Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

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kndy
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by kndy »

Lawson is having a Gintama campaign...

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http://lawson.eng.mg/b7bdb
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by greg »

Convenience stores are truly convenient in Japan. I can pay my utility bills there, my cell phone bill, and I can pay for online purchases such as from Amazon Japan and Yodobashi Camera. You can buy discount movie tickets at the computer kiosk there, as well as bus tickets and such. The ATM is convenient, although unfortunately the ATM is not 24 hours. The food is very great there, too. I've been very surprised how great the packaged ramen is at 7-11 (not cup ramen, but the refrigerated stuff that comes with the soup in a bag), as well as the udon. Of course, the magazines and manga are great (but I cringe at the sight of the "big boobies" section). Last night I bought the yellow, green, and red Gundam Cup Noodle packages that come with the mini gunpla. Right now, you can even buy fireworks there. Summertime is the time for fireworks and kakigoori (shaved ice) in Japan. I wasn't very impressed with the selection of ice cream at Circle K the last time I looked for that there.

7-11 remains my favorite, and I am glad that there is one within easy walking distance from my home. Just a little bit further is a Family Mart.
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by kndy »

greg wrote:Convenience stores are truly convenient in Japan. I can pay my utility bills there, my cell phone bill, and I can pay for online purchases such as from Amazon Japan and Yodobashi Camera. You can buy discount movie tickets at the computer kiosk there, as well as bus tickets and such. The ATM is convenient, although unfortunately the ATM is not 24 hours. The food is very great there, too. I've been very surprised how great the packaged ramen is at 7-11 (not cup ramen, but the refrigerated stuff that comes with the soup in a bag), as well as the udon. Of course, the magazines and manga are great (but I cringe at the sight of the "big boobies" section). Last night I bought the yellow, green, and red Gundam Cup Noodle packages that come with the mini gunpla. Right now, you can even buy fireworks there. Summertime is the time for fireworks and kakigoori (shaved ice) in Japan. I wasn't very impressed with the selection of ice cream at Circle K the last time I looked for that there.

7-11 remains my favorite, and I am glad that there is one within easy walking distance from my home. Just a little bit further is a Family Mart.
I agree!!! Personally, when I go to Japan, I prefer to eat a conbini because I can save money. It's interesting because I buy things like I do when I'm in the US...I don't mind holding multiple bags, but when I was in Kanagawa, some of the university students were like "uwaaaa...." but I prefer to purchase a lot to keep me going for a week, instead of having to go back every day. But that's just me.

Greg...one suggestion that you should do for a video for youtube, purchase an Ichiban Kuji from the konbini and with our video in English, teach foreigners how people can purchase them. A lot of English youtube videos are primarilyreviews but nearly all in-store purchases on how or what they bought are all Japanese. A friend saw the videos but didn't know what to do when he was in Japan... So he bypassed it. It's not hard but I guess for those who don't know the language, even a little, might think it's too challenging for them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi9mCmF9zYk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoStZWsVjss

I want to buy the Gundam Cup Noodle but people charge way too much. But I was able to get a Takamina Cup Noodle from a buddy who went to Japan during the Christmas holiday. He got for like $6 while on eBay they were going for $25 + $8 shipping.

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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by greg »

I don't see how people can sell Cup Noodles on eBay or anywhere. I have a friend who wanted me to buy him the three different varieties (I just included those in my latest Japanese snacks video 11), but I have had customs seize cup ramen I'd mailed to friends in America. That and Coco Ichibanya curry packages. They don't like meat products. I sent a package of those to my friend in Hawaii, along with a figure of the bunny carrot chick from Densha Otoko. Customs opened my package, confiscated the ramen and the curry, and all he got was the anime figure. US Customs officials are bullies, and I have seen them buffaloing people at the airport in Los Angeles. I swear, LAX can be the worst airport. I saw one jerkwad accusing this one woman for taking porkk sausages into the country the last time I flew to the US. It was so clearly fish sausage, and she was telling him that, but he couldn't read kanji and he was on a power trip. I was tempted to defend her against the douchepickle, but I didn't want to get in trouble.

So $25 each plus shipping, huh? Wow... Some guy on YouTube offered to buy just the Gunpla off me, and I offered to send the three to him for $30.

I've never bought an Ichi-ban Kuji ticket before. Those are a raffle drawing, right?
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by greg »

I saw this yesterday at Family Mart:
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This T-Point card with Hatsune Miku looks real cute. T-Point Cards are used for renting and buying stuff at Tsutaya. I use my card at Eneos gas stations mainly to gain points for spending at Tsutaya. I applied for a T-Point credit card a year ago after I first moved from America, but I was turned down. Now that I've been here a while, maybe I can try for it again.
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by kndy »

greg wrote:So $25 each plus shipping, huh? Wow... Some guy on YouTube offered to buy just the Gunpla off me, and I offered to send the three to him for $30.

I've never bought an Ichi-ban Kuji ticket before. Those are a raffle drawing, right?
Geez...those cheap KFC bottles for "Dragon Ball Z" movie a few months ago were selling for $80 for the whole set. But considering the size and the boxes, I know shipping would be around what $20 or so.

As for "Ichiban Kuji", every month or year, various stores have these contests where people purchase an Ichiban Kuji ticket at a Konbini or dept. store, they scratch it and they can win a prize.

This is the website: http://www.1kuji.com/ and the items: http://www.1kuji.com/item

A lot of anime-themed prizes, so you scratch them off and you can win something basic, something very good or something extreme.

The price of an Ichiban Kuji though is $5 and up.

So, for Gintama it is 600 Yen....you can win one of the following items: http://1kuji.bpnavi.jp/item/574/, Gundam UC is the same price and you can win: http://1kuji.bpnavi.jp/item/550/ and Ultraman Wizard: http://1kuji.bpnavi.jp/item/547/ (there are so many campaigns going on)

for K-ON!, it is 800 Yen and you can win one of the following items: http://1kuji.bpnavi.jp/item/531/

Some kombini, you pay and get your scratcher, some stores have Ichiban Kuji machines.

But the last one I did (through a friend who went to Japan back in January) was an AKB48 Ichiban Kuji which was $5. I scored a mini-buttons, photo of Yokoyama Yui and an autographed photo of Itano Tomomi. He himself spent $35 but didn't get anything special...basics.

But I think this is addictive for some people because it's like the lottery. Some go out and buy 5000 yen in hopes they would score something huge, but it's a gamble.

I wouldn't mind trying twice once in awhile. But that's about it.
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by kndy »

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If you go to a konbini, please let me know how the "Baki the Grappler", Tyrannosaurus steak flavored chips are! Lol...
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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by kndy »

Lawson posted a photo of their ichiban kuji for "Gintama":

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Re: Convenience Store (Konbini) Thread

Post by greg »

[quote="kndyGeez...those cheap KFC bottles for "Dragon Ball Z" movie a few months ago were selling for $80 for the whole set. But considering the size and the boxes, I know shipping would be around what $20 or so. [/quote]
I bought several to sell on eBay. I listed them on here and a few other forums, but there's been no takers. Each bottle cost me 1,000 yen. Sure, they also came with a chicken leg and a small bag of fries, which was food I would not have otherwise spent money on anyway. I've seen people on eBay selling them for $25 each. I asked for $15, but by now I think I will just settle for about $10 each. I don't have a complete set (the bottles are randomly put in boxes and you can't decide which you get), but I'll be willing to sell the set of 5 that I own for $40.

At 7-11 and some other retailers, they were giving out Gundam papercraft heads with the purchase of two packages of Fits chewing gum by Lotte. I still see the gum, but I no longer see the papercraft. I built the Zaku one, but didn't finish the Gouf. I started a video of making those. I should get around to completing it.
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