4 ms·

Long-term resident of Japan here. I agree with what you say about public transportation. I'm always struck, when I return to the Los Angeles area on visits and

Long-term resident of Japan here. I agree with what you say about public transportation. I'm always struck, when I return to the Los Angeles area on visits and go around by city bus, how overwhelmingly working class the bus ridership is. In Japan, especially in the urban areas, nearly everyone takes buses and trains. The Japanese parallel to the dollar stores described in the New Yorker article is not convenience stores, which are as you state, but hundred-yen shops. They tend to be in low-rent locations, they pay low salaries, and the clientele tends toward the working-class side. But the parallel doesn't go very far beyond that, as the problems of crime, food deserts, neighborhood decay, etc. described in the article are much less serious here (if they exist at all) than in the U.S.

wirthjason 6y ago
The quality at Daiso and such is lightyears above dollar stores in the US. It’s quite outstanding. In the US often to make those products cheaper something is reduced, it could be the the size for example. Aluminum foil might be $1 at Dollar General for an 8ft roll and $3 at Target for a 30ft roll, so the Target one is generally cheaper on a per unit basis. The $1 version has the lower nominal price and illusion of being cheaper. These stores then are not as cheap as they may seem. Brushing broad strokes with a wide brush, I also find the overall attention to detail and pride to be much better in Japan so the stores are cleaner, staff friendlier, etc. While the US counterparts are dirty, unorganized etc. The article makes it sound like a self-fulfilling prophecy. This reminds me of the broken window effect (which intuitively makes sense but may not actually be true).
- musicale 6y ago
  > The quality at Daiso and such is lightyears above dollar stores in the US. It’s quite outstanding. I like Daiso quite a bit, even if it's more like a $1.50 store. I'd definitely trade a local Dollar Tree for a Daiso. I also hope that 7-11 stores in the US become more like 7-11 stores in Japan.

wirthjason 6y ago

The quality at Daiso and such is lightyears above dollar stores in the US. It’s quite outstanding. In the US often to make those products cheaper something is reduced, it could be the the size for example. Aluminum foil might be $1 at Dollar General for an 8ft roll and $3 at Target for a 30ft roll, so the Target one is generally cheaper on a per unit basis. The $1 version has the lower nominal price and illusion of being cheaper. These stores then are not as cheap as they may seem. Brushing broad strokes with a wide brush, I also find the overall attention to detail and pride to be much better in Japan so the stores are cleaner, staff friendlier, etc. While the US counterparts are dirty, unorganized etc. The article makes it sound like a self-fulfilling prophecy. This reminds me of the broken window effect (which intuitively makes sense but may not actually be true).

musicale 6y ago
> The quality at Daiso and such is lightyears above dollar stores in the US. It’s quite outstanding. I like Daiso quite a bit, even if it's more like a $1.50 store. I'd definitely trade a local Dollar Tree for a Daiso. I also hope that 7-11 stores in the US become more like 7-11 stores in Japan.