It may be 1am but Tokyo’s omnipresent convenience stores, known as “konbini”, are busy with customers dropping in for everything from milk to underwear. Popping in for a cheeky late alcopop at a busy konbini near Tokyo’s Ueno Station, Mai Tsumuraya says: “I finish work late… The supermarket closes early so I come to a convenience store. It’s very convenient.” Day or night, they are rarely short of customers, but the much-loved stores are now at the centre of a row over whether they should stay open 24 hours a day, every day of the year — a debate that strikes at the heart of crippling labour shortages in ageing Japan. Visitors to Tokyo are often amazed at the sheer volume of stores. There are 56,000 across Japan and in the capital, it is not uncommon to see different konbini at all four corners of a crossroads. They provide a bewildering array of products, from toilet paper to bento boxes to hot chicken yakitori skewers. In addition, customers can do their photocopying, take out cash, pick up deliveries and even pay their bills. They also play a social role, providing a well-lit and always-staffed sanctuary, as well as a gathering point during natural disasters. The stores, run by franchisees, never, ever close.