<span class="gmail_quote"></span>J@pan Inc Newsletter<br><br>The 'JIN' Japan Inc Newsletter<br>A weekly opinion piece on social, economic and political trends<br>in Japan.<br>Issue No. 435 Wednesday October 10, 2007, Tokyo
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<br><br><br>It is natural that a good deal of relationships, whether they be
<br>with other human beings, places, names or random inanimate <br>objects are best described in the simple binary love/hate.<br>Love/hate relationships are the result of our unique <br>capability of being able to identify pros and cons and
<br>constantly question and evaluate the things that enter into <br>our spheres of existence. This week we focus on an unavoidable<br>part of life for anyone living in Japan, and with which many<br>have one of the schizophrenic love/hate relationships described
<br>above: the convenience store. <br><br>There are over 40,000 of these oases of snacks and facilities <br>in Japan compared with around 23,500 elementary schools. <br>Moreover, the trend is towards an increase in the number of the
<br>former, and a decrease in that of the latter. The 'konbini' has <br>developed from a place to buy a quick feed and a can of drink <br>into a store where it is also possible to pay bills, post <br>letters, make photocopies, take out cash, book cinema and
<br>concert tickets and more. <br><br>Interestingly, each prefecture in Japan has its own pecularities<br>regarding convenience stores. In parts of Okinawa for example, <br>the chain 'Hot Spar' (apparently related to the European chain,
<br>Spar) have a monopoly in certain areas while in Tokyo they are <br>difficult to find. Meanwhile at the other end of the country, <br>Seicomart are dominant in Hokkaido operating roughly 1000 stores<br>up there. <br><br>
Convenience stores can be both a blessing and a curse depending <br>on how you look at them. The case for pros and cons may be <br>summarized as follows:<br><br>PROS<br><br>*24 hour: It is easier to buy a can of beer or a coffee at 3am
<br>in rural Japan than in the heart of London after 12pm.<br><br>*Facilities: You can go to the toilet, get photocopies, cash,<br>pay bills, book tickets, charge up your phone and so on- they <br>are convenient....<br><br>
*Food & Drink: They stock a range of foods suitable for a quick<br>and relatively cheap breakfast lunch and dinner. Also, possible<br>to grab quick gifts, party food and frozen food.<br><br>*Reading: Without having to buy it is perfectly acceptable to
<br>pop in and glance at a map, read a comic book or browse though<br>the magazines.<br><br>*Health & Beauty Goods: Pick up anything from toothpaste to <br>razors and from make up to sanitary towels.<br><br>*Electronic Goods: Buy blank tapes, CDs, batteries, emergency
<br>phone chargers and other gadgets. <br><br>*Customer Service: Staff in convenience stores are on the whole<br>extremely well trained and polite. They greet customers <br>properly, wear a uniform and run to the register when required.
<br><br>*Air-con: We've all done it. In the summer, convenience stores <br>are great places to take a break from the heat.<br><br>*Employment: Convenience stores are well staffed and create jobs<br>for people where they spring up.
<br><br>CONS<br><br>*Unhealthy food: Convenience Store shelve the strangest of<br>food that Japan has to offer including spaghetti filled rolls,<br>strawberry and cream sandwiches and mayonnaise parcels. Many <br>of these taste good but the point is, 90% of it junk food.
<br><br>*Energy Waste : The bright lights, air con, refrigeration units <br>and ovens use immense amounts of energy much of which is <br>unnecessary waste. One medical scholar has even suggested that<br>'bright light in the evening...inside the convenience store may
<br>promote a circadian phase delay in students' - a cause of <br>insomnia due to its effect on salivary melatonin.<br>(<a href="http://www.jcircadianrhythms.com/content/2/1/4" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.jcircadianrhythms.com/content/2/1/4
</a>)<br><br>*Excess Bags: If you buy a drink, a hot snack and a lunch box <br>there is a chance that you can walk out of a convenience store <br>with at least four layers of wrapping excluding the plastic <br>bags. <br>
<br>
*Community Decay: convenience stores make it much easier for <br>family members to eat outside of the home and have put many <br>local 'mom and pop' stores out of business.<br><br>*Trash: products from convenience stores tend to come in
<br>packaging that is difficult to recycle. <br><br>*Prices: Not only are all products slightly more expensive at <br>convenience stores compared to other places, and there are also<br>extra ATM charges.<br><br>Aware of their weaknesses some convenience store chains have
<br>tried things to combat them, for example, introducing a <br>healthier option for foods. Lawsons even make a clear push for <br>their awareness of Corporate Social Responsibility with their <br>philosophy of 'Happiness and Harmony in Our Community'
<br>(<a href="http://www.lawson.co.jp/company/e/corporate/idea.html" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.lawson.co.jp/company/e/corporate/idea.html</a>)<br>However, it is difficult to know what to make of such words
<br>and gestures.<br><br>As a business 'konbinis' are an interesting story. Much has been
<br>written in the past of 'konbini culture' and the business model<br>was analyzed in 2000 by a J@pan Inc journalist <br><a href="http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=284" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://www.japaninc.com/article.php?articleID=284
</a>. In more <br>recent times, partnerships between convenience stores and other<br>companies such as banks or mobile phone carriers have become <br>more and more frequent. Last month Japan Post opened their first<br>in-store outlet at Lawsons in Kyushu while earlier this summer
<br>FamilyMart linked up with NTT DoCoMo in a capital tie-up: <br>together they plan to introduce a system whereby customers can <br>pay for goods wirelessy via their mobile phones. On the other<br>hand, franchises have suffered of late with sales having been
<br>in steady decline for over a year. Tokyo centered Sunkus <br>suffered a 2.7% decrease in share value after it predicted a <br>first half profit reduction of 20%.<br><br><br>Perhaps this fluctuation of fortunes for convenience stores is
<br>related to the love/hate relationship between the stores and the<br>consumer. Ultimately, while there may be the occasional tiff, it<br>doesn't look like it is a relationship that is going to end any <br>time soon. For the negatives such as unhealthy eating, trash
<br>and expense, there is much that can be achieved by<br>a bit of consumer responsibility. On the part of the stores, <br>however, a toning down of the lighting and a little less zeal<br>in the offering of plastic bags mightn't be a bad thing.
<br><br>By Peter Harris<br>Chief Editor<br><br>Want to comment? It is now even easier to voice your opinion<br>than ever before! Simply visit <a href="http://www.japaninc.com/jin435" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
www.japaninc.com/jin435</a> and<br>post a comment below the article. Alternatively, you can email
<br>it directly to the author at <a href="mailto:peter.harris@japaninc.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">peter.harris@japaninc.com</a><br><br><br>-----------------------------------------------------------
<br><br>Japan's First Family Social Network is here!
<a href="http://www.piqniq.jp" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.piqniq.jp</a><br><br>Are you raising a family in Japan? Do you speak English?<br>Would you like to meet other English speaking families in
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<br><br><br>++EVENTS<br><br>------------------- ICA Event - Oct 18 --------------------
<br><br>SPECIAL JOINT EVENT with the AUSTRALIAN NEW ZEALAND CHAMBER<br><br>Speaker: Robert Burnside - President, Empowr<br>Topic: Using 'Stories' to Create Winning Presentations<br><br>Details: Complete event details at
<a href="http://www.icajapan.jp/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.icajapan.jp/</a><br>(RSVP Required)<br>Date: Thursday, October 18, 2007<br>Time: 6:30 Doors open, Light buffet, soft drinks included
<br>Cost: 3,000 yen (members), 5,500 yen (non-members)
<br><br>Open to all-venue is The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan<br><a href="http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://www.fccj.or.jp/aboutus/map
</a><br>-----------------------------------------------------------
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