In Japanese convenience stores, you'll often see a sizable group of people hanging out in the magazine/manga section. They are there day and night. The stores are bagging the periodicals to prevent this. In my experience, this new policy is unnecessary. While a knot of dorky Japanese folks browsing manga isn't exactly a marketing coup for the store, I've found these groups to be totally harmless. They don't bug fellow shoppers. They're not chavs. When you go in for a cold bottle of Pocari Sweat, you just nudge past the nerds and say "gomen nasai". They will nod their heads and move out of the way. No big deal. (Of course, if they give any guff, then it's time for the Gaijin SMASH!)

Once the policy is in place long enough for a meaningful sales impact study, the manga will once again be freed from its condoms to delight and inspire large groups of pock-faced Japanese boys, umbrella-twirling goth girls and shuffling old men. It will be a great day.

Why doesn't he just buy the magazine and take it home?

Look! It's just part of Life. What kind of a Hustler wrote this article, anyway? Let the Reader's Digest what they may, and Move On dot com.

It's not a library people. And even though I have read a magazine at a bookstore before, at least I paid them an outrageous price for a cup of coffee.

If you're that desperate, just stick it here:::::

Ashtrey: It's not a library people. And even though I have read a magazine at a bookstore before, at least I paid them an outrageous price for a cup of coffee.

What's a "library people" anyway?

So the 31yo can't read his comics for free ?


say 'good'

In Hustler's case, the plastic is on there for a reason.

© wipe on -- wipe off

CitizenTed: a cold bottle of Pocari Sweat

Sometimes, when a man works up a really powerful thirst, the only remedy is a frosty Pocari Sweat.

As a 31-year-old man living alone, I buy many daily necessities at convenience stores. But I cannot browse my favorite magazine any more because it is covered in a clear plastic bag.

At last I think we know the identity of Intelligent_Man.

Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond:

"It gets crazy on the road, and awful lonely. That's why I love pornography. This next song is all about my love of hardcore, barely legal porno. Gary knows what I'm talking about.

Gary: "Yeah, he likes that really weird porno you can't send through the mail. I'll be honest with you, it creeps the whole band out."

Neil: "Well my bizarre, insatiable, and downright dangerous sexual habits led me to write this song."

Crackling Rose starts in background.

I used to buy mags in plastic bags too. Thank the FSM and the intertubes I don't have to any more.

As someone who used to work at a magazine stand at an airport? I wish American mags did this too. Sweaty tourists pawing through magazines and leaving little subscription cards on the floor when they leave?

I kicked more than one OUT of the store if they lingered for more than an hour without buying anything.

On slow days I'd hope that they stayed just so I could kick 'em out.

Good times.

I hate it when you try to read the men's magazines at the magazine counter and the pages are all stuck together.

//What does the Pope say about Catholics putting their magazines in plastic bags?

SOME INTOLERANT ASSHOLE HAD CROTCH-FRUIT. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE YO BUY EXPANDED CABLE ( AT AN EXPANDED PRICE ) JUST TO SEE PEOPLE NAKED! The same goes for magazines at the quickie mart.

all hail STANHOPE!

Mr 31 year old Japanese guy let me introduce you to something I call the internets.

People still buys mags

Epistax:

What's a "library people" anyway?

Pray you never find out.

But I cannot browse my favorite magazine any more because it is covered in a clear plastic bag

Kendo Nippon?

Do single men really pay way more for the same things they could get cheaper at the grocery store? (I'm not talking about the magazines. I'm talking about the daily necessities).

When I was single, I still went to the grocery store because I didn't like paying for convenience.

mdbuff12: Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond:

"It gets crazy on the road, and awful lonely. That's why I love pornography. This next song is all about my love of hardcore, barely legal porno. Gary knows what I'm talking about.

Gary: "Yeah, he likes that really weird porno you can't send through the mail. I'll be honest with you, it creeps the whole band out."

Neil: "Well my bizarre, insatiable, and downright dangerous sexual habits led me to write this song."

Crackling Rose starts in background.

I always did wonder about that song ...

Thats actually a good idea from a commercial standpoint. Most people browse magazines so they can read the one or two articles they are interested in, then do not buy the magazine. Additionally, they maybe cause some damage or dog ear the pages in a way that makes the magazine unappealing to others.

Personally, I borrow magazines from the library to save money :D

katerbug72: Do single men really pay way more for the same things they could get cheaper at the grocery store? (I'm not talking about the magazines. I'm talking about the daily necessities).

When I was single, I still went to the grocery store because I didn't like paying for convenience.

Japan has a very, very fragmented grocery business. Small stores were the rule rather than the exception there. The big chains are expanding, but there is still quite a bit of commerce that takes place in small stores (which have lots of vending machines because labor is pricey there).

katerbug72: Do single men really pay way more for the same things they could get cheaper at the grocery store? (I'm not talking about the magazines. I'm talking about the daily necessities).

When I was single, I still went to the grocery store because I didn't like paying for convenience.

I know I do. I HATE shopping of any kind. I go to the grocery about once a month to buy meat. If the quality was that much better, I'd go to a butcher and pay more there.

Japanese convenience stores are the best shops in the WORLD!

WTF? Is this guy pure-blooded Japanese or does he have a big helping of Scotchman in him?

/"Dear Editor: As a Scotsman, I am dismayed at the numerous slurs and innuendos I have grown used to seeing in your newspaper about the alleged tight-fistedness of my countrymen.

"I am giving you fair warning, if this terrible affront to an entire nation is not apologised for and stopped, I shall never borrow your newspaper again."

It's 6:45AM in Tokyo on Sunday. I got home half an hour ago, and on the way back I stopped at a 7-11. True to form there was some random guy standing at the magazine rack reading what I think was a car magazine. Boggles the mind.


It's a harmless act but I can understand how large groups might affect crowd flow in conbinis close to train stations like the ones written about in the article (they tend to be smaller than regular stores). I've been seeing more manga come shrinkwrapped but other magazines are untouched... and of course all this is doing is creating more trash in a city that doesn't need it.


What I want to know is what the fark is up with the guys who stand at the magazine rack and browse the porn, which more often than not isn't wrapped in plastic (at least the softcore stuff that's on the 'normal' side of the magazine rack. The porn side has signs that say 'this is porn, please don't browse through it in the store.')

Seriously, do people in the US ogle Maxim in bookstores or newsstands for long periods of time and I just never noticed?

I dunno, I kinda feel sorry for the guy, he's probably real lonesome and checking out magazines is probably the most public/social thing he gets to do. Let him poke through the mags, who's he hurting, I'm sure he buys enough crap there to merit a little browsing.

Everyone in them stinks of potato chip fish breath.

dokool:
What I want to know is what the fark is up with the guys who stand at the magazine rack and browse the porn, which more often than not isn't wrapped in plastic (at least the softcore stuff that's on the 'normal' side of the magazine rack. The porn side has signs that say 'this is porn, please don't browse through it in the store.')

Because no one is going to tell him not to. At least from what I gather about the place, most people would be too polite to go out of they're way to bug someone. Here you wouldn't stand there and read a Maxim. You'd take it up to the counter when nobody else is there and hope the clerk doesn't judge you too harshly. Not that I buy them. Internet ftw.

dokool: Seriously, do people in the US ogle Maxim in bookstores or newsstands for long periods of time and I just never noticed?

Well, it's considered impolite to "bother" people. Actually sounds nice, and it is...but like anything else, it has its down side. In this case, if someone decides to be a pain in the ass, they'll most likely get away with it, since nobody wants to confront them.

I'm convinced this is one of the reasons why foreigners get glared at by the occasional asshat. They were acting like a shiathead at one point, and some foreigner called them on it. Boo hoo.

/cranky first thing in the morning

The_Pole_Of_Justice: dokool: Seriously, do people in the US ogle Maxim in bookstores or newsstands for long periods of time and I just never noticed?

Well, it's considered impolite to "bother" people. Actually sounds nice, and it is...but like anything else, it has its down side. In this case, if someone decides to be a pain in the ass, they'll most likely get away with it, since nobody wants to confront them.

I'm convinced this is one of the reasons why foreigners get glared at by the occasional asshat. They were acting like a shiathead at one point, and some foreigner called them on it. Boo hoo.

/cranky first thing in the morning

Makes sense. I know that it's impolite to "bother" people. And it's certainly not like I've seen someone whip their dick out on the Yamanote line or anything, but one has to wonder if the guys reading the mags have any sense of shame whatsoever.


Also if I can threadjack, I find it interesting that you work in Tokyo as a music journalist and I work in the Tokyo music scene as a photographer-slash-english-tutor. Perhaps our paths were destined to cross =P

CitizenTed: Once the policy is in place long enough for a meaningful sales impact study, the manga will once again be freed from its condoms to delight and inspire large groups of pock-faced Japanese boys, umbrella-twirling goth girls and shuffling old men. It will be a great day.

I'm surprised TFA says that bookstores don't have this policy, because I sure remember them having it. Or has this changed in recent years? It did depend on the magazine genre though.

Comic books in particular started being sold in plastic from the late 80's at least, IIRC. Maybe it was just the bookstores I went? I remember being annoyed about it because the synopsis blurbs were still so often on the inside of the front cover which made them inaccessible.

The expat bookstores here in the US similarly have bagged for quite some time.

dokool:
Makes sense. I know that it's impolite to "bother" people. And it's certainly not like I've seen someone whip their dick out on the Yamanote line or anything,

Thanks for reminding me about purple underwear guy.

/Did the Japanese thing and ignored him.

TOTAL FARK

Epistax 2009-01-31 02:56:17 PM
Ashtrey: It's not a library people. And even though I have read a magazine at a bookstore before, at least I paid them an outrageous price for a cup of coffee.

What's a "library people" anyway?

On the internet, knowing how to use commas properly can sometimes be an impediment to reading comprehension.

Yeah, it's a shame WIZARD is in a plastic bag.

I'm glad they've started cutting down on the bullshiat at the convenience stores. It IS annoying having to push by a dozen dipshiats standing there, reading for an hour. You KNOW they'll never actually buy that damn magazine in the end... How many times have I not been able to park my car because the store's lot is full, only to find the magazine section swarming with horny, Japanese men looking for a cheap thrill. fark 'em! When I first came to Japan I was shocked that people would get away with this... Back home, store staff would've told you to quit it and get out LONG before it ever got to the point of having to package up the magazines in plastic and rubber bands. The only reason why they do THIS is because the Japanese as so non-confrontational to begin with, let alone expecting the high-school kid working the till to actually reprimand a customer? Yeah, right!

Came for Apu getting robbed. Leaving disappointed.

I can understand the naked-lady magazines being sealed, but anything else just seems obnoxious. Unless, of course, you work at some place like an airport like an above post mentioned. I can understand that.

I figure people who actually stand and read a vendor's magazines for half an hour probably have much bigger problems on their hands.

itazurakko: CitizenTed: Once the policy is in place long enough for a meaningful sales impact study, the manga will once again be freed from its condoms to delight and inspire large groups of pock-faced Japanese boys, umbrella-twirling goth girls and shuffling old men. It will be a great day.

I'm surprised TFA says that bookstores don't have this policy, because I sure remember them having it. Or has this changed in recent years? It did depend on the magazine genre though.

Comic books in particular started being sold in plastic from the late 80's at least, IIRC. Maybe it was just the bookstores I went? I remember being annoyed about it because the synopsis blurbs were still so often on the inside of the front cover which made them inaccessible.

The expat bookstores here in the US similarly have bagged for quite some time.

I think the article is talking about convenience stores, not bookstores. You're a Japanese guy; you know what it's like. You run down the street to the 7/11 to get some Wasabeef and what do you see? A bunch of people standing around the magazine section, leafing through glossy pages and blinking a lot. It isn't so much manga as it is just magazines. Obviously, people browse magazine sections of convenience stores all over the world. But in all my travels, I've found the Japanese have a particular fondness for standing around the magazine rack. It's weird. I don't know what they're reading. I don't know how long they loiter. But they are there, and they're usually the majority population of the store for the time they are there.

That said, I don't think they hurt the store's bottom line by being there. It might be off-putting to some, but you don't go to 7/11 or Lawson's for the cultural enrichment. You go there to get cloud bread sandwiches and other disgusting things.

Oh yeah, people definitely crowd it up, no denying there. I just thought more stuff was under wraps from earlier eras :)

I only WISH the local American 7/11 was similar to the Tokyo version, for the food offerings alone. Had a party at my place recently, people made rice balls, we were all thinking, well, hey, it's certainly an American thing to do considering if it was Japan we could just get it at the 7/11.

Still, for pure brazen "ZOMG they're lookin' at porn and don't care who sees it" certain of the, uh, people who frequent my local (American!) public library take the cake...