James Kenji Lopez-Alt - Konbini Taste Test | Kenji Eats Japan
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Konbini are the cornerstones (quite literally) of quick, convenient food and drink throughout Japan. Kenji put the big three—7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson—to the test!
Hi Frienjis,
It’s Erin, Content & Community Manager here on Patreon with another episode of Kenji Eats Japan. This time, it’s a battle for the ages. It’s a Konbini Taste Test!
But First... What’s A Konbini?
Well, what does it sound like? Konbini is actually a shortened phrase for “konbiniensu sutoru” (meaning convenience store) in Japanese. It sounds similar to English because it’s one of many loanwords originating from English that the Japanese language utilizes, just like kurejitto kādo (credit card), eakon (air conditioning), or hankachi (handkerchief).
Convenience Culture
Japan loves a convenient food choice. Going into our team’s trip earlier this year, I knew the country had a big vending machine and konbini culture. The moment I stepped foot in Kyoto I realized, oh... they are quite literally on every block and every corner, sometimes in multiple amounts. The numbers back it up: Across Japan, there are around 60,000 konbini shops and 4–5 million vending machines (that’s one machine for every 30–40 residents)! ¹ ²
The vending machines come in all shapes and forms. Some sell your expected selection of soda, tea, and other sugary drinks while others might focus exclusively on coffee, beer, or even fresh-pressed orange juice. Some vending machines sell hot food and some sell frozen, microwavable meals so you can pop across the street and grab a dish for dinner or dessert. And while I didn’t spot any of these myself, some sell fresh produce, disaster relief items, collectibles, and more.³ And I’m not even including the gashapon craze in all this, though you can spot a fair number of those in the background of today's video!
While vending machines were surely part of our team’s travels—an ice cold Pocari Sweat is a great accompaniment while climbing a mountain to see some monkeys—we stayed focused on the konbini for the sake of this taste test.
The Big Three
Konbini are a cornerstone of the convenient food culture that’s endemic to this country. In 2025, convenience stores set a record ¥12.05 trillion ($75.8 billion) in sales, driven by the big three: 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart.⁴
7-Eleven is the biggest konbini chain in the country with over 20,000 stores.⁵ Yes, it’s the same 7-Eleven we have back in the States. The chain began in Dallas in 1927 but today is actually owned by the Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. parent company.⁶ In Japan, 7-Eleven is famous for their egg salad sandos and onigiri, amongst other savory food items.
FamilyMart is close behind with around 17,000 stores and holds their fame in Fami-Chiki and comfortable sock stock.⁷ The Fami-Chiki is a juicy, crispy, fried chicken thigh kept in a hot case and served in a fittingly convenient rips-right-down-the-center wrapper to keep the grease off your fingers. The socks are self-explanatory, being cheap and comfy with a stylish colorway inspired by the store’s iconic blue and green logo.
Finally, there’s Lawson stores, with around 14,000 locations.⁸ They’re famous for their baked goods with affordable and incredibly high quality fluffy roll cakes, melonpan, and cheesecakes luring customers in. I only came across a few Lawson locations during my time there, which makes sense seeing as the areas we stayed in were FamilyMart strongholds (according to Conbini Wars).
Taste Test!
For this taste test, Kenji set out to try a variety of offerings from each store, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Our categories included egg salad sandos; onigiri; boiled eggs; fried chicken thighs (à la Fami-Chiki); socks; machine-made iced lattes; and a dessert wildcard.
The results were not what we expected… Watch the full video for the taste test and beware of a spoiler alert for the final results ahead:
Thanks for continuing to follow along with the Kenji Eats Japan series! Right after we filmed this taste test, the team headed to the train station to catch a Shinkansen up to Niigata prefecture to begin the business half of the trip. Stay tuned for some super sharp stories about metalworking and knife making in Tsubame-Sanjō.
— Erin, Community & Content Manager
Watch the full Kenji Eats Japan series.
Konbini are the cornerstones (quite literally) of quick, convenient food and drink throughout Japan. Kenji put the big three—7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson—to the test!
Hi Frienjis,
It’s Erin, Content & Community Manager here on Patreon with another episode of Kenji Eats Japan. This time, it’s a battle for the ages. It’s a Konbini Taste Test!
But First... What’s A Konbini?
Well, what does it sound like? Konbini is actually a shortened phrase for “konbiniensu sutoru” (meaning convenience store) in Japanese. It sounds similar to English because it’s one of many loanwords originating from English that the Japanese language utilizes, just like kurejitto kādo (credit card), eakon (air conditioning), or hankachi (handkerchief).
Convenience Culture
Japan loves a convenient food choice. Going into our team’s trip earlier this year, I knew the country had a big vending machine and konbini culture. The moment I stepped foot in Kyoto I realized, oh... they are quite literally on every block and every corner, sometimes in multiple amounts. The numbers back it up: Across Japan, there are around 60,000 konbini shops and 4–5 million vending machines (that’s one machine for every 30–40 residents)! ¹ ²
The vending machines come in all shapes and forms. Some sell your expected selection of soda, tea, and other sugary drinks while others might focus exclusively on coffee, beer, or even fresh-pressed orange juice. Some vending machines sell hot food and some sell frozen, microwavable meals so you can pop across the street and grab a dish for dinner or dessert. And while I didn’t spot any of these myself, some sell fresh produce, disaster relief items, collectibles, and more.³ And I’m not even including the gashapon craze in all this, though you can spot a fair number of those in the background of today's video!
While vending machines were surely part of our team’s travels—an ice cold Pocari Sweat is a great accompaniment while climbing a mountain to see some monkeys—we stayed focused on the konbini for the sake of this taste test.
The Big Three
Konbini are a cornerstone of the convenient food culture that’s endemic to this country. In 2025, convenience stores set a record ¥12.05 trillion ($75.8 billion) in sales, driven by the big three: 7-Eleven, Lawson, and Family Mart.⁴
7-Eleven is the biggest konbini chain in the country with over 20,000 stores.⁵ Yes, it’s the same 7-Eleven we have back in the States. The chain began in Dallas in 1927 but today is actually owned by the Seven-Eleven Japan Co., Ltd. parent company.⁶ In Japan, 7-Eleven is famous for their egg salad sandos and onigiri, amongst other savory food items.
FamilyMart is close behind with around 17,000 stores and holds their fame in Fami-Chiki and comfortable sock stock.⁷ The Fami-Chiki is a juicy, crispy, fried chicken thigh kept in a hot case and served in a fittingly convenient rips-right-down-the-center wrapper to keep the grease off your fingers. The socks are self-explanatory, being cheap and comfy with a stylish colorway inspired by the store’s iconic blue and green logo.
Finally, there’s Lawson stores, with around 14,000 locations.⁸ They’re famous for their baked goods with affordable and incredibly high quality fluffy roll cakes, melonpan, and cheesecakes luring customers in. I only came across a few Lawson locations during my time there, which makes sense seeing as the areas we stayed in were FamilyMart strongholds (according to Conbini Wars).
Taste Test!
For this taste test, Kenji set out to try a variety of offerings from each store, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Our categories included egg salad sandos; onigiri; boiled eggs; fried chicken thighs (à la Fami-Chiki); socks; machine-made iced lattes; and a dessert wildcard.
The results were not what we expected… Watch the full video for the taste test and beware of a spoiler alert for the final results ahead:
Thanks for continuing to follow along with the Kenji Eats Japan series! Right after we filmed this taste test, the team headed to the train station to catch a Shinkansen up to Niigata prefecture to begin the business half of the trip. Stay tuned for some super sharp stories about metalworking and knife making in Tsubame-Sanjō.
— Erin, Community & Content Manager
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