Benri!

It looks like the long-term trend of train stations and airports recruiting more restaurants and stores to bring in a larger crowd of visitors is starting to pay off. Shinagawa station opened its ecute location this month, Tokyo station's restaurant mall just celebrated its first anniversary, Haneda airport was the site of the latest upmarket Kihachi restaurant, etc.

The stores in greatest demand are those offering something unique. For example, some stores are offering specialties at your local station that you used to have to travel far to obtain. Thanks to the media, such information of "what's good" and "what's famous" is being lapped up by willing consumers.

The counterpoint to this story is that while it's very convenient to have such a large range of options when when I travel, in being made available everywhere those same brands and products are starting to lose their appeal.

Now I'm starting to wish for the old days, when eating cheap soba at the train platform with my mother was something special to do....