Into the World:
The Random Thoughts in My Mind

The convenience store, a 24-hour retail operation that many Japanese (and foreign residents) depend on for the need for a late-night quick meal or emergency provisions of consumables like shampoo and toothpaste, is often a microcosm of the entire Japanese retail environment. Due to their limited space and relatively high prices for goods sold (compared to supermarkets that do not operate 24 hours a day), convenience stores must constantly adjust products on the shelf to reflect what the local consumers really need that they would pay a premium for those items at the oddest hours of the day.

There is plenty of oddities about getting a job in Japan. For new graduates, the most notable is the mass hiring of new graduates that are not tied to specific positions. A month or two of group training that gets the newbies excited about the company is followed by assignments to different departments that are made without consideration for what the new employees want to do themselves. In the olden days, the first assignment will be followed by new assignments that also align more with the interests of the company's needs at the moment, rather than the employee's desire for a certain career.

In the many online event listings for what to do in Tokyo, the current few weeks are being almost fully occupied by various "beer gardens" being held in notable venues across the metropolis. Invariably consisting of some combination of alcohol, outdoors, and sometimes BBQ to go along with the drinks, these summer outings promise attendees a good time while cooling down with friends in an oh-so-hip environment specially designed for those Instagram-worthy selfies. With beer, meat, and photogenic atmosphere, these events seem to promise a good time for everyone from college kids to middle-aged salarymen.