What is this, you and I see in the far distance? A bright sign illuminates the air space around it, and come night fall, it will one of few that will stay on for a very, very long time. Can you figure it out? It is the konbini (the convenience store)!
Because there are so many convenience stores in Japan, there has been a large debate on whether or not this convenience is good to have 24-hrs a day, ecologically speaking. (Fukuda, The Japan Times Online; http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080717f1.html).
Today, over 43,087 convenience stores provide the quick-stop shop for travellers and store neighbors alike. This trend in Japan started in the early 1970's with a few stores and now has become apart of neighborhood structures, being as close as up to one convenience store every 2-3 blocks. (Nagata, The Japan Times Online;
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080513i1.html)
Personally, the convenience store has provided me food and drinks for lunch and those late-night cravings. Though they are no substitute for the good old fashion supa, they do provide a fast and cheap service for the person on the go.
The question in debate of this popular part of Japanese culture, is whether or not people really need all of this convenient service. Are Japanese people, in general, leading the busy lives that is suggested by the amount of convenient stores in the small country? Personally I think, maybe just maybe, in some parts of Japan, but not all.
(All photographs were taking by me, Rochelle R., personally)
Convenience stores are an interesting and timely topic. How do they represent popular culture?
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