Definitive Guide to Japanese Konbini

Over their relatively short life, konbinis have become an essential part of Japanese life - especially for those living in urban areas.

In this blog, we’ll provide you with an overview of what konbinis are, their history, and the unique conveniences they offer locals over their Western counterparts.

What is a Konbini?

A Konbini is a Japanese convenience store, which functions - on a surface level - similarly to the convenience stores you’d find in the US, but with some unique twists native to Japan.

The term ‘konbini’ is directly derived from the English word for ‘convenience’, which shows that they are a newer mainstay in Japan. While the history of the konbini isn’t that long, these convenience stores have evolved to become an integral component of Japanese life.

History & Evolution of Konbini Culture

While reports suggest that the very first Japanese convenience store opened in 1969, the moment that’s considered the true advent of konbinis occurred in 1974.

In this year, the large Japanese retailer Ito-Yokado Co. Ltd., teamed up with the US’s Southland Corporation to open the very first 7-Eleven in Japan.

7-Eleven’s initial run was slow as locals took time to open up to the new concept of convenience stores. Due to these convenience stores still selling mostly American-style snacks (such as hotdogs), they didn’t appeal to everyday Japanese consumers.

In 1978, this started to change. The hotdogs that sat by the front counter of a 7-Eleven started to be replaced by the traditional Japanese snack of onigiri - Japanese rice balls with savory fillings such as tuna or salmon. This conscious introduction of Japanese foods was the starting point of 7-Eleven seeing greater growth in the country.

As their snacks diversified and were streamlined for greater volumes of delivery, the 7-Eleven konbini went from strength to strength.

Other stores came into the mix, including Lawson and FamilyMart. As of 2024, 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart are the three biggest konbini chains in Japan.

What started as essentially one convenience store in 1974 has now grown to approximately 55,000 in 2024. They’ve become such an integral component of urban Japanese life that you’re likely to see a konbini on every street corner of a major city - and sometimes you’ll see multiple situated only a few stores down from one another                                  .

Must-Try Snacks at a Konbini

While different konbinis may have unique snack offerings (such as FamilyMart’s Famichiki - a boneless fried chicken), there are many tried and true Japanese snacks that often feature in some form at each of the major chains.

These include:

• Onigiri: the aforementioned Japanese rice balls that are filled with savory ingredients such as tuna, salmon, chicken, etc.
• Bento: packaged lunch that often includes rice, grilled fish, pickled veggies, tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) and chicken karaage (fried).
• Anpan: a bun filled with sweet red beans, marrying a Western pastry with a traditional Japanese sweet
• Oden: a type of soup that typically includes fish cakes, radishes, boiled eggs and a soy-flavored broth. Ingredients can change between versions, but these noted ingredients are often mainstays.
• Melon Pan: this snack is a sweet Japanese bread with a fluffy interior and cookie-like crust. Despite the name, it does not traditionally include melon flavoring. Rather its name comes from the patterned topping of the bread, which resembles the skin of a melon.

In addition to this, you’ll also find many of the iconic Dagashi treats that we sell here at Sakura Box are often for purchase at konbinis.

Convenience Beyond Food

Konbinis can offer many other conveniences for customers beyond food and snacks, and these can include: 

• Withdrawing money 
• Paying bills (such as health insurance and utilities)
• Photocopy services
• Ticket sales (for concerts, theme parks, events, etc.)
• Package delivery/pickup
• 24/7 service at most urban konbinis

Konbini Etiquette

It’s important to be mindful of the common etiquette that’s encouraged when going into a konbini. In Japan, respectful conduct is a core aspect of their culture, and as such you should practice this in konbinis and Japan at large. 

No one appreciates an inconsiderate tourist, and this very much applies to Japan, with the country actively addressing issues with an explosion of problem tourists in 2024.

Some worthwhile etiquette tips for konbinis to keep in mind are:

• When entering a konbini, you’ll likely be welcomed by the cashier with, “Irasshaimase,” which translates to “welcome”. You should at least smile or nod in response as it's the polite thing to do.
• When you reach the checkout counter, it’s considered proper etiquette to place your payment method (cash or card) in the small tray that sits at the counter rather than handing it directly to the cashier.
• If eating food inside the store, make sure you do so at one of the designated eating areas. If the konbini you go to does not have an eating area, find a public eating space to enjoy your food - do not eat inside or directly outside the store as this is impolite.

If you’re interested in trying out any of the delicious candies and treats that are often stocked at Japanese convenience stores, we have a wide selection of Dagashi snack bags and boxes for you to choose from that can be delivered directly to your door.