For many modern urban residents, the typical harbinger of winter is the smell of "oden" steaming on the convenience store counter.
Traditional oden -- vegetables, fish dumplings and other types of food simmered slowly in a soup -- has not only become the top showcase item for convenience stores during the winter season but also a bellwether of the chains' marketing strength.
FamilyMart Co. fired the opening shot in this year's "Oden War" by having an in-house project team start work on an entirely revamped menu way back in the spring.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.