7-11 in Japan is an essential place for us. Not only does it provide free Wi-Fi but it also has ATMs that accept foreign debit cards. Most Japanese ATMs will not accept foreign debit cards so only those from 7-Bank (7-11's bank), the post office, or at some other convenience stores like Lawsons or Family Mart will work for us (though 7-11 ATMs are the only ones that are guaranteed to work). The other major benefit of 7-11 is the cheap and high quality food. Picture freshly made, high quality sandwiches, onigiri, and even oden (veggies, eggs, tofu, fishcakes, etc. cooked in dashi broth for hours). We got 3 onigiri and a container of oden for less than $5 which was a perfect quick breakfast for us. Our coffees from Starbucks were more expensive!
For lunch we went to Kyoto Station to have curry udon at Mimikou. Hearty and satisfying on a cold day. Plus they give you bibs which was necessary to slurp these noodles up without staining your shirt with curry sauce!
