Convenience stores in Japan are no secret. They are widely popular, and for good reason. When you enter a Japanese convenience store for the first time it can be quite overwhelming. The whimsical chime of the store gently drifting into your ears as you enter. Your eyes immediately scanning all the contents of the shelves before you. You immediately head towards the snack section and can't even imagine which one to pick from the huge selection. A cold breeze suddenly reaches your arm and you look to your side to see the refrigerated section. Right before you, a plethora of ready-made meals and drinks line up the aisle. Through the quiet humming of the refrigerators, you are able to make out the distinct cry for help from your wallet. You thoughtfully grab onto it, and hope that you have enough strength to not buy out the whole store.
However, a trip to a convenience store doesn't mean it ends in a trail of sad wallet tears. I will be going over the three main chains of convenience stores in Japan. 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart. I will be covering their differences, what they offer, and other unique things you may discover. I believe that there is an art to shopping in convenience stores in Japan, and here I will teach you how to master it.
Common for all convenience stores
Before I go onto break down each chain, I felt that it would be convenient to go over the things that are common amongst most convenience stores, regardless of the chain.
- Seasonal items
A big highlight for anyone wanting to try something unique to the period that they are in Japan for. For those of you who are unfamiliar, during each seasonal period and occasional special events, special (mainly food) products are released in convenience stores. For example in summer there are a lot of melon, lychee and lemon flavoured items, while in autumn you may find pumpkin, sweet potato and apple flavoured items. Here is a watermelon flavoured sweet I bought in summer.
You can find these seasonal items in a variety of forms like drinks, snacks and even ramen flavours. Either way, it's a great way to try something new, and it also works as a great gift to bring back home.
- Pizza buns
This was something I was very confused and hesitant about, as you may be too while reading this. These are a spin-off creation based off of a meat bun, or 'nikuman' as it is known in Japanese. They consist of a soft, delicate steam bun stuffed with a burning hot, meat and vegetable filling. On a cold winter's day with chattering teeth and chapped lips, they are the perfect remedy to warming up your body and soul. So what exactly is a pizza bun? Well, essentially it is the exact same thing, but with a cheese and tomato sauce filling, with extra toppings inside depending on where you buy them from instead. And yes, it is delicious. It is available all year round and sold in all major convenience stores.
- ATM
Another plus to these stores, is that a large majority of them host an ATM machine to withdraw cash from. Japan being a cash reliant society, it's always good to know that you can rely on a convenience store whenever you need to take some out. A little heads up though, is that they usually charge a small fee when you withdraw.
- Heated food
You may be familiar with the freshly prepared hot foods they serve at the counter (I will be going into further detail about this below). However, it's also possible to have any of the refrigerated ready-made meals microwaved, or for any cup noodles to be prepared with hot water if you're planning on eating straight away. This is something I took full advantage of, and would often sit by the river and eat a nice hot meal. But if you are just looking to just quickly satisfy your hunger, then there are also solutions for that. Seating areas.
- Seating area
This is mostly common in larger convenience stores, however you can also find a few seats in smaller ones. When you notice a seating area in a convenience store for the first time it may seem quite odd. The sparsely populated seats with people hunched over eating away at their meal, while the electronic beeps of scanners and footsteps of other customers fill the room. Not exactly the most comfortable or relaxing place to eat, but if you're in a rush or just want a quick bite, this is more than ideal.
- They are everywhere
This isn't a joke. They are literally everywhere. In populated cities and areas, it isn't strange at all to see more than one convenience store on the same street. In fact, I've even seen two different chain convenience stores separated by only one building. This is great news though! The word 'convenience' in convenience store is not an understatement at all, and you are always only a few steps away from one. The frequency of stores just makes life a lot more easier, and can also double as a shelter to cool down in order to avoid the blistering summer heat.
7-Eleven
Probably the most popular and iconic amongst the other convenience store chains, 7-Eleven offers a grand collection of products. Right off the bat, I'm going to let you know that personally I find 7-Eleven to be my favourite. However, I will be going over all the things I love about each chain, and you can form your own opinion on which you may like the most.
- Ready-made meals (or bento)
Okay, before we begin this segment, I had already written up the intro to this. But reading it back over now, I feel that I need to clarify some things. For some of us when we think of 'ready-made meals', it probably isn't the most exciting or appetising meal. Despite that, Japanese bento meals (and I feel it's reasonable enough to also include ready-made meals from other Asian countries too), are pretty good quality and delicious. It still isn't exactly the most healthy thing to have, but it isn't uncommon either to grab a ready-made meal for lunch or even dinner when you're too busy or lazy to cook. With that out of the way, lets begin.
Last time when I was in Japan, I had my fair share of ready-made meals. Not only was it convenient, but one of things I found to love the most was enjoying a hot meal outside. My go-to spot was by the river where I'd sit by the bank, and savour every mouthful. The gentle flow of the stream and cool air brushing along my skin, made it such a peaceful and enjoyable moment. The occasional group of birds would scout my territory from afar eyeing my delicious treasure, eventually corralling enough courage to take me on by foot. However, by the time they get anywhere near close, they either keep their distance or scurry off after a bike whizzes by. All in all, they usually do no harm, and having an audience of birds beside you as entertainment is a nice outcome if you ask me.
Alright. Now you may be wondering. Why did I include ready-made meals as a positive point for 7-Eleven when all convenience stores have them? Well, because I enjoyed eating by the river so much, I went around and tried meals from all three stores. Out of all three, I found that not only does 7-Eleven have the most delicious, but they also have the most variety. I also found that they usually seem to be stocked up more, as for the other two stores I would often find a lot of products sold out. However, this most likely is just the result of my experience and doesn't reflect on what others may find. My favourite ready-made meal was the 'Mapo tofu', which is originally a Chinese dish which consists of tofu in a red spicy sauce with minced meat (usually pork). The one in 7-Eleven was around ¥400 which I thought was super cheap for what you get. It wasn't really spicy at all but at least it was delicious.
- Instant ramen
This is another topic you may find confusing as all convenience stores stock instant ramen. Not only does 7-Eleven provide a hugely stocked variety of flavours, it also offers instant ramen from a Michelin star restaurant. That's right. The ramen restaurant in question is 'Nakiryu' which holds one Michelin star. Together in collaboration with Nissin, they are producing their famous ramen in instant noodle form, only exclusively available at 7-Eleven. From what I've seen there is more than one style, but I only tried their classic signature one.
Now after trying it, I can confidently say that it tastes a lot better than other instant noodles. I thought that the flavour itself was very good and layered, but would have liked for it to be a bit more spicy. I really enjoyed the texture of the thinly cut noodles too. Overall I would say it's good, and I'd recommend it to at least try as it's not something you would be able to try any day. Ultimately though, it doesn't compare to a freshly prepared, piping hot bowl of ramen from a restaurant. Even the atmosphere of clanging pots and endless slurping enhances the meal I'd say.
- Sandwiches
No, sandwiches are not exclusive to 7-Eleven, nor do they have a sandwich monopoly. But they do have the best sandwiches. Acclaimed for their creamy egg sandwiches, brimming with its savoury goodness on two slices of soft, fluffy bread. It is a perfect match made in Heaven. Compared to the other two convenience store chains, 7-Eleven tends to be the most expensive, although for good reason. Their sandwiches are stuffed so heavily that it looks like they are about to burst through the package. When you bite into one, the flavours are prominent, and it doesn't feel like they've cut any corners. Other than the crust sometimes.
Here is their 'tonkatsu', or pork cutlet sandwich. As you can see the meat portion is no joke. It is guaranteed to fill you up and make your taste buds jump for joy.
Lawson
For me, Lawson is a pretty standard convenience store. Not to say that this is bad, as they are all very good. But I never found myself returning as often, other than for their desserts. However, Lawson has a powerful secret weapon hidden under their sleeve. A ¥100 Lawson.
- Lawson Store 100
By far, the convenience store I visited the most. It isn't as great as the name suggests since not everything is ¥100, but it still provides many of the standard convenience store foods at a much cheaper price. The biggest issue is that it isn't that common and hard to find. Luckily for me, while I was in Kyoto, there was a Lawson Store 100 located nearby where I was staying, so I took full advantage of that.
The green and red colour scheme makes it easily distinguishable from the traditional blue of Lawson. While they do stock a few items like plasters and shampoo, they mainly specialise in fresh produce and food related goods.
They stock most of the popular drinks such as green tea, Coke, and Calpis (or better known as Calpico in the West), all for which are sold at ¥100 (not including the consumption tax). In normal convenience stores, the exact same drinks are sold at around ¥140-¥150. Now I know that it's not a huge saving, but given the fact that you will be buying drinks for certain, why not save some change each time? Using the saved change, you can also use that to try out some of the more strange and unique drinks available in Japan. I recommend my personal favourite, Calpis. It is a sweet, milky, yogurt-like, uncarbonated soft drink. Reading that over, I admit, it doesn't sound like the most appealing, but trust me, it tastes amazing.
The cheap drinks weren't exactly the magnetising factor for me, but rather it was their bento meals. They don't offer the largest assortment of options, but they have a lot of the classic meal sets like, 'tori-no-karaage' (fried chicken), Japanese curry and 'hiyashi chuka' (cold ramen noodles, perfect in the summer). Compared to a regular convenience store, these meal sets are sold for almost half the price. But it doesn't stop there. At certain times throughout the day, the staff will go around and add a reduced discount sticker onto several food items which expire on that day. I found that from my experience, the remaining meal sets for lunch usually get discounted around 2-3pm. If you're lucky, you may find other food items on sale like some sandwiches or a pastry.
Here is a Calpis flavoured cream puff I found, and the discount sticker on it gave me the green light to get it. Tastes just like you would imagine it.
- Natural Lawson
Found mostly in business districts, I think of it as the opposite of Lawson Store 100. Stylised with its burgundy colour scheme, they offer healthier, natural food products like meals catered to certain diets, low calorie items, and even vegan produce.
While I've come across a few and looked around one to see what they have, I never purchased anything, so I'm unable to provide much more information than that, unfortunately. As expected of stores which have more naturally made produce available, it is slightly expensive when compared to a regular convenience store. Despite that, I love that these stores are available to health-oriented people, and in general, widens the food options purchasable.
- Desserts
Notable for their amazing, sweet desserts. After each bite, it leaves you wondering as to how you managed to buy this from a convenience store.
Sadly, this picture of a squashed 'Baumkuchen' cake is all I have to show. Indicated by the small green logo, this was a part of the 'Value Line', which offers cheaper options. Ignoring my love for 'Baumkuchen' cake, I thought that this was delicious, especially given the fact that it was only around ¥100, I believe.
What sets Lawson's desserts apart from the rest however, is that not only do they offer a regularly priced selection of desserts, but also a premium one too. The premium products are all labelled with their own brand called 'UchiCafé SWEETS'. The desserts range from pancakes, cake topped with fresh seasonal fruits like strawberries, and even a mochi roll cake filled with cream. They use high quality, fresh ingredients like the iconic Hokkaido milk used to make the cream, so there's a good chance your sweet tooth will be satisfied, but craving for more. My stomach is howling like a starved wild animal, desperately scouring for even a berry as I write this.
Family Mart
My experience with Family Mart was quite similar to Lawson in the sense that I would pop into one whenever it was convenient, but I was rarely searching for one specifically. Whenever you want a quick snack though, this is the place.
- Fami-Chicki
Hot food ready to go is available at all convenience stores, but out of everything, the most famous is probably Family Mart's 'fami-chiki', or fried chicken. The tender, breaded chicken piece, oozes flavour with each delicate bite. The flavour intensifying each time. Your taste buds dancing with excitement, as sparks are set alight in your mouth. The seasoning is harmonised to perfection, just like your stomach and the chicken. There's not much more to add to this than making sure you go out and try this at least once.
- Grab size snacks
This was something I didn't even know about until after I saw it in a store. I was hanging out with a friend when we decided to head to a convenience store to pick up some snacks. I walked in, the cool breeze of the air conditioner rolling across my skin, I went straight towards the snack section. I wasn't exactly sure on what I wanted, so I browsed the shelves until something caught my eye. There it was. Just like a sore thumb. The smiling, cartoon face of an edamame character. My nostalgic senses started to kick in, as I vaguely remembered the smiling green vegetable. I recalled the snack being pretty good, but I was certain that it came in green packaging and not a simple white one. Nevertheless, I purchased it, and to my happiness, it was the same old snack I remember. I also found out the name of the snack, 'Tohato Beano'.
After all of this, I talked to someone about the snack, and they told me that Family Mart sell smaller sizes of snacks which usually come in larger packages. I thought this was genius. If there was a snack you wanted to buy, but only wanted a little bit without having to purchase a whole large bag, you could possibly find it in Family Mart. They had a few other options of these smaller packaged snacks, but were mostly, if not all, big named, branded ones.
Closing thoughts
All in all, Japanese convenience stores are a crazy world of adventure where delicious snacks, or unique drinks lurk around each shelve. If a zombie apocalypse ever broke out, you could probably survive within one. Well, if you boarded up the doors. And the windows. Oh, and the ready-made food will probably go bad pretty quick. Okay, well at least you can enjoy a mighty banquet to celebrate the last days of humanity!
Whenever you visit one, I recommend to honestly just try a little bit of everything. Even if something seems so strange that you're certain you won't like it. Give it try. You might end up surprising yourself, and finding something new that you love.
I will most likely continue to add onto this blog post as time goes on with new ideas, or things I find/discover, so be sure to comeback and check it out whenever you're in need of some more convenience store information!
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