{"id":3569,"date":"2020-06-09T13:55:19","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T04:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vhbloglive.wpengine.com\/?p=3569"},"modified":"2022-12-22T10:30:02","modified_gmt":"2022-12-22T01:30:02","slug":"convenience-stores-japan-vs-the-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.villagehouse.jp\/en\/japanese-apartment-life\/convenience-stores-japan-vs-the-us\/","title":{"rendered":"Convenience Stores: Japan vs the US"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you travel\nanywhere in the world you will find that convenience stores will be common, no\nmatter what form they take. In our article, we look at the similarities and\ndifferences between stores from Japan and the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you travel\nthe world and visit other countries, you will find that they all share some\nthings. One of the most common things they may share would be convenience\nstores. They take different shapes or carry different items, but the core of\nthe store will remain the same no matter where you go. In Japan, the\n“convenience” in “convenience store” is taken to a different\nlevel. We will compare Japanese convenience stores to their western counterparts\nin the US to see how different the same kind of store can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Japan\u2019s Way<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When first\nlooking at the two countries\u2019 convenience stores, you have to look at the\ncountries they preside in. Japan has a certain way of placing its stores and it\nmakes sense that they do it the way they do. Japan has all their stores\ncompletely separated by item type. For example, if you want medicine you go to the\ndrugstore which has a few food items but is mostly for things like medicine,\nhealth care products, cleaning products, and hygiene items. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you go to the\nconvenience store in Japan, or as they call them konbinis, you are there for\nsnacks, drinks, and other small things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US version\nwill always have a gas station or pumps attached to it. The state and local\nareas determine any other extras that the store may have for customers to use.\nSome will have a full restaurant built into them while others focus on\nsouvenirs and small electronics. Japan konbinis will all do the same thing with\nfew having extra services or items.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Similarities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s look at\nwhat things are similar between the two countries’ shops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n