Anamizu,: A convenience store that was damaged by the Jan. 1 powerful earthquake in central Japan resumed sales of bento boxed meals Tuesday, delivering joy to local people and making them smile.

FamilyMart Co.’s Anamizu Kawajima store in the town of Anamizu, Ishikawa Prefecture, which suffered damage, including on parts of its walls, from the 7.6-magnitude New Year’s Day temblor, restarted operations several days after the disaster struck as electricity supply was restored.

But there had been no shipments since then of bento or other food products that do not last long. “Many customers turned back, disappointed to see empty shelves for bento,” Mayumi Hanawa, the 53-year-old manager of the store, recalled. 

Finally, two trucks loaded with products including bento, salads and sweets arrived at the store shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday. Hanawa quickly placed the items on the shelves of her store. “At last, I can see happy faces on customers.”

Customers then visited the store one after another. “I came here because I heard (bento) would be available again from today,” said a woman who bought a bento including fried foods.

“Convenience stores are really important because I can also withdraw money (using an automated teller machine),” said a 51-year-old male caregiver who purchased an “onigiri” rice ball bento product.

In Ishikawa’s Okunoto region, or the northernmost part of the Noto Peninsula in the prefecture, 14 FamilyMart outlets remained shut as of Tuesday, according to the company. Anamizu is part of the region.

About 150 FamilyMart employees have been dispatched to restore the stores’ operations.

“We are working to bring the stores back online as early as possible although store workers were affected by the earthquake and road conditions are not back to normal yet,” a FamilyMart public relations official said.

JIJI Press