As a symbol of modern Tokyo, nothing says more than a convenience store.

Convenience is more than a benefit in Tokyo. It’s an ethos – a way of life.  Punctual trains, clean streets and helpful policemen. These are not luxuries; they are the fabric of daily life.

The vortex of a convenient lifestyle is the convenience store, otherwise known as “konbini” (even the language is convenient).  There are more than 40,000 konbini across Japan, and it has been estimated that the average Tokyoite at least once a day to stock up on essentials, settle bills, post packages, reserve concert tickets, book an airplane seat… or just to buy stuff. For some, browsing the magazines in a konbini is simply a way to pass the time – no purchase necessary.

We interpreted consumption further by focusing on five of Tokyo’s most forward areas to provide a barometer of current trends in form and function.

“The turnover of products in a Japanese convenience store is remarkable,” says Five by Fifty Trend Director Nicole Fall. “Not only are they a reflection of micro-innovation, the products in any given convenience store also reflect consumers’ moods, aspirations and well as daily challenges.”

Each konbini carries a different product assortment to reflect the demographic needs of the store’s local population. No two konbinis are the same in terms of what they sell and the kind of people it attracts, which means every konbini becomes a microscopic lab of a neighborhood’s characteristics.

Some of the items on available to be experienced at Prêt à Porter Paris include: manga and instant rice from Naka Meguro; French-style chocolates from Aoyama; yuzu-flavored rice topping from Sarugakucho; super-cheap instant noodles from Shimokitazawa; and pretty-pack cigarettes and high fashion magazines from Jingumae.

Five by Fifty regularly analyses konbini trends for its clients. A visit to such a store is always included on its “Consumer Insight Safaris” that introduce visiting executives to Japanese consumer behavior.