Combini

1998-10-25

A Combini is the Japanese term for a Convenience Store.  The Japanese language has no V sound and so they usually use B instead and the Japanese like to shorten things so for example Word Processor is Wopuro and Personal Computer is Pasocom.

I feel that Japaese Combinis are much better than their American counter parts even if many of them are run by the same companies.  For example in Japan they have 7 Eleven, Circle K and AM/PM from America.  They also have Family Mart, Lawson and a few others.

I'm not sure how much better they are will come across in these pictures but it seems like although they have all the standard junk foods they also have many other things.   You can actually get a pretty descent meal at a combini, something I think you'd be hard pressed to do at most American convenience stores.  Then there are just the differences that come from being in another country.  For example they have different brands of potato chips and different drinks.

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Here's the freezer ice cream.  As opposed to the indivudual ice creams for immediate consumption which is in another section.

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Here are a bunch of teas.

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And some of the soft drinks.

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They sell many beauty supplies

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Including lipstick, nail polish, eye liner, etc.

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And of course we can't forget instant noodles of every variety.

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Then there are basic cooking supplies.

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The dairy and juice section.  Cold coffees are very popular.

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Potato Chips.  I've had bacon flavored, takoyaki flavored (bbq octopus), tandori chicken flavored (Indian), chicken karage flavored (fried chicken), wasabi flavored (horseradish), bbq beef flavored, and many others.  I've also had sweet potato chips.   It seems like every couple of weeks some company introduces a new flavor

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They sell underware, socks, shirts, panties etc.  I guess that's for various emergencies?

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This is a machine that for a fee will download a Super Nintendo game into a special reprogramable cartridge.

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This is the oden pot.  All those things are soaking in a hot soup stock.   Each one costs about 100 yen or $1.

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These are man.  Note: "man" rhymes with "swan".  The idea came from Manapua or Chinese Bow.  They have all kinds and they are in this steaming thing so they are nice and moist.  The original, Niku−man (meat bun) has beef in it.   The 4 most common are Niku−man, Kare−man (pronounced Kaw−Ray) which is Japanese for Curry, Piza−man (pronounced Pi−Za like the leaning tower of ...) which has a pizza like filling and An−man which has sweet red anko beans inside.  Some stores also sell Purin−man (pudding),  Meron Kurimu−man (Melon Creme), Choco−Banana−Man (Chocolate−man with banana filling). Very few places sell Buta−man (pork) or Chashu−man (bbq pork, the kind I'm used to from Hawaii and Chinatown in LA.)

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This is one kind of dessert area.  Most of these are either types of Jello or fruit jellys or flan or pudding.

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This display is for video games and music CDs and videos.  Usually the top 5 or 10 of each can be found at most combinis

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All combini's have various kinds of hot foods.  Usually in the fridge but they will nukem for you.  I've had Katsudon (battered pork and egg on rice, Spagetti Carbonara, Omurisu (Rice Omlette), Pizza.  They've usually got 25 or more kinds of stuff.

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They also have lots of baked goods all fresh every day.  I've never seen anything be there more than a day.

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They have all kind of sandwiches around $2 each.

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Of course we can't forget Onigiri (rice balls) and other rice goodies.

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And more dinners like sobu (noodles) and other things.

They always have a school/office supply section.  A large selection of magazines which they don't mind if you read (people are always reading magazines in the combinis).   A chocolate section.  A kids candy section where most of the candy comes with a toy.  A refrigerated dessert section with things like cream puffs and cheesecake and other cream filled pastries.  An ice cream cone popcicle section and the beer section.   You could live pretty easily on nothing but combini food.

Comments
Asakusa
Food