“I used bathrooms at the convenience stores sometimes, but I was very surprised.” (French man)

“Convenience store bathrooms have been a lifesaver many times, but I was embarrassed to ask the staff.” (Canadian woman)

“There are many convenience stores in Japan, so if you have to urgently go to the bathroom you will be able to. At first, I was a little embarrassed about asking to use the bathroom, but I knew they would allow me to, so now I have no issues.” (American woman)

One of the things that surprise foreigners about convenience stores in Japan is the bathroom. Many Japanese convenience stores have free-to-use clean bathrooms, and foreigners seem are very surprised about it.

However, it’s important to note that recently, convenience stores in central areas of Tokyo, such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, do not necessarily have toilets available to patrons. It’s a good idea to use the bathroom before visiting one of the central areas of the city.

“The ATMs in convenience stores are compatible with foreign credit cards and are very convenient.” (French man)

“At first I was a little confused by the amount of options. I used to use the ATMs and banks and post offices, but now I use the convenience store ones when I’m in a pinch.” (Italian woman)

“At first it was difficult, but once I got used to it, it’s very easy. I use it when I can’t go to the bank.” (Canadian woman)

Japan has less stores that accept credit cards and other digital forms of payment when compared to other countries. For this reason, foreigners who visit Japan, need to have cash available, and there are many convenience stores where you can use an ATM. As our French interviewee mentioned, convenience stores ATM allow you to use also international cards, making them more convenient to foreigners.

Many convenience stores have machines from which you can book tickets for concerts or sport events in addition to printing. To Japanese people it’s normal, but what do foreigners think of such a multi-functional fax machine?

“I bought tickets for Disneyland and Totoro, as well as Sumo and Circuit tickets. The purchase was difficult because there were many kanji. It was convenient nonetheless.” (French man)

“I booked tickets but the process was very long. After receiving the email, there is still a lot to work on, since you have to follow the correct procedure.” (Italian woman)

“I bought a movie ticket. On that that it was cheaper than what it would have been at the movie theatre. I didn’t know how to go about it, so I asked the store clerk to help me. The clerk was very kind.” (Canadian woman)

The interviewee told us that a machine with a ticket-reservation function is convenient. On the other hand, it was difficult for one of them to operate the machine. It’s true that these machines are convenient because of their many functions, but it seems to be difficult to execute the desired actions.

“I really like it because you can always eat hot food on the go.” (French man)

“I don’t like meat, so I’ve never eaten hot dogs or meat buns. For many foreigners, oden is a common issue, since they don’t know what’s inside.” (Italian woman)

“I had fried chicken and yakitori. It’s warm and delicious, so I buy it often! I don’t know how to buy oden and I’ve never ordered it, but I’m always curious because it’s right next to the registers, so I’ll try it next time.” (Canadian woman)

Many food items like meat buns and chicken are displayed and sold by the cash registers at convenience stores in Japan. These can be eaten warm at any time, so, on cold days, foreigners and Japanese alike enjoy them a lot.

Among the products that are sold by the cash register, oden in particular gets the attention of foreigners. To foreigners who don’t really know what oden is, it seems to be a Japanese rarity.

Convenience store oden is about putting your own pickings in a cup, but it seems that many foreigners don’t really know how to buy it. However, it has a good reputation among foreigners who have tried it, so it is one of the things that you should try while in Japan.

“It’s very convenient to be able to pay for your utilities.” (Italian woman)

“I have paid for my utilities. It’s a very convenient and nice system, because you can pay by just bringing the bill there.” (Canadian woman)

There are many Japanese people who pay utility bills at convenience stores. It is a useful service because you can pay anytime when you go shopping or after work. Our interviewees also seem to agree with that.

On the other hand, there is also the opinion from foreign people that we are in times when people should pay online and not bother going to a store. Japanese people tend to prefer paying in cash. However, with the increasing cashless-payment options, the amount of people using online payments may increase.

Japanese convenience stores also sell stamps in addition to the other services we mentioned. What do foreigners think about this?

“I did buy a stamp. There was no particular issue.” (Italian woman)

“In Japan you sell stamps at convenience stores. I did not know! Convenience stores sell everything and are really convenient.” (Canadian woman)

There are many foreigners who do not know that convenience stores sell stamps. If you don’t want to go the post office, you can purchase them from a nearby convenience store.

Japanese convenience stores offer a wide range of quality services that are unmatched in the rest of the world. For this reason, some foreign visitors say that they cannot live without a Japanese convenience store! When you visit Japan, make sure you go see just how convenient a convenience store is!

Written by Yuu Sato, Dali Corporation