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Japanese convenience stores are so awesome that if they offered to let you sleep on a cot in the backroom, you could live in one for your whole life and basically never want for anything.
In addition to all the delicious junk food, the endlessly flowing booze, coffee and other drinks, the ready-made meals (that have a sort of “slithery” quality and are one of the few things in a convenience store you should stay away from), and various daily necessities odds and ends, you can also withdraw cash, buy tickets for soccer matches, concerts and events, make copies, print photos, and probably clone your pet or something.
But things are about to get even more awesome. Check out the things you’ll soon be able to do at your local combini.
For starters, the already hi-tech copy machines sitting at the entrances of most convenience stores will receive a plethora of new functions. Starting last year and running through 2014, convenience stores are introducing copy machines that can: Register a change of address with the government, print hanko personal seal registrations, register new family members, and print resident cards.
And that’s just at the major convenience stores. At select locations, you can also: Print astrological fortunes, print lyrics and sheet music for your favorite songs, print newspaper editions from the day you were born, and make personalized fliers (for missing pets and such).
There are also smartphone applications available to make the process easier, so you can send the required information and data ahead of time and get everything all primed for your convenience store visit. Which is great, because even though we speak Japanese perfectly well, we’ve spent over an hour in front of one of these copy machines just trying to figure out all the buttons and flashy lights before finally giving up and running, screaming and flailing, from the store.
Source: Naver Matome
Read more stories from RocketNews24. -- 5 reasons Japanese convenience stores rock -- 10 things Japan gets awesomely right -- Too lazy to cook? Try these new ready-made meals from Japanese convenience stores
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11 Comments
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sensei258
"the ready-made meals (that have a sort of “slithery” quality and are one of the few things in a convenience store you should stay away from)," Are you kidding me? The 7/11 obentos are awesome!
Badge213
JT, this article needs to be corrected. The machines can't print residence cards, instead they can print Residence Certificates eg your JUMINHYO, which often googletranslates mistranslates into Card.
Not mentioned in all of the article is that to do all of that stuff like change your address, print your residency information, print seal registration, requires you to possess a JUKI-CARD issued by the city office. The machines will do none of those items without your juki-card and pin number.
I know because this system has aleady been deployed in my area the last year.
This article needs to be cleaned up!!!
CajunH2O
I agree. Ready made obentos are great lol
Gudni Gudnason
It is a fact that the food at the Japanese convenience stores are often better then what you get from some restaurants in the US or elsewhere.... The bentos are great and these stores get my vote very time! Yes a very sarcastic article, did not serve any purpose! Making these stores better? just because the photocopy machines will do more???? those machines have been available all over Japan for a few years now so this is just coming into the convenience stores for the first time, so what??? Keep it real man!!!!
Olena Nekrasova
Very sarcastic article. Convenience stores make your life convenient. That's why you can find them at every corner in Japan. If you want to indulge yourself with great quality expensive stuff, go for it. There are so many gorgeous restaurants, electronic and department stores all over the country. Full stop. :-)
Pandabelle
The conbini bentos are surely one of the highlights of the conbini experience. I can't believe someone would suggest otherwise....
winniethep
Conbinis bento was great until I start regularly at work. for me, the best service out of all is their ticketing service! I can buy airplane's ticket, concert's, etc without need to go to any specific ticket shop!
psychopathsareincontrol
agreed conbini bentos are great - i've had ekiben that's worse
igloobuyer
Or, Japanese could become more Internet literate like the rest of the world. I can do all of these from my New York bedroom - can even order Japanese bento direct to my door, yum.
Cliffy
I thought they are going to put a 3D printer there. Then, it may not be too far away also.
Pandabelle
You can print your hanko registration from your New York bedroom? Your residence certificate?
Impressive!