Conbini!

Yeah, you might move to Japan because you love "the culture.

But you'll stay for the convenience stores.

I don't know about you, but I'd be a bit embarrassed to tell someone that I got my lunch at 7-Eleven... in the U.S. When I worked in Tokyo, though, I was getting my lunch there 3-4 times a week!

To put it simply, Japanese convenience stores are amazing.


The Lingo

"Convenience stores" are called コンビニ. When I speak English to people in Japan, I still say "conbini."

コンビニ is short for コンビニエンスストア. Literally, "convenience store."

There are 3 major players in the conbini industry to watch our for: 7-Eleven (セブンイレブン), Lawson (ローソン), and Family Mart (ファミリーマート).

Of these, 7-Eleven is the best. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. For me, they particularly kill the competition when it comes to their coffee:

500 yen for a fancy coffee at a cafe? No thank you. I'll take that large iced coffee at 7-Eleven for 180 yen, instead.

Iced coffee in my left hand. Tuna mayo onigiri in my right. And a long walk through the streets of Tokyo.

Ah, it's like heaven for me. (And before you go hating, "tuna mayo" doesn't sound so good in English, but please don't group Western "mayo" with Japanese マヨ. Kewpie completely annihilates Best Foods.)



↑ I'm missing my onigiri, but as you can see, I'm plenty satisfied with just the iced coffee.

In certain areas of Japan, they have their own popular varieties of conbini, too. For example, you'll find Seicomart in Sapporo, which is also pretty good:

Back when Rei and I lived in Sapporo, there was a Seicomart about 50 meters from our aprartment building.

On many evenings, after dinner, we would brave the pouring snow as we journeyed over to Seicomart for some ice cream. Specifically, for some スーパーカップ! (We talked about Super Cups back in this lesson: [NDL #31] - Frozen-Solid Tofu... and Waterfalls.)

It might sound odd that we were walking through the snow to buy ice cream, but we had a pretty great heater in our apartment.

Anyway, lingo! When you're talking about specific conbini, I'd use their abbreviated names, which are much more common in spoken Japanese:

セブンイレブン → セブン
ファミリーマート → ファミマ

ローソン is just ローソン.

↑ Note that the abbreviations may vary depending on the region of Japan and the generation of the speaker.


How to Enjoy Conbini

First and foremost, Rei insists that I recommend Japan's conbini to anyone with a sweet tooth. Conbini sweets are where it's at!

Now that I think about it, I did have a friend that was obsessed with 7-Eleven's メロンパン (melon bread). But メロンパン just scratches the surface of what's available. Check our 7-Eleven's official page on スイーツ for more:

#セブンスイーツ is also a hashtag on Twitter, where you can see photos of their latest and greatest goodies.

This won't apply to everyone out there, but perhaps my favorite method of enjoying the treasures of conbini―aside from the coffee and onigiri combo mentioned above―is grabbing a can of cold beer to enjoy as I stroll around.

Guidebooks and Japanese teachers might tell you that it's "not proper" to do this. I both agree and disagree. While being drunk and spilling your beer on the sidewalk―or worse, in a train―are certainly to be avoided, most people don't care if you walk around while enjoying a beer... As long as you don't bump into them, that is!

If you're worried about it, then you can also grab a beer, and then enjoy it in a park. Although less glamorous, you'll find that a lot of people drink right outside of the convenience store. That's never really been my thing, though. Drinking next to a row of trash cans isn't exactly my idea of fun.

Speaking of trash cans...


Conbini: Always There for You

It is very difficult to find public trash cans in Japan.

It's also not uncommon to see signs urging you to take your trash home.

If you're out and about, though, carrying around trash for 6 hours kind of sucks, yeah? At the same time, you can't commit the evil of all evils: littering. So, I recommend searching out a convenience store, as they usually have trash cans you can use.

Sometimes they're inside the store, sometimes they're not. If you're feeling shy about going inside of a store just to throw away some trash, maybe buy a water or some mints or something.

Perhaps more important than trash cans, though, most (but not all) conbini also have public restrooms. And in most (but not all) cases, they are relatively clean.

↑ See that sign above the doorway? It says:


ご自由にお使いください。
ごじゆう に おつかい ください。
Please feel free to use the restrooms.
Literally: “freely + use + please.”


But sometimes there will be a sign that says:


トイレをご利用の際はスタッフに声をおかけください。
トイレ を ごりよう の さい は スタッフ に こえ を おかけ ください。
If you would like to use the bathroom [toilet], please tell a staff member.
Literally: “toilet + を + using + の + occasion + は + staff + に + please speak to (=voice + を + おかけ + please).”


In that case, you can say something like this to an employee:


お手洗い使ってもいいですか?
おてあらい つかっても いい です か?
May I use the restroom? // Would it be all right if I used the restroom?
Literally: “restroom + is it OK to use (=even if [I] use + good + です + か)?”


Dying of thirst? Conbini is there for you.

Dying to pee? Conbini is there for you.

Wishing you hadn't eaten that spicy Korean food last night? Conbini is there for you.

I should mention, however, that the best public bathrooms tend to be inside of department stores.


Trust me: There will be another conbini.

One of the most interesting observations that I ever heard about foreign travelers in Japan is that they always seem to be carrying huge bottles of water.

I had some friends visit me in Japan a few years back, and they were guilty of this stereotype, as well.

*At the convenience store*

Me: You don't need to buy that giant water bottle.

Friend: What if I'm thirsty later and I can't find anywhere to buy a drink?

Me: There'll be a convenience store within 100 yards.

Friend: What if there's not?

Me: Unlikely, but there'll be a vending machine nearby.

Friend: I'm gonna buy this gigantic water anyway.

Me: Whatever gives you peace of mind, yo.

Ah, Conbini-san. Don't ever leave me, OK?


Useful Japanese:


温めますか?
あたためます か?
Would you like me to heat this up?
Literally: "warm up + か?"


はい。
Yes.


お願いします。
おねがいします。
Yes, please.
Literally: "please (do)."


いえ、大丈夫です。
いえ、 だいじょうぶ です。
No, that's OK.
Literally: "no, + OK + です."


一回払いでよろしいでしょうか?
いっかいばらい で よろしい でしょう か?
Would you like this to be a one-time payment?
Literally: "one-time payment + で + all right + でしょう + か?
Note: I don't know why, but if you pay with a credit card, they'll often ask if you want to split the payment into muliple parts... even if you're only spending a few hundred yen.


あっ、袋いらないです。
あっ、 ふくろ いらない です。
Oh, I don't need a bag.
Literally: "ah, + bag + don't need + です."
Note: I used to find myself saying this a lot when the cashier went to put something I was buying into a plastic bag.


アイスコーヒーの L サイズください。
アイスコーヒー の エル サイズ ください。
A large iced coffee, please.
Literally: "iced coffee + の + L size + please."

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