convenient eats

[pirate]

A very interesting post. I'm looking forward to the future ones. Would it be against the rules to post the name of the store at which the purchase was made?

[Hiroyuki]

I found this great webpage, "Prefecture-by-prefecture market share details", created by an individual not by a corporation.

According to this, in 2000, Sun Every has a market share of 0.64 in Japan (16th place) (based on the number of stores), and Timely 0.37% (19th place), but it has a large share of 16.5% in Gifu prefecture. Neither convini has any stores in Niigata prefecture; no wonder I know nothing about them.

Top page of the site

[torakris]

I have never seen either of those stores here in Yokohama either.

pirate,

there is nothing wrong at all with posting the names of stores, in fact I would love to hear what others recommend and where to find it.

[teamboom]

My boyfriend and I are currently in Tsuyama in the Okayama Prefecture and there is a Lawson that is about 2 minutes from the house we are staying at.

Let me tell you, the Lawson folks already know us and wave at us when we pass by!

It's super affordable and pretty good food, especially for us students!!

I have yet to try the oden but I probably will before we leave on Saturday to go to Tokyo!

The service at the konbini is amazing as well! Lawson is definitely one place I am going to miss when I get back home.

[GlorifiedRice]

So, what are those signs supposed to mean to you??

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I was bored and when Im bored, I make link lists.

Its fun and you find interesting links and stuff along the journey.

I was trying to compile a list of all the homepages of all the Combinis in Japan...

(I already made a list of all the franchise restaurants and supermarkets in the USA)

This is what I have so far...

http://www.lawson.co.jp/index.html

http://www.natural-lawson.co.jp/

http://www.sej.co.jp/index.html

http://www.family.co.jp/

http://www.circleksunkus.jp/

http://www.hotsparcvs.co.jp/

http://www.seicomart.co.jp/

http://www.ampm.co.jp/home.html

http://www.saveon.co.jp/

http://www.ministop.co.jp/

http://www.poplar-cvs.co.jp/

http://www.c-store.co.jp/

http://www.daily-yamazaki.co.jp/index.html

http://www.cocostore.jp/

http://www.three-f.co.jp/

http://www.shop99.co.jp/

http://www.kyushu-cvs.co.jp/every/

http://www.an3.jp/index.html

http://www.tac-mate.com/

http://www.pipit.ne.jp/

http://www.applemart.co.jp/

http://www.cicomart.co.jp/

http://shinsengumihonbu.com/

I cant find websites for these:

JC (JR Convinience)

Snackpia

Timesmart

THREE EIGHT

KURASHI HOUSE

Heart-in

RIC Mart

Camel Mart

Hiromaru Chains

Hot Spa

Sunevery,

Kurashi House Group,

Heart-in,

Everyone,

Timely,

Tic-Tac

KCS (Kanto Convenience Society),

Shop and Life,

[Hiroyuki]

OK, GlorifiedRice, I don't share your interest in konvini, but searching for konbini-related info was interesting, and made me realize that konbini come and go!

Here are some results:

JC (JR Convinience)

Formely called JC and now NEWDAYS,run by EAST JAPAN KIOSK

http://www.ej-kiosk.jregroup.ne.jp/cgi-bin/index_new.cgi

Snackpia

No info. Is it really a convine chain?

Timesmart

Now a subsidiary of Shinozakiya

http://www.shinozakiya.com/

THREE EIGHT

run by Poplar

http://www.poplar-cvs.co.jp/

KURASHI HOUSE

also run by Poplar

Seikatu Saika (生活彩家) is also run by Poplar.

Heart-in

run by WEST JAPAN RAILWAY DAILY SERVICE NET COMPANY Co., Ltd.

http://www.dailyservice.co.jp/

Daily-in is also run by the same company.

RIC Mart

Apparently, they don't have a website.

Camel Mart

Once run by Camel Mart Japan, which transferred some of their stores to Family Mart.

Some Camel Mart stores are still run by individuals.

Hiromaru Chains

Purchased by Poplar.

Hot Spa

http://www.hotsparcvs.co.jp/

Sunevery,

No website. "Yamazaki Daily Store" and "Sunevery" are being switched to "Daily Yamazaki".

http://www.daily-yamazaki.co.jp/index.html

http://www.daily365.net/index.html

Kurashi House Group,

Same as Kurashi House?

Everyone,

http://www.kyushu-cvs.co.jp/every/index.html

Timely,

Now part of Yamazaki

http://www.yamazakipan.co.jp/

Tic-Tac

Now a subsidiary of Poplar.

KCS (Kanto Convenience Society),

http://www.kcs-hp.com/

Shop and Life,

Purchased by CICO MART CO., LTD., which went bunkrupt in 2005.

[GlorifiedRice]

Cool Beans Hiroyuki...

[sk_ward]

Since it has been so cold recently, I've been looking for warmer things to eat during lunch. In any conbini, the assortment of "just add hot water" types of soups is very impressive! It's not just cup o' noodle style soups, but also soba, udon, harusame, and even kanten noodles. All kinds of vegetable soups, chicken stews, and miso soups are also available. The sodium content in most of them is horrible, but you can manage to find some that actually aren't that bad for you. I was on a harusame noodle soup kick for a while, but today and yesterday I enjoyed the chicken cream stew. Soup along with an onigiri is a pretty decent quick lunch!

[torakris]

I picked this up at a 7-11 yesterday for lunch.

Pasta (spaghetti) salad with grilled chicken and a Japanese dressing. I actually enjoyed it more than I thought it would and it was also more filling than I thought it would be.

[shinju]

I guess they don't call it the lazy days of summer for no reason....

convenient store lunch again....

Mine is the soba, Hide chose a corokke (croquette) burger.

This soba was soooo good! It had deep fried gobo (burdock root), scallions, carrots and grated daikon, I don't think I have ever licked a bowl clean before.

Everyone in Japan, run out to 7-11 now!

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Torakris - that gobo looks so good. Never thought of deep fried gobo with soba. Great combination!

[torakris]

A recent lunch from the convenience store

ham-katsu sandwich (I was craving a tonkatsu sandwich but this worked ), a new drink from Kirin Lemon and an onigiri with ginger pork and a spicy mayo.

[torakris]

A lazy mom's lunch from the convenience store

[Hiroyuki]

My family went to the public bath nearby last night. Before going there, we dropped by the 7-11 conbini to buy some food for supper.

Top: Chahan and tuna mayo rice balls for my daughter

Bottom: Sekihan (glutinuous rice with azuki) ball and grilled rice ball with okaka (seasoned bonito flakes) in it for my son

My selection:

Wafu (Japanese-style) bento.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

A lazy mom's lunch from the convenience store

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What are the deep fried things? The oval one looks like a corroke, but the longer one has me stumped. I don't read much Japanese at all, so the labels don't help me.

My selection:

Wafu (Japanese-style) bento.

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That looks delicious!

[JasonTrue]

The left, lower item is a "curry donut" and the center, lower item is "curry pan" or curry bread.

What are the deep fried things? The oval one looks like a corroke, but the longer one has me stumped. I don't read much Japanese at all, so the labels don't help me.

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[MomOfLittleFoodies]

Thanks Jason!

I've had curry pan before... the one I got had sugar sprinkled on it. Is that normal?

[JasonTrue]

I've never seen it that way, but since curry pan in Japan usually involves some sort of shredded pork or other meat, I haven't eaten it very often.

(In Seattle one of the local Japanese-style bakeries made theirs only with potato so I've tasted a not-very-remarkable version, and unwittingly eaten some made with pork).

Thanks Jason!

I've had curry pan before... the one I got had sugar sprinkled on it. Is that normal?

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[torakris]

I've never seen it that way, but since curry pan in Japan usually involves some sort of shredded pork or other meat, I haven't eaten it very often.

(In Seattle one of the local Japanese-style bakeries made theirs only with potato so I've tasted a not-very-remarkable version, and unwittingly eaten some made with pork).

Thanks Jason!

I've had curry pan before... the one I got had sugar sprinkled on it. Is that normal?

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I have never seen currry pan with sugar sprinkled on it, it doesn't sound very good.

The longer curry pan in my picture also has a sausage inside, thus the long shape.

[Hiroyuki]

On May 5, we went to Yuzawa Kogen. On our way there, we dropped by the Lawson conbini to buy lunch. My daughter chose this:

A packet of three onigiri. 375 yen. Raw cod roe, ikura, and grilled pickled salmon. She said she liked them.

[GlorifiedRice]

BTW Im sorry I have yet to deliver on those promised pics of the inside of an American 7-11 and a Wawa. I'll make sure to do that this week...

[JasonWV]

WOW!

About the only thing I ever bought to eat at a 7/11 here was a bag of Cheetos and a pack of peanut butter cups!

SB (Must visit Japan some day)

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I know this isan't all I can get is a a Sobe and a pack of jerky. I mean we never have anything that looks that good some old prepacked sandwichs and pepproni rolls thats about it. Just not fair! LOL

[GlorifiedRice]

http://i7.tinypic.com/534nbbo.jpg

This is what I bought at Maido (Japanese Market in the Philly Burbs)...

LOOK! Onigiri next to the Pocky!

[rcarter]

Wow! I have never found onigiri in a Japanese market in the DC area. Where in the Philly Burbs is Maido?

[GlorifiedRice]

http://www.maidookini.com/

Their website.

They NEED more publicity. They serve Yakisoba, Okinomiyaki, Onigiri (Kombu, Salmon, Codroe, Tuna etc) Curry and Miso Soup.

[rcarter]

Thanks! This is worth a road trip!