Japanese convenience store food guide: onigiri, egg sandwiches, karaage and more
TUREFF• •0
Japanese convenience stores, konbini, are a food destination in their own right. 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson are the big three, and their ready meals are fresh, cheap and restocked several times a day. Many travellers end up eating at least one meal a day from them. Here is what to look for and how it all works.
Onigiri: rice balls
Onigiri are triangles of rice wrapped in seaweed (nori) with a filling in the middle. Popular fillings:
- Tuna mayo (tsuna mayo): the bestseller, mild and creamy.
- Salmon (shake or sake): grilled salted salmon flakes.
- Umeboshi (ume): a sour pickled plum; an acquired taste.
- Mentaiko or tarako: seasoned cod roe, salty and sometimes spicy.
- Kombu: simmered kelp, sweet and savoury.
How to open one: the film keeps the seaweed crisp and separate from the rice. Pull tab 1 straight down the middle, then pull the two sides (2 and 3) off to the left and right. The seaweed stays wrapped round the rice. Some onigiri are pre-wrapped in soft seaweed or have no seaweed at all.
Sandwiches
The egg salad sandwich (tamago sando) is the famous one: soft white bread with creamy egg filling, often singled out by visitors, especially Lawson's and 7-Eleven's. Look also for katsu sando (breaded pork cutlet) and fruit sando, whipped cream with fresh fruit.
Hot food by the till
- Karaage: Japanese fried chicken. Lawson's Karaage-kun comes in small boxes in rotating flavours; FamilyMart's Famichiki is a crisp chicken fillet that has a cult following.
- Oden: a simmering pot of fish cakes, egg, daikon and tofu, sold in colder months.
- Nikuman: steamed buns with pork filling, in a warmer by the till in winter.
- Hot snacks: croquettes, sausages, fried potatoes.
Bento and ready meals
Bento boxes have rice and several items, from karaage to grilled fish to hamburg steak. There are also pasta, curry, gyudon, noodles and salads. When you buy something to heat, staff usually ask "atatamemasu ka?" (shall I heat it?). Say "hai, onegaishimasu" for yes or "daijōbu desu" for no. In most stores staff do the microwaving.
Desserts
The chilled dessert shelf is a highlight: pudding (custard), roll cakes, cream puffs, mochi and matcha sweets. Seasonal limited editions appear constantly, especially in autumn (chestnut, sweet potato) and spring (sakura).
Drinks, hot and cold
- Hot drinks: in colder months, a heated cabinet holds bottles and cans of tea, coffee, corn soup and milk tea.
- Coffee: buy a cup at the till and make it at the machine yourself. It is fresh and cheap.
- Tea: unsweetened green tea, barley tea (mugicha) and jasmine tea are everywhere.
Paying
- IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA) are the fastest way to pay.
- Credit cards and contactless are accepted at all the main chains.
- Cash is fine. Put money in the small tray rather than handing it over directly.
- Plastic bags cost a few yen; say "fukuro wa daijōbu desu" if you do not need one.
- Konbini ATMs, especially 7-Eleven's, reliably accept foreign cards.
Etiquette
- Eating while walking is frowned on in many places. Some konbini have an eat-in counter; otherwise eat outside the shop or in a park.
- Rubbish: public bins are rare, but konbini have sorted bins, mainly for things bought there. Separate bottles, cans and burnables.
- Queue in one line and go to the next free till when called.
- Use the chopsticks, spoons and wet towels offered at the till; staff will ask if you need them.
What konbini food did you love, or which chain do you think is best? Share your favourites in the comments.