Konbini

Konbini

Explore the heart of Japanese daily life through its iconic convenience stores! For any visitor to Japan, it becomes immediately clear how central the convenience store (or ‘konbini’) is to everyday life. Different to our understanding of the convenience store in the US, Japan’s three huge chains – 7 Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson – are the beating heart of the nation. Locals will pop into the konbini multiple times a day for household items, umbrellas (during those summer storms), manga and, of course, food — in all its forms. From instant snacks, onigiri, lunch bento, steaming oden, the fluffiest cheesecake slices and pot noodles. Through more than 110 recipes, this book celebrates the sometimes odd, always delicious offerings through recipes and stories, as well as delving into the history of this peculiarly Japanese cultural icon.

Consuming Life in Post-Bubble Japan

This multidisciplinary book analyses the contradictory coexistence of consumerism and environmentalism in contemporary Japan. It focuses on the dilemma that the diffusion of the concepts of sustainability and recycling has posed for everyday consumption practices, and on how these concepts have affected, and were affected by, the production and consumption of art. Special attention is paid to the changes in consumption practices and environmental consciousness among the Japanese public that have occurred since the 1990s and in the aftermath of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters of March 2011.

Japan Now