Japan : fastfood paradise ?

[yukio_michael]

I hope this thread silences all of the ill-informed Western dilettantes who make every attempt to extol the virtues of Japan based on their every-so-healthy diet. I suppose then, that they'll claim that this sort of food was forced upon the Japanese, by the Franchise-Colonialists, imposing their will upon Japan.

I think the Japanese diet is much more diverse and expressive than other diets, but I wouldn't go out of my way to talk about how especially healthy their food options are--- I've never seen an empty Mr. Doughnut, or Mac'Do...

I looooove Jonathons (Jona' shite ne!?) though, and I really do like the Denny's in Japan... Hell, I miss it right now, wish I were there.

ps. Anyone who has lived in Japan for a prominent amount of time, especially locals, should know what an ICON Colonel Sanders is/was...

pps. I have NEVER been to a Famimart... odd... Lawsons yes, Famimart, no... Has anyone seen SHOPQQ (the kyu kyu being the .99 in the 99 yen... clever clever) ?

[craftsman]

Here's a popularity ranking of fast food outlets in Japan:

1. McDonald’s
2. Mos Burger
3. Mister Donuts
4. Yoshinoya (gyudon, beef bowl)
5. Kentucky Fried Chicken
6. Matsuya (gyudon, beef bowl)
7. Sukiya (gyudon, beef bowl)
8. Lotteria (burgers)
9. Nakau (gyudon, beef bowl)
10. Freshness Burger
11. Subway (sandwich)
12. First Kitchen (burger)
13. Wendy’s (burger)
14. Tom Tom Hamburger
15. Becker’s (hamburger)

Based on this poll.

How can anyone rate a Big Mac over a Moss Chilli burger? It's madness. A whole different category of grilled meat pleasure.

But lets face it - they may read like a list of different outlets and meals but it's the same slop in different packaging.

If only that slop didn't taste so damn good sometimes.

[Maciamo]

pps. I have NEVER been to a Famimart... odd... Lawsons yes, Famimart, no... Has anyone seen SHOPQQ (the kyu kyu being the .99 in the 99 yen... clever clever) ?

The presence of convenience stores depends a lot on the area in which you live. In Kyoto you see Circle K everywhere, but there are very few in Tokyo. On the contrary Am Pm is almost only found in Tokyo. I am still amazed at the number of combini per square kilometer in Tokyo. Within 5 to 10 min walk of my house in Tokyo there were 5 Family Mart, 4 7Eleven, 4 Sun Kus, 4 Am Pm, 2 Mini Mart, Daily 1 Yamazaki, 1 Poplar... and not a single Lawson. 21 combini within a 1 km radius, that's madness !

[nurizeko]

Combini should be called convenie, because their so handy.

Especially in a country where shopping for the up-coming week is nearly un-heard of.

also...

MOSBURGER!!!!!

[Mike Cash]

Within 5 to 10 min walk of my house in Tokyo there were 5 Family Mart, 4 7Eleven, 4 Sun Kus, 4 Am Pm, 2 Mini Mart, Daily 1 Yamazaki, 1 Poplar... and not a single Lawson. 21 combini within a 1 km radius, that's madness !

There are even places where there is a convenience store located next door to....another convenience store. There are plenty where they are located on diagonally opposite corners of the same intersection.

They build new 7-11s within a couple hundred meters of where a previous 7-11 went broke. Even out here in the wilds of Gunma you can often stand at one convenience store and see the sign of the next one down the road.

I can remember when they used to be useful reference points for drawing maps or giving directions. Now they're so common that including them more often adds to the confusion than it provides clarity.

[Maciamo]

There are even places where there is a convenience store located next door to....another convenience store.
There are plenty where they are located on diagonally opposite corners of the same intersection.

It is the case in the neighbourhood where I lived. There are clusters of 2 or 3 combini at a few major intersections. There are also 5 family marts on the same road on a 1km stretch (so 1 every 250m in average). Rectification, there are 5 but 6 Family Marts within 10min walk from my house in Tokyo, so 22 combini in total.

[nurizeko]

Hmmm by the sounds of it I must have been staying it a relative Combini desert.

There was only 3 that I knew of it reasonable walking distance.

A good few more though if you consider longer walks.

[pipokun]

Lawson, the 2nd biggest convenience store chain, announced they would start the kid care service.
Funeral service industry will be a huge market here. Actually I heard an American entrepreneur is now struggling for the market and the biggest American company is preparing for it.
I bet the convini will start certain services in the near future.

Not communism but convinism would offer the cradle to the grave service.

[Maciamo]

Hmmm by the sounds of it I must have been staying it a relative Combini desert.
There was only 3 that I knew of it reasonable walking distance.
A good few more though if you consider longer walks.

However, supermarket-wise central Tokyo isn't that convenient. There were only 1 medium-size supermarket, and 2 small ones with 10min walk, as opposed to 2 big, 2 medium and 5 small ones (including one which is a tiny combini-size) where I live now.

[Han Chan]

The Mcdonnalds in Japan have some quite strange items on the menu. I newer went to any "Makudo" as they call them in Kansai. I wonder if I should try an Ebi-burger next time I go to Japan?

The US Embassy's homepage writes: "For those who want to taste something with a hint of familiarity, heading over to an American fast food joint may also be an interesting experience. McDonald's Japan offers items unheard of in the U.S. (except in Hawaii), such as the teriyaki burger, shrimp nuggets, the shrimp fillet burger, the tomato chicken fillet burger or the cheese demiglace burger".