It is 11 p.m. in Tokyo. You have just stepped off the train after a long day of exploring, and your stomach is making demands. On the corner, a soft glow catches your eye: the unmistakable glass-front facade of a Japanese convenience store, its shelves packed floor to ceiling with rice balls, steaming buns, cold noodles, and a wall of drinks you have never seen before. A cheerful chime sounds as the automatic door slides open. A staff member calls out a greeting you do not quite catch. You are standing inside a konbini, and you have no idea what anything says. This article is going to fix that.
Japan is home to over 56,000 convenience stores, according to the Japan Franchise Association’s 2025 year-end data. The three giants — 7-Eleven (roughly 21,000 locations), FamilyMart (approximately 16,300), and Lawson (around 14,000) — account for nearly 90 percent of the market. These are not the fluorescent-lit snack stops you might be used to back home. A Japanese konbini is a one-stop life-support system: hot meals, ATMs, package shipping, event tickets, photocopying, bill payment, and more, all operating around the clock. Knowing even a handful of Japanese words and phrases transforms the experience from anxious guesswork into something genuinely fun.
Walking In: The Greeting You Will Always Hear
The moment you cross the threshold, a staff member will call out:
Ready to speak Japanese with a real person?
Book Your First Lesson — $55いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) — Welcome
You do not need to say anything back. A small nod or a brief smile is the standard response, even among Japanese customers. The greeting is a formality directed at every person who enters, and there is no expectation of a verbal reply. If you feel like acknowledging it, a quiet nod works perfectly.
Once inside, take your time. Browse slowly, pick things up, read the packaging. Nobody will rush you. Staff are accustomed to customers spending ten or fifteen minutes wandering the aisles, and there is no pressure to buy quickly.
Reading the Shelves: Food and Drink Labels
The biggest challenge for travelers is decoding what is on the shelves. Here are the most common kanji and labels you will encounter in the food and drink sections.
Temperature Labels
- 温かい (atatakai) — Warm
- 熱い (atsui) — Hot
- 冷たい (tsumetai) — Cold
- あたためますか (atatamemasu ka) — Shall I heat this up? (You will hear this at the register.)
Drink shelves are often split into warm and cold sections, especially in autumn and winter. Cans and bottles with a red label or a red price tag are typically from the heated case. Look for HOT printed in English on many warm beverages, or the kanji 温 (on) meaning “warm.”
Onigiri (Rice Balls)
Onigiri are the iconic triangular rice balls wrapped in nori seaweed, and they are the single most popular grab-and-go item in any konbini. Here are the fillings you will see most often:
- 鮭 (sake/shake) — Salmon
- ツナマヨ (tsuna mayo) — Tuna mayonnaise
- 梅干し (umeboshi) — Pickled plum
- 昆布 (konbu) — Seasoned kelp
- 明太子 (mentaiko) — Spicy cod roe
- たらこ (tarako) — Salted cod roe
- 唐揚げ (karaage) — Fried chicken
Most onigiri packaging includes a photo of the filling. When in doubt, look at the image and trust it. The wrapping usually has a numbered pull-tab system (1, 2, 3) that keeps the nori crisp until you open it.
Bento Boxes
The bento section is usually a refrigerated shelf near the entrance or along one wall. Common types include:
- 幕の内弁当 (makunouchi bentō) — A classic assortment box with rice, fish, pickles, egg, and vegetables. The name dates back to the Edo period, when these were eaten between acts of kabuki performances.
- のり弁当 (nori bentō) — Rice topped with nori seaweed, usually with fried fish and sides
- 焼肉弁当 (yakiniku bentō) — Grilled meat over rice
- カレー (karē) — Curry, often sold with a separate rice container
If your bento can be microwaved, the cashier will ask あたためますか (atatamemasu ka) — “Shall I heat this up?” Reply with はい、お願いします (hai, onegaishimasu) for yes, or 大丈夫です (daijōbu desu) for no thanks.
The Hot Food Counter
Right next to the cash register, behind a glass case, sits the hot food counter. This is where you will find some of the best cheap eats in the country. You can point at what you want, but knowing the names helps.
- 肉まん (nikuman) — Steamed pork bun
- あんまん (anman) — Sweet red bean paste bun
- ピザまん (pizaman) — Pizza-flavored steamed bun
- カレーまん (karēman) — Curry steamed bun
- からあげ (karaage) — Japanese fried chicken pieces
- コロッケ (korokke) — Croquettes (potato or cream)
- アメリカンドッグ (amerikan doggu) — Corn dog
In colder months, many stores also set up an おでん (oden) station — a simmering pot of fishcakes, boiled eggs, daikon radish, and konnyaku (yam cake) in dashi broth. You choose individual pieces, and the staff ladle them into a cup with broth. To order, simply point and say これをください (kore o kudasai) — “This one, please.”
Counting and Ordering: The Phrases That Work Everywhere
Japanese uses counter words when specifying quantities, and different counters apply to different types of objects. The good news: there is a universal counter system using the “tsu” suffix that works for almost anything when you are ordering at a konbini.
- ひとつ (hitotsu) — One (thing)
- ふたつ (futatsu) — Two
- みっつ (mittsu) — Three
- よっつ (yottsu) — Four
- いつつ (itsutsu) — Five
Pair any of these with ください (kudasai) — “please” — and you can order anything from the hot food case. にくまん、ふたつください (nikuman, futatsu kudasai) means “Two pork buns, please.” Point at what you want while you say it, and the transaction will go smoothly.
At the Register: Payment
Checkout in a Japanese konbini is efficient and scripted. The cashier will scan your items and then ask a rapid series of questions. Here is what to expect and how to respond.
Bag Question
Since July 2020, plastic bags are no longer free in Japan. A nationwide law requires stores to charge for them, typically 3 to 5 yen per bag at convenience stores. The cashier will ask:
袋はいりますか (fukuro wa irimasu ka) — Do you need a bag?
- Yes: お願いします (onegaishimasu) — Yes, please
- No: いらないです (iranai desu) — I do not need one
Carrying a small reusable bag is common practice in Japan and saves you the question entirely.
Utensil Requests
If you have bought a bento, noodles, or a dessert, the cashier may ask whether you need utensils. Listen for:
- お箸 (ohashi) — Chopsticks
- スプーン (supūn) — Spoon
- フォーク (fōku) — Fork
- おつけしますか (otsuke shimasu ka) — Shall I include (utensils)?
If the cashier does not ask but you need chopsticks, simply say: お箸をください (ohashi o kudasai) — “Chopsticks, please.”
Payment Methods
All major konbini accept multiple payment types. Here are the key terms:
- 現金 (genkin) — Cash
- カード (kādo) — Card
- 電子マネー (denshi manē) — Electronic money / IC card
IC cards like Suica and Pasmo — the rechargeable transit cards you probably already carry for the trains — work at every major konbini. Just tap your card on the reader when prompted. To tell the cashier you are paying by IC card, say: Suicaで (Suica de) — “With Suica.” You can also recharge your IC card at the register. Say チャージお願いします (chāji onegaishimasu) — “I would like to charge (my card), please” — and hand over the cash amount you want loaded.
Credit cards, Apple Pay, and various QR code payment apps like PayPay are also widely accepted. Many stores now have self-checkout kiosks with English-language options, which removes the language barrier entirely for payment.
Beyond Food: Services You Might Not Expect
Japanese convenience stores offer an astonishing range of services. Knowing the right vocabulary helps you access them.
ATMs
7-Eleven stores are equipped with Seven Bank ATMs that accept international Visa, Mastercard, Plus, Maestro, Cirrus, American Express, JCB, and UnionPay cards. The machines are available around the clock and switch to English, Chinese, Korean, and other languages automatically when a foreign card is inserted. The withdrawal limit is 100,000 yen per transaction. FamilyMart and Lawson also have ATMs, though international card compatibility is most reliable at 7-Eleven.
ATM (ē-tī-emu) — ATM (same word, Japanese pronunciation)
Printing, Copying, and Tickets
Every major konbini has a multifunction copier/printer near the entrance or along a back wall. These machines handle photocopies (black and white from 10 yen, color from 50 yen per page), photo printing from USB or smartphone, document scanning, fax, and — importantly for travelers — event and transportation ticket printing.
- コピー (kopī) — Copy
- 印刷 (insatsu) — Print
- チケット (chiketto) — Ticket
Package Services
You can ship packages via courier (takkyūbin) at the register and even have online orders delivered to a konbini for pickup, which is useful if your accommodation does not accept packages.
- 荷物 (nimotsu) — Package / luggage
- 受け取り (uketori) — Pickup / collection
Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules
There are a few behavioral norms in Japanese convenience stores that differ from what you might be used to elsewhere. None of these are complicated, but following them shows respect.
Do not eat inside the store unless there is a designated eat-in area. Some konbini have a small table-and-chair section, often near a window, marked as an eat-in space. If you eat there, be aware that the consumption tax rate changes from 8 percent (takeout) to 10 percent (eat-in), so the cashier may ask: 店内でお召し上がりですか (tennai de omeshiagari desu ka) — “Will you eat here?” Answer はい (hai) for yes or 持ち帰りです (mochikaeri desu) for takeout. If there is no eat-in area, take your food outside.
Separate your trash. Konbini trash bins are divided into categories — burnable, plastic bottles, cans, and paper. Take a moment to sort your waste into the correct bin. The labels often include pictures, which helps.
Do not linger too long in eat-in areas. These spaces are small and intended for quick meals, not extended laptop sessions. Fifteen to twenty minutes is a reasonable amount of time.
Have your payment ready. There is usually a small tray on the counter for cash. Place your bills and coins on the tray rather than handing them directly to the cashier. The cashier will count your change and place it back on the tray or hand it to you. At stores with automated cash registers — which are increasingly common — you feed bills and coins into the machine yourself.
Keep your voice low. Konbini are calm, quiet spaces, even during busy periods. A conversational volume is fine; anything louder draws attention.
A Quick-Reference Cheat Sheet
Here are the ten phrases that will carry you through nearly any konbini interaction:
- これをください (kore o kudasai) — This one, please
- はい、お願いします (hai, onegaishimasu) — Yes, please
- いらないです (iranai desu) — I do not need it
- 大丈夫です (daijōbu desu) — I am fine / No, thank you
- お箸をください (ohashi o kudasai) — Chopsticks, please
- 袋をください (fukuro o kudasai) — A bag, please
- Suicaで (Suica de) — I will pay with Suica
- チャージお願いします (chāji onegaishimasu) — I would like to charge my card
- 持ち帰りです (mochikaeri desu) — Takeout, please
- ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) — Thank you very much
Cooking Beyond the Konbini
If the flavors you discover in Japan’s convenience stores leave you curious about how Japanese home cooking actually works — the dashi, the rice techniques, the careful knife work — consider booking a hands-on cooking class while you are in Japan. A session with a local instructor gives you the vocabulary and muscle memory to recreate those flavors at home. You can browse and book classes through Klook, which lists options in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and other cities, often with English-speaking hosts.
Start Learning Before You Land
A convenience store visit is one of the first real-world Japanese conversations most travelers have. It is low-stakes, repeatable, and genuinely rewarding once you know the script. Every phrase in this article is something you can practice tonight and use tomorrow. If you want to go deeper — to learn the grammar behind these phrases, to understand why the cashier structures sentences the way they do, to build the confidence to have longer conversations beyond the register — that is exactly what structured lessons are for. Explore our lesson plans at Tabiji Academy and turn your next trip into the one where you actually speak the language.
