Japan Convenience Store Best 10: 7-Eleven vs FamilyMart
Tokyo Mate
🏪 Japan's 3 Major Convenience Stores
7-Eleven vs FamilyMart vs Lawson
Complete Comparison Guide!
From signature items to hidden gems,
BEST 10 Must-Buy List
Perfect shopping guide
for your Japan trip!
🏪 Japan’s Top 3 Convenience Stores:
What Makes Them Different?
Japan's convenience stores
are NOT all the same!
Understanding the unique strengths
of each of the Big 3 convenience stores
will double your shopping enjoyment.
📊 Quick Comparison:
7-Eleven vs FamilyMart vs Lawson
| Store | Signature Items | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| 7-Eleven (セブンイレブン) | • Egg Sandwich (タマゴサンド) • Gold Label Coffee • Premium Rice Balls • Smoked Eggs | ✅ Highest quality prepared foods ✅ Premium dessert line ✅ Best coffee in convenience stores ✅ Exclusive cup ramen collaborations |
| FamilyMart (ファミリーマート) | • Famichiki (fried chicken) • Line Character Socks • Frappe & Smoothies • Premium Sweets | ✅ Best fried chicken (Famichiki 🥇) ✅ Trendy character collaborations ✅ Wide variety of fashion items ✅ Competitive dessert selection |
| Lawson (ローソン) | • Premium Roll Cake (Uchi Cafe) • Basque Cheesecake • Character Collaborations • Health-Conscious Food | ✅ Premium dessert specialists 🥇 ✅ Natural Lawson (organic line) ✅ Relaxuma & Pokémon goods ✅ Healthier food options |
👑 2025 Japan Convenience Store
Must-Try BEST 10
Popular in 2025!
Must-eat foods only.
From 7-Eleven's egg sandwich,
to Lawson's premium desserts,
and FamilyMart's Famichiki!
This one guide will help you
master all 3 convenience stores!
1. 🥪 Tamago Sando (Egg Sandwich)
🥇 Winner: 7-Eleven
The undisputed #1 on convenience store shopping lists!
While there are countless convenience stores,
the perfect harmony of fluffy bread
and rich, creamy egg salad
is uniquely superior at 7-Eleven.
2. 🍰 Premium Desserts
(Roll Cake & Pudding)
🥇 Winner: Lawson
Lawson, the "Dessert Master,"
has a legendary "Premium Roll Cake"!
So soft you can feel the cream
is more abundant than the bread,
with a rich milk flavor that's exquisite.
Don't miss the chewy mochi bread
"Mochifuyo" and
various pudding varieties!
3. 🍗 Famichiki (ファミチキ)
🥇 Winner: FamilyMart
The king of hot snack corners!
The perfect harmony of
crispy fried batter and
juicy chicken thigh is fantastic.
Forms a duopoly with Lawson's "L-Chiki,"
so comparing the two flavors
is one of the great joys of travel.
4. 🥤 Convenience Store Smoothies & Frappe
🥈 Winners: 7-Eleven & FamilyMart
The hottest item recently!
Choose a cup with frozen fruit,
pay for it, then put it in
the dedicated machine in the store
to instantly create a fresh smoothie!
7-Eleven has blended smoothies,
FamilyMart has frappe
(mixed with milk from the machine).
Many say it's better than most cafes!
5. 🍜 Restaurant Collaboration Cup Ramen
🥇 Winner: 7-Eleven
7-Eleven's "Gold Cup Ramen" series
recreates the taste of specialty restaurants
almost perfectly!
If you see "Moko Tanmen Nakamoto,"
"Sumire," or "Ippudo,"
grab them without hesitation!
🍜 Sumire (すみれ)
"The King of Sapporo Miso Ramen"
The surface of the broth is covered
with rich pork lard,
so you can eat it hot till the end.
You can truly feel the flavor of
authentic Sapporo miso ramen
that's very rich and savory.
🍜 Ippudo (一風堂)
"The Textbook of Clean Tonkotsu Ramen"
Perfectly recreated the taste
of the world-famous specialty restaurant "Ippudo!"
The deep flavor of pork bone broth is alive,
but it's clean without any gamey taste!
The harmony with thin noodles is excellent.
(Red: Akamaru / White: Shiromaru)
🍜 Moko Tanmen Nakamoto (中本)
"The Standard of Deliciously Spicy!"
Rich broth with a miso base
is abundant with tofu and vegetable toppings.
You can adjust the addictively savory taste
with the included "spicy oil."
(※ Warning for those who can't handle spice!)
6. 🥚 Smoked Eggs (半熟煮たまご)
🥇 Winner: 7-Eleven
Soft-boiled soy sauce eggs
that you could only taste at ramen shops!
The perfect harmony of
firm white with savory soy sauce and
rich, creamy yolk makes them perfect
to eat as is, mixed with rice,
or as a topping for cup ramen!
7. 🍺 Limited Edition Beer & Highball
🥉 All 3 Stores
As well as major beer brands
like Asahi, Kirin, and Sapporo,
finding limited edition beer or highball cans
sold exclusively at each convenience store
is a fun treasure hunt!
8. 🧦 Convenience Store Socks
(ラインソックス)
🥇 Winner: FamilyMart
Unexpected recommendation #1!
Simple design socks created
in collaboration with famous fashion designers
are hugely popular among young Japanese
as a "fashion item"!
9. 🍧 Shirokuma Ice Cream
(しろくま)
🥉 All 3 Stores
A cup ice cream version
of Kagoshima's famous shaved ice from Kyushu!
With sweet beans and various fruits
piled on top of condensed milk ice,
it's recognized not as simple ice cream
but as a "dessert."
10. 🍙 Tsunamayo Onigiri
(ツナマヨおにぎり)
🥇 Winner: 7-Eleven
"The eternal bestseller onigiri"
"Tsunamayo (tuna mayo)" has held
the #1 sales position at
Japanese convenience stores
for decades—it's the true "king."
You might think "all tuna mayo is the same,"
but you'd be wrong!
All 3 convenience stores' flavors are different.
🍙[7-Eleven] "The King of Balance"
#1 in reader surveys!
The mayo presence is strong,
with the best balance of rice and tuna.
This is the most "classic" tsunamayo.
🍙[Lawson] "Pure Tuna Flavor"
Rather than mayo taste,
the tuna itself and soy sauce flavor
are more strongly felt.
🍙[FamilyMart] "Premium Taste"
The mildest and most high-class taste
of all 3 stores, according to many reviews.
🐟Why is it called Sea Chicken Mayo?
"Sea Chicken (シーチキン)" is
a canned tuna brand name
launched by Japanese food company
Hagoromo Foods in 1958.
It's so famous that it's used like
a proper noun meaning "canned tuna" in Japan.
🍢 Winter Limited!
“Japan Convenience Store Oden”
100% Enjoyment
"When do Japanese convenience stores sell oden?"
Many people are curious about
the "oden season,"
which usually starts around September-October
when the weather gets chilly
and continues until March of the following year.
Choose your desired ingredients like
radish, egg, fish cake, konjac, etc.,
put them in a cup, pour hot broth,
and enjoy it on the spot!
As the weather gets colder,
the sales hours get longer
and the variety increases.
Usually prepared in the morning,
sold from lunch to dinner,
and sometimes put away late at night.
📌Pro tip: Each convenience store
has different broth flavors
(Kanto-style/Kansai-style),
so comparing them is fun!
💡 200% Convenience Store
Pro Tips for Travelers
😊"Atatamemasu ka?" (あたためますか?):
When buying items like bento boxes,
staff will ask "Would you like it heated?"
If you want it warm, answer
"Hai (はい, yes)".
😊ATM:
Most convenience stores like
7-Eleven and FamilyMart have ATMs
where you can withdraw yen
with Travel Wallet, Travel Log, etc.
📌ATMs with zero withdrawal fees:
✅SEVEN Bank ATM:
Toss Bank, Travel Log, Sol Travel,
Travelers, Weebit Travel
✅AEON Bank ATM:
Travel Wallet
😊Discounts:
After 9 PM, bento boxes, bread,
desserts, etc. nearing their expiration date
start getting discount stickers.
😊Digestive aids:
When your stomach feels bloated after overeating,
you can buy digestive aids at convenience stores:
Cabejin Kowa Stomach Tablets
(キャベジンコーワ胃腸錠)
Panciron Stomach Granules
(パンシロン 胃腸顆粒)
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🏪 Final Thoughts
Japanese convenience stores are
much more than just "convenient"—
they're a cultural experience!
Each of the Big 3
(7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson)
offers unique signature products
worth trying during your Japan trip.
From premium desserts to hot oden,
from egg sandwiches to limited-edition drinks—
happy konbini shopping! 🎌