Konbini of my life!
When in Japan it can be said that you are never too far away from a Konbini! Whether it is 7ELEVEn, Family Mart, Lawson, or Mini Stop. Japan has many, you can measure how rural you are by checking the location of your nearest one. But are all Konbini equal? Do I have a favorite?
The chain closest to me in my daily life is 7ELEVEn. Back in my early YouTube channel days, I was a small travel channel. And being from the UK, I had never even stepped foot on one of these. My first introduction was in LA, and I was the most excited young explorer to finally check out 7ELEVEn. No word of a lie; it was written on my to-do list.
So, today's entry will mainly focus on 7ELEVEn, but I will add I have a soft spot for Family Mart after they ran their chocolate festival line. The chocolate dessert was insanely good, and the truffles were good!
The first thing I learned about Konbinis is some foods have limited runs; I remember being in love with a spicey rice ball only to find it very quickly vanishing everywhere. 7ELEVEn also produces a range of cup noodles that I am in love with. They have curry and spicy tomato-flavored ramen. These also come in 2 different sizes. They have their bread too and one that I buy a lot of is the raisin rolls with butter inside. Happy to say I may be slightly addicted.
Now the hot counter in Konbini is a source of excitement, usually a place to grab fried chicken, hash browns, chips, corn dogs, and more depending on the season. They also offer to heat many of the dishes you buy in case you are at lunch and want that curry heated. They offer many different services such as paying bills, ATMs, photocopying services, and even small postal services.
Pokémon cards are the light of my life! Many Konbinis also sell the latest decks for various card games, which is a big highlight for me. Lately, I’ve developed a bit of an addiction to the Electric Shield Breaker Pokémon sets. The newest deck, Terastal Festival, has just been released, and Family Marts is the best place to find this new deck! I believe I was fortunate enough to hit a God box at my local store.
Additionally, there is a nice selection of ice cream that I have yet to try, mostly because I cycle everywhere and can't eat while riding.
Konbini offer a variety of home goods too as well as stationery. You can buy a thermometer, liquid eyeliner or even some socks! The list goes on, the equivalent in the UK is the traditional corner shop. But without the many additional services tacked on. You can top up your IC card, photocopy items, pay bills, withdraw money from an ATM, recycle, have food warmed up, fruit shakes made, make a coffee; and the list goes on. The Konbini is a staple within Japanese life as it conforms to the idea of convenience and pairs nicely with the Japanese work style.
This is one thing I will miss when returning to the UK; they offer so much, and their food options can be wild. Long live the Konbini!
