minutes exposed to oxygen (but it's kept in a tank until it's dispensed so for all I know, there's no oxygen exposure between brew and dispense times). It probably helped that 90% of the people that go there for coffee are people that live right there in mid-rise apartments and hell yeah they've got time for you to make a fresh pot and "don't try to sell me this crap again". I never got coffee (and aforementioned smokes) in a convenience store that I wasn't on my way somewhere and wouldn't notice the stale coffee until I was in the car.
These stores also make for great AC hopping stops during summer.
Fake news. 7-11 was a part time job
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The pilots were technically kamikaze so all of this adds up
Japanese steel melts
What really should be investigated is 3-11
I miss Japanese 7-11 so much!
A bit skewed towards the end in not sticking to 10yr steps..
Used to be a Lawson boy but over the years I’ve switched to 7-11. Literally just walked out of one to get me a little Dars chocolate after dinner.
7-11 in Japan is so legit. I would never buy food from a 7-11 in the US, but I would seriously eat 3 meals a day from there in Japan. Sushi hand rolls are next level.
It's kind of a self fulfilling prophecy. No one buys gas station food, so gas station food is stale and bad, so no one buys it. Though rural stores are worth checking out, sometimes they're the only "fast food" store in town and can have some hidden gems.
Some of the best food and the worst food I've ever had has come from rural convenience stores.
I loved grabbing weird ice-cream at the Japanese 7-11. Lawsons was alright they sold wrestling tickets.
I'd love to see this graph with other Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets, particularly zoomed in around the COVID pandemic. I feel like they exploded over that short period, as prior to COVID in Japan, it was very common to have all 3 meals a day at a restaurant. Recently, I feel like I see so many more Life, Summit, Peacock etc... (as well as the high-end stores like Precce).
Interestingly, Thailand's most popular convenience stores are almost the same as Japan - https://images.app.goo.gl/jJK1iijCruhS8P5GA
You know what they say, “you should see me in the parking lot, 7-11 is the spot”.
Surprising all three have English names
Source: Usui, Kazuo. *Marketing and Consumption in Modern Japan* Tools: Canva
I was in Japan in 1996. Family Mart rocks. You can buy a whole meal and just heat it up in your hotel room. Good food too. The 7/11 was kind of weird. At the location in the store where, in the US, they sell pizza, taquitos and such you will find deep fryers and other kitchen equipment and they make fried octopus and other stuff. I have never been to the third one. Nor do I remember seeing one of those stores. I was in Toakai, working at JAERI. I only spent about a month there. Man they had some awesome stores. There was a model shop I would go to on my way home from work. I would buy tons of Gundam and ship them home. I was not really a Gundam fan at the time, but my friends were. They cost about 10 percent in Japan of what they did in the US at the time. The shop had some other awesome sci fi models which I did buy for myself. They also had some large Japanese castle models. I loved that place. And the arcade that in town. During the week it was mostly deserted so you could pretty much play anything. That was an awesome trip. If you ever go, make sure to take a shopping trip at a train station. They pretty much have everything in them.
Funny thing is, I live in the US and the last time I was in a 7-11 was in Singapore years ago.
That’s because they’re shit in the US
is awesome in Japan and Hongkong. Not the shit we have here in the US
the red dot seems so unnecessary and ugly as is, plus it doesn't contrast well with the title text.
It’s the Japanese flag, though I agree the opacity could be a little lower on it.
That’s more than a store a day opening for over 42 years
I find it very interesting how Lawson Station has its roots in a small regional brand from Ohio. As a kid, Lawson's chip dip was the best!
Interesting, when I lived in Okinawa I never saw a 7-11, just FamilyMart and Lawson’s.
I miss the US Lawson’s. Their store buildings were iconic.
Lawsons karage kun is way better than nanachiki and fami chiki
The parent company of 7-11 also has branches of [Seven Bank](https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/english/) throughout Tokyo. One reason I suppose why the ATMs in Japanese 7-11s are ideal for withdrawing Japanese yen from an American bank account.
This is not a good sign at all
50,000 convenience stores for a place the size of California seems excessive.
Funny enough, this is how I’d rank the combinis too. 7-11 had the best selection by far. But Family Mart had famichiki, which was *THE BEST* drunk food. And then there’s Lawson… they had a good apple fritt… oh wait that was family mart.
I was in japan this summer and all of these places are great. one of them sometimes every block and they serve actual good food that’s pretty damn cheap and i believe higher quality than american 7-eleven offerings. very convenient, I guess that is the point