When do you think they will remove the plastic sheets in konbini rejis?

17 comments

1. Hopefully soon! I agree with you that it’s quiet hard to make out what people are saying between mumbling + mask + plastic sheet.

   They’re also just getting really gross too. You can tell a lot of places put up the sheet at the start of Covid and haven’t properly cleaned or replaced them since. Three years of spittle, dust, discolouring, and whatever other crud is on there.

   A lot of chain stores near me have taken them down, like Starbucks, but grocery stores and conbini seem to persist, in my area at least.

   Anyone had their local conbini remove them?

2. Perhaps you are hard of hearing. I haven’t had trouble hearing people. Even before they put up the sheets, there were a lot of mumblers or clerks who weren’t interested in being heard.

   Personally, I’m fine if they stay up. And not every shop uses them, so it’s probably up to the comfort of the owner. I can imagine that the sheet does provide some protection, not just from virus germs, but also from those people that want to lean over the counter and get in someone’s face because the karaage kun wasn’t warm enough and their brand of cigs are sold out.

3. Where are you in Japan that they still use them? I haven’t seen any plastic sheets (or masks) in months.

4. I’ve seen some that have already taken them down and others that are keeping them. I don’t think there’s any kind of industry-wide policy.

5. My local grocery store got rid of them just last week, although I don’t know if it was a new policy across all stores or not. If it’s up to the manager’s discretion (whether at the grocery store or different konbini or any other chains) then it won’t be consistent. I think one of two Lawsons near where I live still has them and the other doesn’t but to be honest I don’t really pay attention anymore.

   I’m sure they will go away eventually simply for need to clean and eventually replace them. I haven’t had a problem with them and haven’t seen many others have problems either though.

6. What combini are you talking about? My local 7/11 and Family Mart don’t have those sheets. It can vary by franchise too.

7. Haven’t seen them for months here in Nagano.

   (since the end of the official mask advisory, I think)

8. There might be a handful of legacy sheets, but all my regular places have taken them down unless they installed hard plastic barriers with actual microphone support.

   I can agree with the point about the need to clean/replace them, but surely their impact on understanding the cashier is quite mild compared to the ambient music, sound effects, jingles, and attention-grabbing devices droning all over most Japanese stores.

9. It’s a mix where I am. Most supermarkets got rid of them over the last several months. Konbini too. A few holdouts though, like my gym. I am also someone who, depending on the clerk, has a hard time hearing w/them, especially when there is background noise reflecting from behind me.

10. Winter is coming and infection diseases such as influenza etc. will be expected though influenza is also still spreading as i speak. I would prefer them to keep it there to protect their staff and us customers. The staffs meet lots of people everyday, who knows if they got infected and infects you later.

11. I thought they had removed them some time ago, not seen one in quite a while.
    Maybe it just comes down to the owner.

12. They were gone at Joyful AK yesterday, and I’m not sure I like it. Time will tell, I guess.

13. 1) Customer is not king. Policy and proceedure is king. Have a problem and you will quickly realise the emperor (customer) is naked.

    2) There’s a tendancy for things to remain the same once settled. The ones that still remain will likely remain until the place closes or someone else takes over. I still see a good number of “Go To Travel” stickers around and that finished 2 years back.

    3) You can always just ask them to repeat what they said, although it’s usually just “Do you want it heated?” or “Do you want a bag?”

14. Plastic bags/walls and masks unfortunately still all over Nagoya. Praying every day that people will turn back to sanity, don’t have any hope that it will happen anytime soon though. At least at work nobody wears them anymore. Working at a German company, might be the reason though.

15. All gone in mine . . . Kanagawa close to Tokyo.

16. Dude, there’s a new strain of COVID running around the world that is now in Japan. My son just caught it at the Osaka music festa and brought it home and he and I have been very sick for a week now. The pandemic isn’t over

17. I haven’t seen any plastic sheets up in ages in Tokyo and Kanagawa…