10+ Japanese Convenience Store Foods You Need To Try

You definitely want to eat these foods when you go into a convenience store, but you also want to make sure you eat so much of the other food in Japan.

In case you’ve never been and you don’t know what to order, I have a post about the must-try Japanese food that I recommend. These are the foods that I crave when I’m not there and the ones I eat every time I go back.

Japanese Convenience Store Foods You Need to Try

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Tamago Sando (Egg sandwich)

Tamago sandos are Japanese egg sandwiches. I know. That sounds boring. You don’t wanna fly halfway across the country to eat an egg sandwich.

Except you do. You absolutely do.

Tamago sandos are the most delicately made, perfectly dressed, slightly sweet, egg salad between the softest bread. Japanese milk bread needs to be experienced.

It tastes like you’re eating a cloud, Pete always says. It’s so satisfying and so filling that if you eat this for breakfast, which I did for pretty much the entire two weeks we were in Japan last trip, you won’t be hungry until lunch.

Onigiri

The first time I went to Japan, my great aunt tried to teach me how to mold onigiri. It’s a triangular shaped rice ball, often stuffed, and wrapped in seaweed.

She laughed at me because my help was not very helpful. I was terrible at shaping the rice.

If you also can’t shape your own onigiri just pick it up at a convenience store. It comes wrapped in a delicate packaging that you unroll then you wrap the seaweed around the rice, which is packed separately, but together in a package. That smart packaging helps to keep the seaweed fresh and crisp rather than soggy.

Cold Coffee

My love affair with cold coffee is because of Japan’s excessive amount of options. Although, I have one main favorite: UCC coffee with milk. That’s my ultimate go to. It’s also the first canned coffee created in the world.

But, there are so many cold coffee options in Japan. You could try a new one every day for a week without repeat.

My brother discovered Wonda Gold espresso this time, which is phenomenal. Pete’s favorite is Black Boss. My nephew picked out Fire One Day coffee for me, which he thought would be hot (because of the name) even though it was in the refrigerated section of the store (he’s 8, we’ll forgive him).

Fun aside: I’ve seen posts where influencers add Coolish, which is a Japanese drinkable ice cream that you can find and convenience stores, and add it to black cold coffee to make really cheap and easy coffee float. Coffee floats are very popular in Japan so you might wanna try this one.

I did, because I’m very easily influenced when it comes to coffee. It was much better when I added sugar to it, FYI.

Sweets

If I’m going into a convenience store in America, I’m just there for snacks. I’m probably on a road trip and I want all the options.

I’m very similar in Japan. Of course, I’m buying lots of other things in the convenience store, but I will always peruse the snack section.

I really like Meiji’s chocolate mushrooms, Lotte’s Koala’s March, any type of Pocky, and I’ll usually look for the square chocolate singles that are delicious.

What I really like about Japanese convenience stores is that there isn’t really a price markup. It’s basically the same price that you’ll pay the grocery store, so you don’t have to feel like you need to leave the snacks at the store like I feel when I go to an American convenience store. I know I’m paying for convenience there. In Japan, the price is pretty much the same across the board — even at Don Quijote, which my mom was super surprised about.

Fruit Sandwich

I am obsessed with fruit sandwiches. They’re more delicious than you would expect them to be.

It’s whipped cream, soft Japanese milk bread with fruit placed down the center, along with the cut line. This sandwich is cut in half to expose the fruit inside.

You can get ones that are just strawberry or one with mixed fruit like pineapple and peaches.

They’re incredible and my breakfast sandwich of choice. I can’t find them because they do sell out because they’re really popular, then my next choice is egg sandwich. But, fruit sandwiches have a very special place in my heart.

Karaage 

My niece and nephews ate their weight in Lawson’s chicken nuggets this trip. I honestly don’t know if Lawson’s was prepared for what was about to hit it those two weeks.

So, when we went to Nara and were looking for something easy to eat before we went up to Tōdai-ji temple, I had to try the nuggets.

Some of them are made of white meat, and some are dark meat, with no indication of what is what on the package.

I made Pete eat the dark meat ones and I had the white meat. They were good and definitely taste familiar, if your kids are looking for something that tastes like home.

Hanami Dango

There are two popular types of skewered dango that you’ll find in the convenience store. The first is mitarashi dango, a plain colored dango with a sweet soy sauce over the top. That’s my mom‘s favorite.

I prefer the tri-colored dango, known as hanami dango. Regardless what you call it, they’re both the same thing.

It’s a sweet mochi treat. Each colored piece tastes the same, they just look different and are colored for cherry blossom season. Pink represents the flower buds, white are the flowers, and green is for the leaves.

They’re sweet in the way Japanese treats are sweet, which means they’re not really very sweet. They’re chewy and really texturally satisfying.

I prefer the hanami dango because I like them sauceless, but, they’re both in the convenience store so try what you would like best.

Melon Pan

Melon pan, also known as melon bread, is a little bit confusing. It’s named because it’s shaped like a melon not because it tastes like a melon. There are a ton of different flavors and some convenience stores have their own exclusive flavors. You can also find these at shopping streets throughout Japan and at grocery stores. So, they’re not specific to convenience stores, although like I said some of the flavors are.

It is the go-to treat for our Japanese friend’s son. So, my mom saw him eating it, she had to try it.

To her, it was sweet and it actually took her days to finish because she just wasn’t feeling it.

But if you like sweets, definitely try this.

Also, it looks like conchas, the Mexican sweet bread, but it is not that. So just keep that in mind when you’re eating it.

Korokke

I have always loved croquettes. Potato croquettes are so soft and warm on the inside with a crunchy Panko breading outside. The contrast is so satisfying.

You can find a variety of them at the front of each convenience store, so I’ll usually pop in when we’re on a walk, grab one, and run back out before anyone even notices I’ve disappeared.

My favorite are the Nikujaga Korokke, which are potato and minced meat croquettes, which are the most common.

This trip, I saw a crab and cream cheese croquette in the basement of Takashimaya. Of course, I had to try it. It was delicious. I’ve never seen that in a convenience store, but if you see that version, definitely try it.

Frozen Ramen

This is not specifically a convenience store item. You can get frozen ramen at the grocery store as well. But, in case there’s a Lawson’s you can get to quicker than you can get to a grocery store, look for frozen ramen there.

It’s super easy to make in five minutes on the stove. So if you’re staying in an Airbnb and you want something easy for lunch or dinner, this is a great idea.

Sprinkle Sandwiches

This trip, we were on a hunt to find the limited-time, viral sprinkle sandwiches from 7-Eleven. They’re 7-Eleven’s take on fairy bread, spreading whipped cream between milk bread and covering the cut side with sprinkles.

It’s more like a cake than a sandwich, but a less sweet cake than you’re expecting.

I was on a hunt to find it, even though I don’t like sprinkles, and it did not disappoint. It was so satisfying and really delicious.

Since it’s limited, you might not be able to find it. But if you do, grab it.

Famichiki

Family Mart went viral for its Famichiki, which is a boneless crispy fried chicken that you can find near the cash register at the convenience store.

Since it’s gone viral, people have stuck it in tamago sandos. Family Mart wised up to this and actually started selling a bread right next to it at the register to suggest you make it into a non-egg sandwich.

My brother bought it before I did and shared it with our house, and thank goodness he did because it’s dark meat chicken, which I don’t eat. Actually, most of the chicken served in Japan is dark meat, as opposed to white meat served in America.

So, if you like dark meat, try this. And if you don’t, skip it.