7-Eleven — Konbini in Roppongi, Tokyo

This is a branch of 7-Eleven, sitting on Roppongi at the intersection where the bars and restaurants keep the pavement busy most of the night. Two entrances open onto the street, one automatic at the front and a manual door at the back reached by a short flight of stairs.

The fried food is the reason to come hungry. Nanachiki comes out of the counter hot through the day, and the spread of fried items around it is wide enough to build a small meal. For breakfast, the egg sandwich and the strawberry or mixed fruit sandwich are the ones to put in the basket, with onigiri, picked cucumbers, seaweed tofu salads and fruit alongside.

The shop runs more services than a snack stop needs: two ATMs, a currency exchange machine, a multi-function copier and ChargeSPOT. Printing from a tablet at the counter is quick when you need a document before the post office. The interior is clean, and there is a toilet on site.

Spend lands between ¥200 and ¥1,000 depending on whether you leave with a single onigiri or a bento and a drink. A fresh smoothie is made in front of you at the counter. The sales floor is small and cramped, and the character-merchandise candy selection is thin, so do not count on it for souvenir sweets.

Step out front and angle toward the buildings: Tokyo Tower shows between them, closer and better framed here than from further along the street. At night the tower is lit and the view is the one worth waiting for.