Can confirm what others have posted, i tried some random snacks/sweets in some of the 711 stores in Japan and they were really good, for some reason I was not expecting it to be so good.
Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
91–100 of 119 posts
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
IDK man - this is sort of true, but I think you under-estimate how quality and price scale. A Jumbo-Choco-Monaka at 7/11 is still a fantastic value at ¥160 even if you adjust for purchasing power. GDP Per Capita (PPP) is about $85K in the US and about $60K in Japan, but even granting a 2x increase for California then a $2 choco-monaka would be a steal. As it is, I just spent $4.50 for an Its-It about an hour ago and…
$85K vs $60K ...to give you some idea the typical wage in Okinawa for a combini job is about $6/hour. I think the income disparity is larger than those numbers suggest. FWIW Japanese people living there tell me combinis are expensive based on their salaries and I believe them.
IIUC Japanese budgets are different. They spend comparatively less on housing and transportation than Americans. The Anglosphere in general has somehow developed a rather toxic status quo when it comes to that first basic need, with everything else only being slightly cheaper.
I would rather pay 15% more on goods and 30% less on rent.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
How is this waste dealt with in Japan? Why can't whatever-that-is be implemented in the US?
Badly. Until a few years ago there was a franchise-wide rule that no food could be discounted even if it was close to expiry, so either the staff/owners bought them and ate it themselves, or it went in the dumpster. Giving expired food to homeless people is not really a thing there either.
Convenience stores changed a lot around 2010 when they started real time tracking Every Damn Thing. Even in the mid 00s staff ate, took home, or gave away whatever they wanted to from the expired pile.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#94I wonder how 7/11 in the US will change now that the Japanese version bought out the US version. Will we actually have hot and prepared food like Japan? I doubt it, seems the supply chain infrastructure just isn't there.
7/11 Japan really benefits from urban density, which in turn makes the distribution of fresher food and smaller footprint stores much more of a factor.
The distribution network even shows up in maps. There will be clusters of 7/11 in Japanese cities which is more efficient than spreading them equally.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#95Earlier quoted context omitted.
$85K vs $60K ...to give you some idea the typical wage in Okinawa for a combini job is about $6/hour. I think the income disparity is larger than those numbers suggest. FWIW Japanese people living there tell me combinis are expensive based on their salaries and I believe them.
IIUC Japanese budgets are different. They spend comparatively less on housing and transportation than Americans. The Anglosphere in general has somehow developed a rather toxic status quo when it comes to that first basic need, with everything else only being slightly cheaper. I would rather pay 15% more on goods and 30% less on rent.
> I would rather pay 15% more on goods and 30% less on rent.
Exactly. Housing and the housing market in Japan is an interesting beast. Based on my limited understanding as someone who has sort-of briefly looked at buying a home in Japan, houses are not really financial investments. For example, compare house prices in Japan (including the land) with a house in Australia.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#96I wonder how 7/11 in the US will change now that the Japanese version bought out the US version. Will we actually have hot and prepared food like Japan? I doubt it, seems the supply chain infrastructure just isn't there.
I was in 7/11 in the US and they sell egg sandwiches. coincidence?
Did you try one? Egg sandwiches really aren't my thing but I've always wondered if the US version comes close to the quality of the Japanese version even if some of the details (like presence of bread crust) differ.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#97Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are expensive by Japanese standards. Assuming you're American, you're benefitting massively from the exchange rate.
And how had the Japanese inflation / cost of living changed over the last 10 years or so? I went there in 2015 and now hearing this I'm strongly thinking about paying another trip there... I mean, back then 1 EUR bought 135 yen and now it's 185, and I already remember restaurants to be pretty cheap for the average quality, while hotels/apartments sucked a bit - especially in room size.
From my experience prices have gone up (relative to salaries) however the weaker yen means you won't notice it.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
Badly. Until a few years ago there was a franchise-wide rule that no food could be discounted even if it was close to expiry, so either the staff/owners bought them and ate it themselves, or it went in the dumpster. Giving expired food to homeless people is not really a thing there either.
If that works (badly) in Japan, then why can't it work (just as badly) in the US? What new impediment does the geography bring to the table?
People and customs related to food are not primarily geographic in nature. Japan is a strongly ordered society, not a roiling chaotic mess like the US. When people run into trouble they often hide their shame and starve themselves rather than beg for food. And it isn't like the network of food banks in the US was easy to set up or keep running.
Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#99Earlier quoted context omitted.
Android doesn't support suica for public transport but you can still use Google Pay most of the time. Except when you randomly can't! Unlike other countries you still need to take a credit card (and maybe even some cash) as backup.
"Unlike other countries you still need to take a credit card (and maybe even some cash) as backup" "still" I take a reliable CC and cash any fucking day over Apple and Google Pay or any shit payment "app" like Revolut which simply blocks you out of your account if on a device they seem to not like / that is not attested, while preventing browser-based usage. You stupid tech bros. Appps, apps, apps, everything via an…
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Re: Toshifumi Suzuki, founder of Seven-Eleven Japan, has died
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
They are expensive by Japanese standards. Assuming you're American, you're benefitting massively from the exchange rate.
It's not the exchange rate. It's 30 years of economic destruction and currency devaluation as the end result of horrific spending policies. If Japan doesn't right the ship, they'll sink into middle income territory over the next 30 years. Poland and Greece are now just slightly below them in GDP per capita - and Lithuania is above them (unthinkable circa the mid 1990s). Realistically Japan is very close to being a se…
Is it their spending habits and resulting expenditure on infrastructure or is it their currency policies to try to boost exports? Not challenging but asking for clarification.