Jason Cormier wrote:
>
> I remember Japanese beer tasting better than this. Was it the heat that
> made it seem better when I lived here or had I simply given up all hope
> of a decent beer in the local conbinis?
>
But nothing beats being able to get your bear from a vending machine,
and I really like oolong tea in a can. And when I went it was still
cool enough to enjoy hot drinks from the vending machines.

> Is it everwhere that conbinis are shutting down and being replaced by
> other shops or just here in the suburbs of Nagoya?
>
I thought it was just me, but when I went to Himeji in March I felt
there were slightly more pan-ya-sans and the like (including a
Starbucks) and fewer conbinis, and the conbinis for the most part
seemed to have gotten a face lift and were much brighter inside.

One other thing I noticed is that the walk from my inlaws to anyplace I
used to go now seems to be much further. At least my legs got much more
tired.

John W.