In The Konbini Ecosystem, a previous newsletter unpacking the facts, figures, history and lore of Tokyo’s convenience stores, I closed with an explanatory reflection:

This week's newsletter is laden more heavily with statistics and data points than usual. A part of me yearned only to celebrate konbini, to revel in their nocturnal glow and the experience of cruising through the city at night, navigating by their stars. 

It was a romantic way to frame the unplanned drift of wandering through the city at night, with konbini (コンビニ) appearing along the route like waypoints. Ever since then, I’ve played with the idea of navigating Tokyo by konbini with greater intent. My working theory: joining the dots between konbini will unfold into a walk of serendipity in nearly any Tokyo neighbourhood.

Konbini operate predominantly under a franchise system, which I detailed in The Konbini Ecosystem, and for franchise owners, success begins with location. Even in Tokyo’s densely populated sprawl, a poorly selected spot heightens the risk of business failure. Those that endure tend to share a common trait—an excellent location. During trips to Japan, I revisit a number of convenience stores that stood in 2010 when I first moved to Tokyo and still thrive today, each benefiting from prime, strategically positioned real estate. Indeed, Japan’s inaugural 7-Eleven, which opened in 1974, still trades from a well-positioned cut-corner lot at an intersection near Toyosu Station.

When choosing a location, franchisees must weigh factors such as foot traffic, local demographics, and the density of competing stores. With konbini seemingly everywhere in Tokyo, it’s easy to assume any location will do—but behind their ubiquity lies careful strategy. Headquarters often provide commercial area analysis reports, assessing office buildings, schools, and commercial complexes alongside residential areas to determine customer potential. The most promising locations combine high visibility with a populous mix of residents, commuters, and students within a store’s trade area, typically spanning a few hundred metres to about a kilometre.

Though Tokyo has its share of obscure konbini, embedded in office buildings and alleyways, most stake out locations with the above mentioned winning characteristics. A pattern begins to take shape—where there’s a konbini, life gathers: at the station square, by the entrance to a shopping arcade, near a bridge leading to residential streets, or at a central crossroads within the neighbourhood.

Let’s take a look at Sendagaya (千駄ヶ谷), a district of Shibuya City.