Breakfast at 7-11 in Tokyo

Breakfast at 7-11? Only in Tokyo!
I would like to suggest that if you are going to Japan you spend some time wandering around convenience stores. 7-11 is a great place to start, but there are many others. They are similar yet so very different from the Quickie Mart places you might be familiar with from the U.S. On a recent trip I was amused to find a popular place that advertised “Family Market – Alcohol & Cigarettes.” Super.
So, there are many things you will find at a 7-11 in Tokyo that simply do not ever exist at, say, a 7-11 in South Dakota. There generally are no beef sticks, beef jerky or other meat treats. In Japan there is an alternative and that is ‘ika’ or squid. It is prepared in a similar fashion to beef jerky. It tastes pretty good, but for the uninitiated it is an acquired taste. It does have a fairly distinct fishy taste and while living in Tokyo we found that our dog was absolutely wild for the stuff. He would dance on hind legs and spin in circles for a nibble of dried ‘ika’ from 7-11. There are also pretty wild candy and drink options. Tiny “health” drinks are available. Some newer ones come in foil pouches and are loaded with vitamins and flavored with artificial grapefruit and grape. I like these. Many of them have a gelatin like texture and make wild claims of both energy and health on the packages. Others come in small brown bottles. These have been around for ages and are packed with everything from sugar and caffeine to alcohol and nicotine. My favorite of these is a small brown bottle called ‘Oronamin-C.’ Tasty and loaded with vitamins, sugars and caffeine. You will also find all kinds of wacky sports drinks and an incredible array of canned coffee and teas. In the winter you can buy either hot or cold cans of coffee. (If you really want to read a spectacular bit of writing on Japan get a copy of Kuhaku. There is a chapter on canned coffee and the “reviews” of each brand. Very funny. You will laugh until you cry. Well, I certainly did) There are also the usual sodas and all kinds of beer and canned drinks fortified with alcohol. Chu-hai in a can is a lemon flavored drink spiked with sho-chu (distilled sake, generally about 25% alcohol) Also, recently they have begun offering “strong” beer. This is 7% beer. Not an IPA, but just a Sapporo with more alcohol inside each can. Neat!
Food? There is an entire section of bento box lunches and ‘oni-giri ‘(rice balls) This is where you go for breakfast when taking a quick trip to Tokyo. First and most important these convenience markets are generally open 24/7. So, if you are up at 3am with jet lag you can pop into the nearest Family Market and get some smokes, a “strong” beer and a few ‘oni-giri.’ Now, you might think “Hey, I’ve seen the frightening super nachos and withered corn dogs for sale in the U.S., there is no way in hell I’d eat anything from a 7-11.” Yes, well certainly there is no good food at a 7-11 in the U.S. Nope. Never. There is, however, some really good treats at these places in Japan. I am not kidding. The ‘oni-giri’ is excellent and always fresh. I like the ones with cooked salmon or pickled plum. They are wrapped with crisp ‘nori’ seaweed. What? How is it possible that you can plastic wrap “crisp” seaweed on rice and keep it crisp? All, as you’ll find a continual theme in Japan it is all in the wrapping. There ‘nori’ is wrapped in a separate sleeve outside the rice ball. When you are ready to eat you simply un-wrap the package and then re-wrap after removing the plastic. Voila!! Crisp and crunchy ‘nori’ around fresh rice and hidden treats inside towards the core.
So, if you are in Tokyo be sure to get an o-bento or a few ‘oni-giri’ from a 7-11 for your morning meal. Browse the ‘manga’ cartoon shelf and marvel at the incredibly perverse cartoons. Wow! There is truly nothing like this outside of Japan!