Whatever reservations one may have about the quality of convenience stores in their home country, it doesn't take a very long trip throughout Japan to have those put to bed. Many who have spent time in the country know them to be a dependable oasis for not only surprisingly high quality meals on-the-go, but also providing services such as concert ticket purchasing and even bill payment.

You can count CBC News and Olympics reporter Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) among the new conbini converts. The reporter was delighted to find out that the Tokyo hotel he was stationed at had an 7-Eleven attached to it, making his newfound obsession just a stone's throw away from covering the Tokyo Olympics.

In search of coffee, Heroux began to document his visits to 7-Eleven on Twitter, where he's now been inundated with remarks of jealousy, tips, and surprise from those who couldn't be in Tokyo this summer, as well as gratitude from Japanese locals.

The world of 7-Eleven coffee seems to have sparked the initial flame for Heroux, with the reporter saying "the place is bursting with everything you could want and more. As many know, coffee is an essential part of living for me. That iced coffee selection is out of worldly. And the machine-made lattes I get every morning are surprisingly great." in a piece he wrote for CBC.

Of course, a man can't live on coffee alone (well, most can't), and it would be a waste not to explore the highly recommended food sections, which Heroux describes by saying "the sandwich selection is better than most grocery stores in Toronto — the egg salad sandwiches might be the best I've had. Pocky for dessert. Edamame chips for snacks. And my favourite sports drink, Pocari Sweat..."

The infatuation seemed to have led to a case of convenience store separation anxiety, as the reporter found himself with 7-Eleven on the brain amid his work, and a surprise when he was able to answer the siren call.

Heroux was pleased to find that, like most Japanese convenience stores, 7-Eleven was not only running 24 hours, but with regularly restocked shelves of fresh food to accommodate late night eaters.

Amused by and appreciative of the Canadian's love for what many Japanese people take for granted, a Twitter user collected Heroux's Tweets and translated them into Japanese, which has turned him into quite the beloved figure on the Japanese corner of Twitter. Many have responded in agreement, commenting on how their experiences with convenience stores overseas have been very different, happiness at his appreciation for 7-Eleven Japan, as well as remembering the first time they fell in love with convenience stores themselves.

Heroux's 7-Eleven journey has gained him quite a bit of attention and new followers, some looking forward to what he introduces next, and others trying to guide him toward even more convenience store goonies. "My feed is now filled with people from Japan giving me suggestions and things to try", said the 7-Eleven fan.


By - Big Neko.