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One of the main things we miss about living in Japan is their convenience stores. It may sound odd to someone who has never been to Japan, but the convenience stores here offer more than just light snacks and drinks.

A konbini (convenience store in Japanese) has bento lunches, snacks, desserts, magazines, and an array of services like buying concert tickets or shipping your luggage to the airport.

You can practically find a convenience store on every corner in Japan from 7-Eleven, Ministop, Lawson, Family Mart, etc. Our favorite is 7-Eleven and if you’ve never ventured into one, we think it also serves as a great introduction to local tastes.

A woman inside a 7-Eleven in Japan — 7-Eleven in Japan

Rice Balls, Lunch Boxes, and More

Our favorite section inside a konbini is their food corner. Here you can find an array of onigiri (rice balls), bento (lunch boxes), salads, pastas, sandwiches, and more. There is such a wide variety of food here and the best part is that it actually tastes delicious.

In the states, a convenience store is the last place I want to grab lunch and if I did, it’s because I was desperate and out of options. In Japan, I have the exact opposite experience. The food here is one of my go-to options to grab a bite for lunch as it’s fresh and inexpensive.

Rice balls on a convenience store shelf — Variety of rice balls

If I want a light bite, I always grab a rice ball. Some convenience store brands boast that their rice balls are the best because they use the most delicious rice or others may advertise that the fish in their rice ball is chargrilled.

I love the competition because it simply encourages these brands to produce new items. I’ve tried an array of onigiris from various konbini and 7-Eleven has the best selections in my opinion.

7-11 Salmon Bento Box — Salmon Bento Box

If I am in need of something a bit more filling, konbinis offer an array of bento box options as well as Western entrees like sandwiches and pasta dishes to choose from. There is so much variety that I sometimes have a hard time deciding what to get.

7-11 Rice Gratin Lunch in Japan — Rice Gratin

One thing to keep in mind is that the delivery trucks for fresh food typically arrive around 8 AM, so timing is key to getting the most options. Purchasing lunch too early or right at lunch hour will definitely limit your choices.

If you purchase a lunch item that needs to be heated, there is no need to worry because the person ringing you up will ask if you want to have your item microwaved.

Cold, Hot, and Alcoholic Beverages

The beverage section has its classic drinks, but there is also something new and exciting to try as well. Japan often has limited edition or seasonal drinks, so I never skip the beverage aisle. Crystal found a special Bleach Coca-Cola drink and was almost tempted to buy it.

Boss canned coffee in refrigerator — Boss canned coffee

We recommend trying a classic BOSS canned coffee or one of Japan’s cult drinks Pocari Sweat. BOSS coffee has been around for decades and you’ll never guess who has been doing their commercials since 2006…Tommy Lee Jones!

An assortment of heated drinks — Drinks in this section are all warm

A can of Bleach manga Coca-Cola — Bleach Coca-Cola Special Edition

When the temperatures begin to drop, you’ll be pleased to find a corner that sells hot drinks. Yes, drinks that you want to drink warm especially when it’s chilly outside. My favorite is traditional green tea or oolong tea.

Pastries and Desserts

If you are not able to get to a fresh bakery, you can get some baked goods in this section to go along with your cup of coffee. There is a variety of options with seasonal and limited-time offers.

For example, during early fall and throughout the winter months, you’ll notice a ton of sweet potato products. It’s like when the states come out with their pumpkin spice flavors.

A package of chou dessert at 7-11 — Chou Dessert

We love the dessert section because we are able to purchase the perfect-sized treat at a reasonable price. Apparently, 7-Eleven has been a top contender when it comes to desserts, so we tried a couple of their cheesecakes and they were pretty tasty.

7-11 Japan Layered Cheesecake — Cheese Soufflé and Layered Cheese Cake

Sweets, Snacks, Instant Food

We spend quite a bit of time in the sweets and snacks section. Crystal likes to browse the chocolate and potato chips sections and Candy likes to check out the senbei (rice crackers). If you’ve never tried Japanese chocolate, you must give it a try.

Melty Kiss Chocolate Strawberry — Melty Kiss Chocolate

Japanese chocolate definitely tastes different from American chocolate and there are also so many fun flavors. Our favorite is the matcha-flavored (green tea) chocolates. If you are looking for something more on the salty side, definitely give senbei a try. They come in various shapes, sizes, and flavors, usually savory but sometimes sweet.

7-11 Japan Osenbei — Japanese rice crackers

Japanese snacks at 7-11 — Japanese snacks

Japan is the king of cup noodles and for good reason, as it was invented by a Japanese, Momofuku Ando. There is a variety of instant noodles to choose from and in recent years, cup noodle companies have been coming out with high-quality instant noodles.

Instant miso soup at 7-11 — A variety of instant miso soup

If you’re not into cup noodles, you can grab a cup of instant miso soup or instant spaghetti. The variety of snacks in this aisle is pretty impressive which can make it hard to pick just one item.

Hot Foods

There is always a selection of hot food next to the register and the options are typically crispy fried food like kara-age (Japanese fried chicken). When the weather starts to get cooler, more options are available like the classic oden.

Oden is a must-have winter snack at convenience stores and my favorite items are daikon, konjac, shirataki, and mochi-kinchaku. These oden ingredients are simmered in a hot broth and are a healthy choice as well.

Coffee

Fresh coffee from convenience stores has become quite popular in Japan as the quality is pretty good and inexpensive. You typically order the cup size at the register and then you fill it up yourself at one of the coffee machines.

Be aware that the coffee cup sizes in Japan are petite, so don’t be surprised if your large cup size looks like a small one.

Frozen Desserts

The variety of frozen desserts available to choose from, especially during the summer, is pretty impressive. The mochi ice cream is a classic Japanese frozen dessert, but Crystal’s favorite is the green tea waffle sandwich.

Household Goods and Body Care Products

There is more than just food at the konbini, so if you need to grab some household goods or miscellaneous toiletries, they have that too.

Magazines and Newspapers

I used to grab the latest Japanese fashion magazines from this corner, but nowadays I pretty much skip this aisle. It’s still a popular section for those who want to grab a newspaper or the latest manga.

Free Bathrooms and ATM

The great thing about Japan is the abundance of public restrooms. They are pretty much at every train station, but if you happen to be near a konbini, they have them too. The bathrooms at 7-Eleven are usually nice, clean, and easy to locate.

ATM inside a 7-Eleven in Japan — ATM and Printing Machines

7-Eleven Bathroom in Japan — 7-11 Bathroom

If you need to grab some cash, you can almost always find an ATM machine inside a convenience store. Most of them have an English option as well.

Make Sure To Visit a Konbini in Japan

Japan’s convenience stores are more than just a place to grab some food. It has succeeded in becoming a required part of many people’s daily lives because unlike many of its overseas counterparts, they offer a host of additional services.

Family Mart in Japan — Family Mart near a train station

Convenience stores are also continuously running special offers and each store has its own special, so there is always something new and exciting to look forward to.