On our trips to Japan, we rent an apartment. We eat in some of the nights, so we need supplies. Of course, Japan has an excellent selection of grocery stores, markets, and fruit and vegetable shops. During the season, strawberries and other healthy offerings are a must. Amaou is quite possibly the most famous Japanese strawberry variety. It is often referred to as the king of strawberries and originates in Fukuoka, which is located in Kyushu.
Why is 7-Eleven Japan So Special?
A 7-11 Manager
The extensive and diverse product range sets seven Eleven Japan apart from its international counterparts. They don’t sell just food; in addition to standard convenience store items such as snacks, drinks, and magazines, 7-Eleven Japan offers a wide array of high-quality, fresh food items, including onigiri (rice balls), bento boxes, sushi, sandwiches, juice box, and even hot drinks. These items are made fresh daily and cater to the discerning tastes of Japanese consumers.
The 7-Eleven convenience stores were a daily stop for us. I should mention here that Family Mart and Lawson’s are equally attractive and abundant. (Lawson’s (15,000 in Japan) and Family Mart (16,541 in Japan) There are 21,215 7-11’s in Japan, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Forget other similar stores. This is a Japanese version! The 7-Eleven in Japan and around the world, from the outside, look almost identical, but the convenience stores in Japan are vastly different on the inside.
Variety
We could choose something different every night, and as our schedule left us tired at the end of the day, the convenience of buying our dinner there was useful. We could have chicken with rice, Ramen, Hamburger with gravy and potato salad, salmon with rice, Sushi, or even a frozen pizza one night. Of course, we could top it off with a tasty dessert: a soufflé, ice cream, cake, pastries, puddings, fruit salad, etc. All at a reasonable price, fresh, and of good quality.
In Japan, convenience stores are truly a one-stop shop for snacks, clothes, toiletries, and more. I would say confidently that the 7-11 coffee is one of the best you can get outside a coffee cafe known for its coffee. Another feature is that they seem to be on every street corner and never far from one, so again, they are very convenient.
Customer Service
Egg sandwich
Japanese culture highly values customer service, and 7-Eleven Japan is no exception. Staff are well trained to provide friendly, efficient, and attentive customer service in a clean and efficient environment.
As soon as I stepped inside the 7-Eleven—also referred to as a konbini, the Japanese word for convenience store—I met the manager. We often greeted each other in our language and then exchanged a few words in English or Japanese, both awkwardly!
The 7-Elevens in Japan offer so much more than just food and beverages. They also have ATMs, printers, copiers, and fax machines inside, plus customers can buy various household items and toiletries.
Typical 7-11 frontage
Like most 7-Elevens worldwide, the Japanese locations I’ve visited are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The stores offer fresh-tasting, high-quality snacks and meals at a very affordable price. As I’ve written, the egg sandwich (Tamago sando) is probably the most popular and delicious choice at 7-Eleven. Other sandwich offerings include pork cutlets and chicken teriyaki with egg. Bento boxes are ideal for a quick, tasty lunch.
The 7-Elevens also offer fruit-and-cream sandwiches with fillings that rotate based on the season. Try the strawberry-and-cream one with coffee or royal milk tea, a popular drink usually made with Darjeeling tea leaves.
A Japanese “konbini” is a thing of beauty. It is a little corner store filled with every convenience you could ever desire, including foreigner-friendly ATMs, public toilets, free charging points, and tasty, fresh food at very affordable prices.
So, for a snack, I had an egg sandwich, potato salad, hot coffee brew, and a pork cutlet. All for AUD 7.00 (USD5.00) for two. Not bad.
Whether it was breakfast, lunch on a bench, or dinner taken home, it was reasonable, fresh, and delicious. Plus, we met our friendly 7-Eleven manager.
https://www.sej.co.jp/in/en.html
https://www.lawson.co.jp/service/others/in/lang/en.html
https://www.family.co.jp/for_tourist/en.html
Written by: Richard Coles
