[driscoll42]

I visited Tokyo a few months back, and while the convenience stores seemed nicer than equivalents in America, I also wasn't particularly impressed. I think if I had just encountered them I'd be impressed, but the internet has hyped up the convenience stores of Japan so much I thought they'd blow me away. They're nice, they're good, but not amazing.

[shiroiushi]

They are amazing, compared to anything in America. That's why they're amazing: you have to think about who's calling them "amazing", and where they came from.

It's like visiting Japan, and going to the restroom. If you just came from America, the experience is truly amazing, because 1) the restroom is clean, and 2) the restroom has privacy (no gaps around the doors, no giant gaps so people see your feet and pants pulled down), and 3) random stuff in the restroom isn't broken, and finally 4) there's a washlet.

If you came from a country where stuff is clean and kept in good order, and the bathrooms are pretty nice, then the Japanese bathroom would not be so amazing, except maybe for the washlet. But coming from America, where most of the features of Japanese bathrooms I listed above are not the case for most bathrooms, the Japanese bathroom is an amazing experience.

Basically, things in Japan are how you'd expect a well-run civilized society to be, so when you come from a place that is poorly run and not as civilized as it claims to be, then things in Japan do seem amazing for a while.

[linguae]

I concur. I’ve been to Japan 11 times in the past 15 years, including an eight-month stay in 2010. Japanese convenience stores are nice, and they’re certainly nicer than their American counterparts, but when it comes to food, whether pre-packaged or prepared, I’ve found better deals for food at grocery stores. Granted, konbini prices are reasonable, and it’s hard to find grocery stores in central Tokyo locations like Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Akihabara; a konbini is much easier to find, and you can’t beat the 24/7 schedules of konbini compared to the restricted hours of grocery stores. However, in the residential parts of Tokyo there’s usually at least one grocery store near a train station.

I must say, though, that the Family Mart konbini near the hotel I stayed at two months ago was amazing for being able to order off Amazon Japan and picking up deliveries there. This is something I wish I discovered many trips ago.

In general, though, I concur with your assessment; konbini in Japan are nice but they’re not mind-blowing.

[FredPret]

The deep fried chicken cutlet from 7-11 for $1 is everything I want in a retail establishment