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are there chains? sure. but there are also tons of local small businesses and government initiatives like the roadside stations (https://www.japan.travel/en/gui
by bobthepanda 2y ago
are there chains? sure. but there are also tons of local small businesses and government initiatives like the roadside stations (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/michi-no-eki/ https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/michi-no-eki/) to promote regional specialty. they're not present in this article because they're generally not open 24 hours, which is the focus of the article.
Here in Washington state a lot of the small towns don't have a whole lot of small businesses outside of super tourist oriented towns.
- pezezin 2y agoI strongly disagree. I am an European guy living in the inaka (Japanese countryside), and to me small Japanese cities and towns look like small US towns: a few big box stores here and there, a bunch of konbinis around the corner, and a million houses scattered around in awful urban sprawl. Also, michinoeki are cool the first few times, but afterwards they are all the same: a bit of local produce, and the usual assortment of locally-branded senbei / ramen / printed cookies.