Starbucks in talks to open in last Japanese prefecture

This is hilarious. I Can imagine all the people of tottori descending on starbucks like zombies ..

World domination complete! :P

If Starbucks is smart enough, they should sell wine like what they did in US. (I know a few big States have that)

Its a good place to run a pilot project like that. If it works then expand the success to other asian countries.

I lived in Edogawa - too many elderly people. Way too many. But she sheer number of families (esp. housewives) would make up for it if they were to open there.

There are even two Starbucks in Maebashi, Gunma (I lived there a number of years ago)!

On an unrelated note, I was chatting with a staff member there and asked why the coffee is so weak - turns out Starbucks uses a lower-quality bean than even 7-11 for their coffee, hence why you need at least a double shot to get any flavour.

Still a dreadful "coffee" nonetheless. Went bankrupt in Australia for good reason!

"I Can imagine all the people of tottori descending on starbucks like zombies"

Maybe they'll go because unlike traditional kissaten, the air inside isn't thick with unpleasant cancer-causing smoke that leaves a lingering odor on one's clothes.

@warispeace

Also, we know that women are paid less and many are temp workers, so this will also lower labour costs.

I lol......I dont know what you are talking about...For female babyboomers dont have specialize skill or university degrees...then yMAYBE.. I just don't see women (the new generations) graduated from Universities will be paid at minimum wages... Don't always assume you can beat women in a math contest.

Beside Japan is not labour intensive country compared with China or other south east Asian countries..

The real $$$ that boost the Japanese GDP is from the technological sectors (I dont want to go into it. Has to do with Hedge funding). Anyways, imagine what 1% of the smart japanese women can thrive in jobs like pharmacists, lawyers,physicians and surgeons..etc...

You gotta look at the entire population to make a conclusion... By focusing only in a small sample size will likely yield a incorrect result.

Back on topic please.

@Reckless

I thought they were gonna say Saga prefecture

I was wondering if it was Miyazaki Prefecture...

The only place they'll open a Starbucks in Tottori Prefecture is probably near Tottori Station in the prefectural capital, in my humble opinion.

The one they just opened in Matsue had the zombie apocalypse recently. Lines were out of the city.

I lived in Tottori-ken, great place. Deserves a sorta cheap and bigger size coffee (normal coffee shop sizes are stupidly small) place.

Just before reading I guessed Kumamoto. Bears don't drink coffee do they?

@Upz11, I'm not surprised the new Starbucks store in Matsue became very popular--people forget the part of Shimane Prefecture from Matsue to Izumo is still fairly popular with tourists, especially with the JR West Yakumo limited express train going there 15 times per day from Okayama.

But getting back on topic, it'll be very interesting to see how well that Starbucks store in Tottori does. I think it'll do okay because of the tourists visiting the famous sand dunes near the city.

Now Japan as a whole can buy over-priced, over-caffeinated drinks.

So Edogawa-Ku here in Tokyo is as bad as Tottori????!!! Stupid Star Bucks!!!

Sadly, Starbucks will indeed likely open up in Tottori City, the prefectural capital, rather than Yonago City, an hour and a half west (and much better place, IMHO). I'd rather it came to Yonago, to be honest, but then again, Yonago isn't really part of Tottori anyway. Everyone knows it gets along with Shimane-ken much better anyway. :-)

Besides, Yonago's got a number of fairly good local coffee shops that do an admirable -- albeit overpriced -- job of getting us our caffeine fix. We can live without Starbucks (or take a 25-minute drive down to Matsue if we're really jonesin' for a hit).

Dammit Starbucks, stop taking over the world.

McDonald's did it. Why not Starbucks? ;-)