It is 10:00 in a Tokyo 7-Eleven, and I’m standing shoulder to shoulder with a dozen vacationers, all clutching baskets loaded with the identical issues: fluffy egg mayo sandwiches, katsu curry buns, matcha Equipment Kats and heat cans of Boss espresso pulled from heated cabinets. Behind me, somebody pictures their haul earlier than they’ve even reached the until. Each few seconds, the acquainted convenience-store chime declares one other arrival. No one is right here as a result of they’ve run out of toothpaste. We’re all, fairly brazenly, purchasing for the expertise.
