It looks just like any old convenience store, but enter the Daily Yamazaki outpost on Taisho-dori, the main thoroughfare in Osaka’s industrial Taisho ward, and you might well do a double take. Besides the usual onigiri rice balls, cup ramen and bottles of green tea, the shelves are lined with a remarkable variety of Okinawan groceries, from Spam and bottles of awamori to ready-to-eat versions of island staples such as jushi (steamed rice with pork belly and veg) and yagijiru goat soup.
It’s a case of catering to the local community – the Taisho area has had a considerable Okinawan population for decades – made possible by the Daily Yamazaki chain’s liberal franchise agreements. So if you get a sudden impulse to cook some soki soba or feel a craving for smoked tofu deep in Taisho, head straight to this most welcoming of konbinis.