If you’ve ever planned a fantasy trip to Japan, you’ve probably heard about the konbini (コンビニ). Cute and perky to say, konbini is the Japanese way of shortening the phrase “convenience store.” But the konbini isn’t a regular retail store like in the US, though. You can get all sorts of things at the konbini. From healthy and filling snacks, freshly packed bento boxes, cut-up fruit, essential services, apparel, and even underwear, Japanese konbinis have it all!
What else makes a konbini a must-visit in Japan, you ask? Well, put on your backpacks and make sure to bring extra cash because we’re going to learn what makes the konbini top tier!
1. Konbinis Offer Healthy And Fresh Food Options
Unlike Western convenience stores, which focus heavily on instant food, Japanese konbinis offer a ton of fresher and healthier food options that are reasonably priced! In the konbini, you can find a plethora of onigiri (Japanese rice balls) with different fillings. Have fun choosing from bento meals complete with protein, carbs, and veggies. Chow down on fresh hot snacks kept close to the register, like nikuman meat buns and juicy Famichiki friend chicken from Family Mart!
You can also find an assortment of baked goodies and desserts at the konbini. Melonpan is a Japanese classic, but you shouldn't be afraid to try out the experimental options like curry bread or nori bread! Konbini chains like 711 also offer seasonal wagashi or traditional Japanese desserts like matcha cookies, yomogi daifuku, colorful mochi, and rice bean cakes.
Seasonal and limited-edition snacks are also something to look forward to in konbinis! During certain seasons, you can find seasonal flavors of desserts and popular Japanese treats like Kit Kat, Pretz, Pocky, and so much more. When spring comes along, you can find flavors like sakura and strawberry. If you visit a konbini during autumn, you’ll be able to find fall-time flavors like sweet potato and chestnut.
Besides snacks and candies, the konbini also offers a wide range of drinks for you to enjoy. From health elixers, hangover cures, zero sodas, and canned coffee - there's so much to discover at the konbini. Also, don't forget to check the freezer of every konbini you go to - Japanese ice cream is always full of surprises! If you'd like a better rundown on the treats you can find at a konbini, check out our blog "Top 10 Treats at a Konbini."
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2. You Can Sit Down & Relax At the Konbini
While most convenience stores in the West don’t really offer a place for you to sit and relax, most konbinis do. You’ll find small chairs and tables set near the window or somewhere outside the store. These dining areas offer customers a place to enjoy their newly purchased meal, like a hot cup of instant ramen or a brewed cup of coffee.
3. Konbinis Are Open 24/7
Craving a midnight snack? Accidentally broke your phone charger late at night and need a new one? Don’t worry, the konbini’s got you covered. Unlike restaurants, banks, and even hospitals in Japan, the konbini is usually open all day and all night long. So if you find yourself scrambling for emergency goodies in Japan, you can always bet your bottom dollar that the konbini will be there for you when you need it!
4. Major Konbinis Have Wifi
One of the best things about Japanese convenience stores is that the main konbini store chains actually have wifi! Lawson offers users five 60-minute sessions per day (though wifi isn't available at all stores). Ministop has select locations where you can connect to Softbank Wifi. The Wi-Fi service is offered at 400,000 hotspots, and most sessions last for two weeks. 711 in Japan used to have free Wi-Fi with 7Spot, but their service was discontinued after March 31, 2022.
5. Konbinis Offer Essential Services
Konbini's don't just offer quick eats. They also offer important services around the clock in Japan. You can pay your bills at the konbini. You can do international transfers through Western Union at 711 konbinis. You can also book transport tickets and event tickets at konbinis.
Need documents photocopied, printed, and scanned? Most konbinis have those kinds of services on site. Most Japanese convenience stores even allow you to access these services from your smartphone with a dedicated app, camera memory card, or memory stick.
Did you know that you can also access government documents at a konbini? If you already have a My Number Card, you can get government documents like your copy of resident record, family register certificate, and tax certificate at your nearest konbini. You won’t even need to visit the local City Hall to get these documents!
6. Send and Receive Packages at a Konbini
Don't have a permanent address to receive packages yet in Japan? Then you can do it at a local konbini. Acting like a PO Box, you can find mail bins for smaller packages, and you can ask clerks whether they'll take bigger ones at certain weights. This takyubin or home delivery service is offered by Yamato (Kuroneko), so look for the Yamato logo to confirm which konbini offers the service.
7. Rent a Power Bank At a Konbini
So, you're walking around Tokyo and you're running out of battery on your phone. Don't panic, all you have to do is head to the nearest konbini and rent a power bank using ChargeSpot. Just install ChargerSpot's dedicated app, scan a QR, and nab a power bank to rent.
You can take it with you outside the konbini if you need to keep walking. When you no longer need the power bank, you can return it to any other ChargerSPOT rental station. The great thing about these accessible power banks is that it has USB-C, micro USB, and iOS cables that you can use!
8. Konbini Bicycle Sharing
Did you know that popular convenience store chains like 7-11, FamilyMart, and Lawson also offer bicycle sharing services? In Japan, you'll find the bicycle sharing system, which pools together bikes for multiple users. To access these bikes, you install an app, reserve a bike parked nearby, and unlock it with a QR or passcode. When you're done renting the bike, you can return it to a nearby station!
9. Store or Transport Your Luggage at Konbini
When you're travelling around Japan, sometimes you'll find yourself lugging around a lot of big bags and suitcases. Figuring out what to do with your luggage when you're supposed to be on a chill tour of Tokyo can be pretty stressful. Luckily, you can leave your luggage or transport your luggage at a Japanese konbini with the help of Yamato Transport.
10. Konbinis Will Always Have ATMs
So, you splurged too much at the local Japanese festival and ate way too much matsuri food (by the way, you can learn about the tastiest matsuri food through our blog, The 25 Best Japanese Festival Food Ever). Now you’re out of cash and you need to get back to your hotel. Worry not, you can always find an ATM at a nearby konbini. These atm machines are available 24 hours a day, and you can often use debit cards at them!
11. Buy Emergency Apparel at the Konbini
You’ve probably learned by now that Japanese convenience stores aren’t just about tasty snacks and drinks. Konbinis offer a decent selection of emergency clothing for people on the go, like t-shirts, socks, hoodies, and even underwear! These clothing items are great when you run into mishaps, like when you find yourself stuck in a downpour or bumping into someone holding a cup of coffee.
Lately, konbini stores have upped their game in the fashion department, offering customers high-quality apparel that they can wear every day. Called convenience fashion, this line of items is seemingly trying to compete with other fast fashion brands like Uniqlo and H&M. Popular konbini company Family Mart even decided to host a fashion show just for their new line of convenience fashion!
12. Konbinis Almost Always Have a Bathroom
Most of the time in the West, you won’t find convenience stores with bathrooms. But in Japan, konbinis will always have a toilet open to the public! It’s a great option, especially for tourists who have to walk all day and who can’t find anywhere to relieve themselves.
Okay, we’ve finally learned everything that makes the Japanese konbini one of the best retail stores in the world! In Japan, konbinis make sure to give customers a 100% convenient experience with fresh food options, tasty treats, essential services, and even emergency clothing.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan, it’s always great to know that you can rely on the Japanese konbini when you’re in a pinch! Whether you're hungry for affordable meals or you’re looking for a place to drop your luggage, Japanese konbini’s got you covered.
