What can you find in konbini, Japanese convenience stores?

Konbini are Japanese convenience stores that are open 24/7 and sell pretty much anything you might need in your daily life, from breakfast to dinner plus cable adapters, toiletries and socks.

The top 3 biggest konbini chains in Japan are:

1. 7-Eleven
2. FamilyMart
3. Lawson

Apart from selling meals, snacks and essential supplies, konbini also offer many other useful services:

• International ATMs, where most foreign cards are accepted
• Free Wifi
• Shipping services through TA-Q-BIN
• Photocopiers offering photocopying, scanning and printing services
• Machines selling tickets for events: concerts, exhibitions and attractions
• Many also have a free customer toilet

Another useful feature to note: there are few public trash cans in Japan, but a konbini will always have various types of trash cans, so if you’ve been out all day and don’t know what to do with your trash, you can use the konbini bins. Of course, please be sure to sort your trash responsibly (usually trash goes into separate bins for PET bottles/cans, recyclable plastics, and burnable trash).

Read more about konbini in our article HERE.