The convenience store (the “combini”) is an institution in Japan. The combini is the go-to place for everything from snacks to Manga, from photocopies to bento boxes. You can pay your bills at the combini – just bring in your water bill, they scan a bar code at the bottom, you pay the bill (to the cashier), and they stamp your bill paid. Some combinis even have a shipping service – last time we went skiing, we just brought Michael’s ski gear down to the corner 7-11, got round trip delivery to our bed and breakfast and back again to our apartment.
The most colorful (ahem) aspect of the combini, however, is The Swamp. You will notice The Swamp from the moment you enter, if only because of the smell. Every combini has a tank of simmering chunks of edibles near the cash register. The Swamp could contain tofu, hot dogs, various seafood on a stick or any variety of other delights.
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