Japanese Convenience Stores: The Ultimate Guide to Konbini

Japanese convenience stores, or konbini (コンビニ), are small shops found on almost every corner in Japan. Most stay open 24 hours a day. There are about 56,000 convenience stores in Japan. Three convenience store chains run most of them: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson.

Back in the US, I rarely went to a convenience store. It was a place for slushies. In Japan, you can buy lunch, pay bills, print documents, and ship parcels in one stop.

This guide covers the top konbini chains, food, services, and products. It also covers the facilities, payment, etiquette, and 2026 changes you should know.

What is a Japanese convenience store?

Konbini is short for konbiniensu sutoa (コンビニエンスストア), the Japanese word for convenience store. You will also see it spelled “conbini” or “combini.” All three spellings are common.

Konbini are part of daily life in Japan. You can find them in big cities, residential neighborhoods, and even rural towns.

What are the top Japanese convenience stores?

7-Eleven is the largest convenience store chain in Japan. FamilyMart and Lawson complete the “big three.” Several regional konbini chains fill the gaps.

The big three sell similar goods. Each chain still has its own fried chicken, coffee, and desserts. Locals often pick a favorite.

Things you can do at Japanese convenience stores

Food and beverages

Food is one of the main reasons people visit a convenience store. An Asahi Group Foods survey from March 2023 found that 52.4% of workers buy lunch at a konbini at least once a week.

Drinks

• Cold and hot drinks: Konbini keep separate shelves for each. Look for bottled tea, water, lattes, juice, and soda.

• Fresh coffee: Most stores have self-serve coffee machines. Buy a cup at the register, then fill it at the machine.

• Alcohol: You can find beer, sake, umeshu, highballs, chu-hi sours, and wine. You must be 20 or older to buy it.

Food items

• Rice balls (onigiri) and sandwiches: These are the most popular grab-and-go lunch.

• Bento boxes and lunch boxes: Staff will heat them for you at the register.

• Hot snacks: Fried chicken, meat buns, and oden sit by the register.

• Instant noodles: Many stores have a hot water dispenser for cup ramen.

• Sweets: Try anpan (bread with red bean paste), seasonal desserts, and ice cream.

Services

Multi-use machines

Every major konbini has a multi-copy machine (マルチコピー機). You can use it to print, copy, scan, and send faxes.

• Print from media: The machine reads SD cards, microSD cards, and USB drives.

• Print from your phone: Upload files with the chain’s app. You can even print from your phone using a QR code.

• Cost: A4 black and white costs ¥10 per page at the big three. Color costs ¥50. Ministop charges just ¥5 for black-and-white copies.

• Official certificates: Residents can print a juminhyo (resident record) with a My Number card. The service runs from 6:30 to 23:00.

Don’t worry if you don’t speak Japanese. You can switch the screen to English.

International ATMs

Most convenience stores in Japan have an ATM. Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven are the most reliable for foreign cards. Lawson and FamilyMart ATMs work with many cards too.

• Fee: Expect ¥110 to ¥220 per withdrawal, plus your own bank’s charges.

• Limit: Seven Bank allows up to ¥100,000 per withdrawal with foreign cards. Most other networks cap it at ¥50,000.

• Japanese cards: Japanese debit cards and credit cards from Japan work without issues.

Tell your bank before your trip. This stops them from blocking your card for fraud.

Mail and ship items

Is the post office closed? You can drop off parcels and luggage at a convenience store. Yamato Transport and Japan Post partner with different chains.

Bring the right stamps and documents. Some stores also handle international shipping. Ask staff first, because services vary by chain.

Pay bills

You can link your bank account for automatic payments. However, many people still use konbini for bill payments, as it is a simple way to pay your bills in person.

1. Bring your paper bill with its barcode to the counter.

2. Staff scan the barcode.

3. Pay the amount shown.

4. Keep the stamped receipt.

You can’t use a credit card for bill payments. Lawson generally takes cash only. 7-Eleven also accepts nanaco, and FamilyMart accepts FamiPay. Bill payments don’t usually earn point card points.

Get tickets

You can buy concert, museum, and theme park tickets at a konbini. At 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, you start on the multi-copy machine. FamilyMart retired its separate Famiport kiosk in 2022.

Lawson uses its own ticket kiosk, called Loppi. Some tickets are sold through one chain only. For example, Ghibli Museum tickets are sold only through Lawson.

1. Book online or on the store machine.

2. Print the payment slip.

3. Pay with cash, a card, or points at the counter.

4. Staff print your ticket.

I bought Ghibli Museum tickets on a Lawson Loppi machine this way. You must be in Japan, though, as there is a time limit to pay.

Wi-fi

Don’t count on free Wi-Fi. 7-Eleven ended its free 7SPOT Wi-Fi in March 2022. Bring a pocket Wi-Fi or a Japan SIM card instead.

Products

What you can buy at a Japanese convenience store

Konbini stock a wide variety of goods. If you need something late at night, a konbini is your best bet.

• Toiletries: Toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, makeup remover, and period products

• Household goods: Toilet paper, tissues, batteries, and umbrellas

• Technology: Phone chargers, cables, earphones, and USB drives

• Stationery: Pens, notebooks, envelopes, and letter pads

• Clothing: Socks, underwear, and T-shirts

• Reading: Manga, magazines, and newspapers

• Limited-edition items: Seasonal snacks and campaign goods, plus ichiban kuji prize lotteries for anime fans

Alcohol, tobacco, and vapes

You must be 20 or older to buy alcohol or tobacco. Staff may ask you to confirm your age on the touch screen.

Most konbini sell cigarettes and heated tobacco. Vapes sold in Japan contain no nicotine. Japanese law treats nicotine liquid as a medicine, and none is approved for sale.

Facilities

Open 24 hours a day (mostly)

Most convenience stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, some stores now close at night. About 1,400 7-Eleven stores, roughly 6% of the total, have changed their hours. Rising wages and staff shortages are the main reasons.

Bathrooms

Most konbini have a customer toilet. Rules vary by store, and some close toilets late at night. Ask staff first, and consider buying something as a thank-you.

Eat-in areas

Many stores have a small eat-in counter. Staff will heat your food and give you chopsticks or a spoon. Ministop is known for larger eat-in areas.

Trash bins

Public trash cans are rare in Japan. Many konbini have bins near the entrance or inside the store. These bins are for trash from items you bought at that store.

Don’t bring trash from home or from other shops. Stores pay to dispose of it, and most bins display a sign asking customers not to. Some stores have moved their bins inside or removed them for this reason.

If you eat something you bought at the store, sort the packaging into the right bin: PET bottles, cans, and burnable trash. Otherwise, carry your trash home. Our guide to trash in Japan explains how to sort it.

How to pay at a Japanese convenience store

Konbini accept almost every payment method.

• Cash: Always accepted. Use your coins here, since konbini are great for loose change.

• Credit and debit cards: Accepted at all major chains.

• IC cards: Suica and PASMO work for purchases. You can also top up your Suica at the register.

• QR codes: PayPay and other apps work at most stores.

Plastic bags cost a few yen. Bring your own bag if you want to save. There is no tipping in Japan.

Tax-free shopping changes from November 1, 2026

From November 1, 2026, tourists pay the full price, including tax, at tax-free shops. You get the tax back after customs checks your goods when you leave Japan. You must do this at an airport or seaport within 90 days of purchase. Read our Japan tax-free shopping guide for details.

Useful phrases at the register

• 温めますか？ (Atatamemasu ka?): “Shall I heat this up?”

• 袋はご利用ですか？ (Fukuro wa goriyō desu ka?): “Do you need a bag?”

• 大丈夫です (Daijōbu desu): “No, thank you.”

Frequently asked questions

What is a konbini?

A konbini is a Japanese convenience store. The word is short for konbiniensu sutoa (コンビニエンスストア). Japan has about 56,000 of them. Most open 24 hours a day and sell food, drinks, and daily goods.

What are the big three convenience stores in Japan?

The big three are 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson. 7-Eleven is the largest, with 21,939 stores in March 2026. FamilyMart had 16,412 and Lawson had 14,655. Ministop, Daily Yamazaki, and Seicomart are smaller chains.

Are Japanese convenience stores open 24 hours?

Most are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some stores now close late at night because of staff shortages. About 6% of 7-Eleven stores have changed their opening hours.

Do Japanese convenience stores have bathrooms?

Most konbini have a customer toilet. Rules vary by store, and some close toilets at night. Ask staff before you use it. Many people buy something small as a thank-you.

Can I withdraw cash at a konbini with a foreign card?

Yes. Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven are the most reliable for foreign cards. Expect a fee of ¥110 to ¥220 per withdrawal. Seven Bank allows up to ¥100,000 per withdrawal with foreign cards.

Can I pay bills at a Japanese convenience store?

Yes. Bring your paper bill with its barcode to the counter. You can’t pay bills with a credit card. Lawson generally takes cash only. 7-Eleven also accepts nanaco, and FamilyMart accepts FamiPay.

Can you buy vapes at Japanese convenience stores?

Konbini sell cigarettes and heated tobacco to adults aged 20 and over. Vapes sold in Japan contain no nicotine. Japanese law treats nicotine liquid as a medicine, and none is approved for sale.

Is free Wi-Fi available at convenience stores in Japan?

Not reliably. 7-Eleven ended its free 7SPOT Wi-Fi in March 2022. Bring a pocket Wi-Fi or a Japan SIM card instead.

In closing

Japanese convenience stores are one of the most useful parts of life in Japan. You can eat, pay bills, print, and ship parcels in a single stop.

Try a different konbini chain each day. You will soon have a favorite.