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JIN KOBAYASHI

Friday 30th October, 05:57 AM JST

Young men read manga at a convenience store in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward.

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Latest 15 of 39 Total Comments Show All

northlondon at 12:31 PM JST - 30th October

"Unlike the rest of you sourpusses, I think this is one of the really nice aspects of Japan--that a person can just take a breather from their busy day and stand around in public reading quietly. It's one of the few things that won't cost money, you can buy a manga if you wish, and yes, it does make the the conbini look and feel busier. It's social and it is nice. Just cause it is not your way does not make it wrong or childish. Sheesh."

For your information, convenience stores are never quiet. There are also customers there who want to actually buy stuff. If you want somewhere quiet and free then there are these places called libraries. It's not nice, it's just freeloaders taking advantage of the Japanese custom of not upsetting potential customers. And it pisses-off those of us who want to buy something.
smithinjapan at 12:52 PM JST - 30th October

I agree with northlondon, though for slightly different reasons. While I like the fact that you can loiter a little bit in a store without a rude employee asking what you're doing, I hate the fact that I cannot get to the back of the store thanks to the aisle being taken up by people who can't afford a 300 yen comic and have their massive school/hand bags taking up the space of a second or third person.

And besides that, last time I wanted to buy a magazine it was covered in greasy fingerprints and the back cover torn a few centimeters. They had no more copies, and would not give me a discount (I ended up not buying it, and assume they ended up tossing it, so complete loss if that's so).

Ranger_Miffy: "It's social and it is nice."

I've got a bit of news for you... a bunch of individuals crowded together reading manga is NOT 'social', or at least, not to anyone who's not a zombie.
TSRnow at 01:36 PM JST - 30th October

smithinjapan, I think they return the damaged magazines together with the clean ones that were left over to the publisher. So there's no damage to the book store or convenience store. That's why they don't give discounts.

I hate people blocking my way as in the pic, so I say "Sumimasen" and make way to get my magazine.
timorborder at 02:05 PM JST - 30th October

Japan, the land of the self-centered zombies. Talk about a dumbing down of society.
smithinjapan at 03:42 PM JST - 30th October

TSRnow: I should have known that, thanks. But it still stinks when it's the only copy left.

As for saying 'sumimasen', it often works, but doesn't when they're crammed in there with bags hanging off their backs. Oh well.
rogerbentham at 03:55 PM JST - 30th October

manga = brain dead
Junnama at 04:27 PM JST - 30th October

It's not nice, it's just freeloaders taking advantage of the Japanese custom of not upsetting potential customers. And it pisses-off those of us who want to buy something.

Jeez, talking about mountains out of molehills. I've never been bothered by this practice at all.

Also, if you read them at the conbini, you don't have to throw them out later. Now as we well know foreigners don't care about how they throw out their trash, but Japanese do. So there!
Cherryblossomgirl at 05:55 PM JST - 30th October

I love combini !!! There is no combini here !!
nigelboy at 03:13 AM JST - 31st October

Now this is one subject which makes my blood boil. When I go to Tsutaya or 7-Eleven to buy my usual magazines, I have to negotiate a course around a bank of idiots using the magazine and book section as their local library. Why don't the convenience stores and bookstores do something about this ?

Because even though it makes people like you "boil blood" for such minor things, you still continue to buy from Tsutaya or 7-Eleven. Stop whining.
JpMoonkey at 09:43 PM JST - 31st October

A nephew of mine living in Germany loves manga and can draw beautiful/stunning manga. Like a professional manga artist. But, his looks? He looks a real idiot, punk. Like some young guys in Japan. The interesting part? is, he calls me "Manga Uncle," just because I am living in Japan! When I ride the trains in Japan, I am surprised to see Japanese men reading vulgar manga infront of women and children. These people are corrupting/destroying the society.
dolphingirl at 10:31 PM JST - 31st October

Manga Boys is more like it. I always imagine that these guys are just loner-geeks or bored & broke students with nothing better to do. A little sad actually. It doesn't really bother me but I don't understand why convenience stores put up with people loitering and reading comics they haven't bought yet. And I don't really understand why adults are attracted to 'reading' manga but each to his own, I suppose.
Sarge at 10:38 PM JST - 31st October

"I say "Sumimasen" and make way to get my magazine"

You don't have to say sumimasen, all you have to do is wriggle your way between the clods in your way, ha ha ha.
jefinner at 01:27 PM JST - 2nd November

Aren't there many types of manga? For all ages? My teenage daughter loves manga and we also love borders. We do thumb through the books, but only so i can make sure they are age appropriate (no fan service-thank you)before i PURCHASE them. Manga fills the gap in the american comic book market when it comes to girls. Im sick of superheroes and archie comics!!!!
flammenwerfer at 03:07 PM JST - 3rd November

could be worse, they could be playing pachinko.... bunch of cheapskates, buy it or bugger off and stop blocking the paying customers from getting past or trying to get a magazine they actually want to buy themselves. Put all these mags in plastic wrap like the porno mags and eradicate this behaviour for good.
Dewaashita at 11:39 PM JST - 3rd November

If it weren't for anime, like NOIR, Chobits and Sumurai Champloo, my exposure to Japanese would be relagated to old WWII films, or worse. Because manga is the source, long live manga.