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Cheapness is goodness vol.2


Yeah, Japan's convenience store is exactly overlapped on a deli of NY. Deli was to be found everywhere in the city and dealt commodities and foods. However I don't remember I got any canned foods or detergents at the deli. Because it's much cheaper to get'em at a supermarket or drugstore. So what did I get at the deli? A cup of coffee, bagel, muffin, home made coleslaw salad and soup, maybe. The store was opened 24 hours. Even early in the morning, when I got hungry, I came to deli. It's a refrigerator in my own.


Ahmad, from Pakistan, was on the night shift. Coffee was poured into the paper cup over conversation. Then small amount of milk was added. And ... bagel with butter. A donut shaped bagel bread was cut in top and bottom, spread butter between them. In the end it's wrapped in wax paper. Some time I got the cream cheese instead of the butter. The morning shifts cooked potato, onion and bacon. Smelled really good. A soup was on daily base, I remember. The side dish trays were settled neatly. The shopkeeper had a lot of things to do. Should be expert.
So I want request to Japan's convenience stores. Please set more 100 yen items, let's see ... bagel with butter banana muffin and blueberry muffin is enough.


The subject on this issue is fast-food so I'll pick up the related topics one after another. There is a food which becomes more popular in US than originated country. For example, beer is much consumed in US than Germany. American people eat more pizza than Italian, I believe.
Now our next topic is the pizza. There were famous Italian restaurant in NY. However, at least 25 years ago when I lived in the city, casual food for New Yorkers was not pizza of the Italian restaurants but a slice pizza of pizza stand. Whichever the plain or the sausage whole pizza was divided in six slices, and it's sold for single person's meal. People put the red pepper and garlic powder on the hot slice pizza. The olive oil dripping pizza was fold with paper dish then sacked into the New Yorker's mouth. Hardly say it's healthy, must be contained high cholesterol. But who care. It's delicious.
A slice pizza was $1.25 up, I slightly remember. My apartment was in Wall st. area. So the neighboring pizza stand was crowded with business and shopping persons at lunch time.


This slice style pizza was sold only in NY, or maybe in big cities. I hadn't know it until I traveled other state. In rural town somewhere in US, I stopped by delivery pizza shop. At the counter I ordered "a slice of plain pizza" A woman in the counter told me with smile "Sorry, we don't sell the pizza in a slice"
Nowadays many delivery pizza shop has take out discount service in Japan. So it's possible the slice pizza menu gets the big demand in Tokyo.


Well, I haven't been NY for long long time. I don't know the current situation of deli or pizza stand down there. But I heard some story about the pizza stand. The real-estate price in Manhattan is soaring high. The resident replace to the more rich class. Upper class restaurants are preferred . As the result, the pizza stand decrease in numbers. Is that true? If in same situation for deli ... Wherever Japan or US "cheapness is vice" theory might be in trend.


Price-hike trend without quality up or rising wheat prices to millers by the Japanese government in weak Yen trend apperently degrade Japanese life standard. "Get out from deflation! Bargain is badness" Oh, give me a break. Low price is goodness (LOL) Of course, if it has excellent contents, should be perfect. Through that our actual income will be increase consumption must be stimulated. As a side-effect of the recovering economy slight inflation would be occur. What we really want is the blue print, not shrinking bread.



Jun. 2015



Today's piece
" The view from my window #2 " New York, USA 1992




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