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Travel to a Japanese convenience store at an active volcano

Oona McGee Dec 5, 2024
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It’s a Lawson, but not as we know it…

If you’re looking to visit a unique convenience store in Japan, you might want to head down to Kagoshima and over to Sakurajima, which literally translates as “Sakura Island“. Despite the name, this patch of earth isn’t as famous for sakura as it is for something else, because it’s actually an active volcano.

▼ Sakurajima, seen from Kagoshima Port.

Now joined to the mainland after a major eruption around a century ago, Sakurajima sends out small eruptions on a daily basis, showering the area with ash and small stones. The black volcanic soil on the island is easily visible as you travel around its roughly 50-kilometre (31-mile) circumference, giving the place an earthy yet otherworldly vibe that’ll make you feel like you’ve travelled back to the age of the dinosaurs.

▼ The “Portrait of a Scream” monument commemorating Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s 2004 Sakurajima All-night Concert adds a little something to the post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

With grey-brown hues making up a lot of the scenery, local businesses on the volcanic island do their best to blend in, giving a unique look to some familiar names.

▼ The Sakurajima Michi no Eki (Roadside Station) has a distinctive signboard that almost mirrors the volcano beside it.

Other businesses that blend into the landscape are the convenience stores, which swap out their usual bright signage for more subdued versions.

There are no regular blue-and-white Lawson signs here — instead, the chain adopts brown-and-white signage, which gives it a whole different look and feel.

While the subdued signage is something you’ll see at a number of tourist sites, where stores blend in with traditional streetscapes and wooden buildings, the brown colours here act as a reminder of the volcanic activity bubbling away in the vicinity, and the ash that commonly falls in the area.

Lawson isn’t the only convenience store on the island — just a stone’s throw away, across the intersection, you’ll find a Family Mart with similar brown hues and an even smaller sign above the entrance.

Interestingly, the sign out front by the roadside displays different shades of blue, white and green that are far more muted compared to the chain’s usual bright brand colours.

▼ These are a better fit for the volcanic hues in the landscape.

▼ Sakurajima is clearly visible from the Family Mart parking lot.

While the convenience stores look very different to the usual ones you’re likely to come across, the products inside are pretty much the same as what you’d find at regular branches, with only a few local items and regional exclusives.

They’re certainly amongst the most unique convenience stores you’ll find in Japan, though, so be sure to check them out next time you’re in the area. With lucky accommodation plans and secret hot springs in the region, Kagoshima really is a great place to stay.

Photos © SoraNews24
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