Get ready, JET set, go!: We wish you a Merry Combini-mas

Yes, Japan is combini crazy- there is one basically every 100 m. They have everything you'd ever need (for me that entails riceballs and ice cream), and you can even pay your bills there! (I pay my electricity and gas bill there... it's rather odd!).

And they have very cheap drinks. As in, beers and cocktails for around $1.50. All you have to do to get your hands on a cold, cheap drink is touch a touch-screen which 'certifies' you are over 21. Responsible service of alcohol, eh?

So we all met up, dressed in our Christmas best. By best I mean, we all went to the 100 Yen store (the greatest place in the world where you can literally get anything for around $1) and bought some head gear. Most of the girls, by coincidence, had reindeer horns. The boys were dressed as Santa, and being ever so innovative used plastic bags to make a very convincing Santa beard.

We went to our first combini, grabbed a drink, huddled outside and in Japanese custom, we said "kanpai" (cheers!) and drank our first drink. Then we set about creating the first line of our appropriated version of "The 12 days of Christmas" song- The 12 Combinis of Christmas.

We did this for every combini we stopped at, and took a matching photo (I will post the photos later when I steal them off someone).

As you could imagine, as the night went on, and the lyrics became longer and longer and people drank more and more the song became harder to sing.

The night was made even better when a couple of us chose to end our night with a coffee and cake. As you do!

All in all, a very fun night. It was so nice to be able to feel Christmassy in a country that doesn't celebrate Christmas.

HERE
What a weekend of celebrations! On Friday was the "12 Combinis of Christmas" event.

Com-whatty? A convenience store, my non-initiated friend. 7/11 and the like.

Here's what was proposed: "It has been a tradition for the last two years to travel around the Miyakomachi and eki area and partake in Christmas spirits, spreading love, joy, and Western mayhem in the spirit of the holidays. It all sprang from an Irish "12 Pubs of Christmas" tradition, but we work with what we have. And we have konbinis! Oh boy do we! Basically, we go to the 12 konbinis detailed on the map below and have one drink (of your choice) at each."