What Can You Do at a Japanese Konbini? ATMs, Bills, Hot Food and Etiquette, Explained

Short answer (as of 26 October 2026): Far more than buy snacks. At a Japanese convenience store (konbini) you can withdraw yen with many foreign cards, pay utility bills and some taxes, send and collect parcels, print documents, and, if you live here and have a My Number Card, print an official residence certificate. Japan had 56,125 of these stores in April 2026, according to the Japan Franchise Association's monthly survey. Many are open 24 hours, and in Tokyo and other cities many have agreed to give water, toilets and road information to people walking home after a disaster.

This guide explains what each service is, how to use it, and why a corner shop ended up doing the work of a bank branch, a post office and a city hall annex. It replaces our March 2026 article. The change log is at the end.

How many konbini are there, and why are they everywhere?

About 56,000. In April 2026 the seven chains in the Japan Franchise Association ran 56,125 stores, served about 1.34 billion customer visits that month, and took an average of about 735 yen per visit.

Those figures come from the Japan Franchise Association's (JFA) monthly convenience store survey for April 2026, as reported by Ryutsuu News. The count has hovered around 56,000 for several years. In October 2025 it was 55,962.

The first Seven-Eleven in Japan opened on 15 May 1974 in Toyosu, Tokyo, and even that first store was a franchise run by a local shopkeeper. That is still the model: most stores are run by local owners under a chain's brand and systems. It explains why the konbini spread into every neighbourhood. They are small, close to home and stocked for what a household needs today, not this week.

What can you actually do there?

Here is what most major-chain stores offer. Services differ by chain and by store, so look for the sign or ask at the counter.

ATMs. Seven Bank's page for overseas cards says you can withdraw Japanese yen at ATMs in Seven-Eleven stores with many foreign cash, credit and debit cards. Your own bank may charge a fee, and the ATM may offer to convert into your home currency. You can usually decline and pay in yen.

Certificates. The Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems (J-LIS) runs the service that lets residents print certificates such as a residence certificate (jūminhyō) at store copy machines using a My Number Card, or a smartphone with the card's electronic certificate. Fukuoka Prefecture's guide gives the hours as 6:30 to 23:00 every day except the New Year holidays and maintenance days, and notes that not every municipality takes part.

Photo: Corpse Reviver / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 (24 January 2009)

How do I buy food without getting confused at the till?

Expect three short questions: whether to heat it, whether you need chopsticks or a spoon, and whether you want a bag. Then pay, and put cash in the small tray rather than in the clerk's hand.

• "Atatamemasu ka?" (Shall I heat it?) Say hai (yes) or daijōbu desu (no thanks). Bento boxes and some pasta are heated at the counter. Self-service microwaves exist in some stores.
• "Ohashi wa?" (Chopsticks?) Spoons and forks are also on request. If you plan to eat at home, saying no saves waste. That is the idea of mottainai; see our piece on Japan's zero-waste habits. For how to use them, see chopstick etiquette.
• Bags cost money. Since 1 July 2020, shops across Japan have had to charge for plastic shopping bags under a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry rule. Bring your own or say fukuro wa daijōbu desu.
• Eating in or taking away. Under Japan's reduced tax rate, which the National Tax Agency explains, food and non-alcoholic drinks are taxed at 8%, but eating in counts as dining out and is taxed at 10%. You may be asked "Kochira de omeshiagari desu ka?" (Will you eat here?). (A government bill to cut the food rate to 1% for two years from April 2027 was before the Diet on 26 October 2026 and had not passed.)
• Paying. Cash, cards, IC transport cards such as Suica, and QR-code payments are widely accepted. Put coins and notes in the tray (karuton) on the counter. Handing money directly is not rude, but the tray lets the clerk count in front of you. Do not tip; here is why.

Opening an onigiri. Most wrappers have numbered tabs. Pull tab 1 straight down the middle, then pull 2 and 3 off to the sides. The seaweed stays crisp because the film keeps it apart from the rice until that moment. Pull too hard on one side and the seaweed stays in the wrapper. Everyone has done it.

What are the common mistakes?

Bringing household trash, treating the eat-in as a picnic space, and blocking the ATM or copier. Each of these makes extra work for staff or for the people behind you.

• Household trash. Store bins are for things bought in the store, sorted by type. Many stores display notices refusing household rubbish. Residents should use their city's collection instead; see our guide to living in Japan.
• Eating your own food in the eat-in corner, or staying for hours at busy times.
• Long sessions at the ATM or copier when others are waiting. Step aside to sort out your phone or PIN.
• Speaking on the phone at the till. Finish the call first. Clerks often serve a long queue alone.
• Throwing chopsticks into the wrong bin. Bins are usually split into burnable, plastic, cans and bottles. If unsure, ask, or take it with you.

Photo: Yuya Tamai / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 (13 August 2009)

How can travellers make the most of a konbini?

From arrival day to departure day, most of the small in-between jobs of a trip can be done at a konbini. In rough order:

1. Get some cash on arrival. Withdraw a little yen at a konbini ATM near the airport or station. Shrine offices, rural buses and small restaurants may still be cash only.
2. Breakfast and water. If your hotel has no breakfast, an onigiri and a bottle of tea will do. For something warm, try steamed buns or oden (depending on season and store), or have a bento heated.
3. Carry a small bag for rubbish. Japanese streets have few public bins, and people take their rubbish home. A spare bag in your backpack saves a lot of searching.
4. Send luggage ahead. Stores that accept courier parcels can send heavy souvenirs to your hotel, home or the airport. Ask about destinations and prices.
5. A safe stop at night. If you are lost or unwell, a bright, staffed konbini is a good place to pause. For earthquakes, see the walk-home stations below.

For the departure tax, tax-free refunds and other rules that changed in 2026, see what changed for Japan travel in 2026.

Why are konbini part of Japan's disaster planning?

Because they are everywhere, open late and restocked constantly, the government treats the biggest chains as public infrastructure. Since 1 July 2017, Seven-Eleven Japan, Lawson and FamilyMart have been "designated public institutions" under the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, alongside utilities, broadcasters and transport companies.

The Cabinet Office's list of designated public institutions still names all three, along with supermarket groups. Being designated means the companies have formal duties in national disaster plans, such as helping to deliver relief supplies. The business press noted at the time of designation that retail had played a large role after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, and that the "last mile" to evacuees remained the hard part.

Konbini also appear in local plans. The "nine prefectures and cities" of the Tokyo area have agreements with convenience store chains, family restaurants and petrol stations to act as disaster walk-home support stations (saigaiji kitaku shien sutēshon). Yokohama City explains that participating stores display a sticker at the entrance and, as far as they can, offer tap water, toilets, road information from maps, disaster news from radio and a short rest. If a big earthquake stops the trains, that sticker is worth knowing. For broader preparation, see how Japan prepares for disasters.

Are konbini really open 24 hours?

Most are, but not all, and that has become a public issue. After a franchise owner in Higashi-Osaka cut his store's hours in February 2019 because of staff shortages, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry set up a study group on "the future of convenience stores" that reported in February 2020.

The study group held hearings with owners in cities across Japan, from Sapporo to Fukuoka, and the chains were asked to draw up action plans to support their franchise owners. Some stores now close at night. So when you see a konbini at 3 a.m., remember that someone, often the owner, is working that shift. A short "arigatō" at the till is not nothing.

Why does it work so well?

Because it is built around small, frequent needs and run by people who live nearby. The konbini is less a marvel of technology than a habit of looking after a neighbourhood, one transaction at a time.

Japanese households are small and city flats have little storage, so people buy little and often. A store a few minutes' walk away that sells today's lunch, takes today's bill and holds today's parcel fits that life closely. The quality visitors notice comes from the same place as the clean streets and the unbroken vending machines: many people doing small things carefully. The factory worker who wraps the onigiri, the driver on the night delivery and the owner who sweeps the forecourt each morning are the reason it works. That is worth remembering when it all feels effortless.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use my foreign card at a konbini ATM? Usually yes. Seven Bank ATMs in Seven-Eleven stores accept many overseas cash, credit and debit cards, and its guide is in 12 languages. Your card issuer may charge fees.

Is it OK to eat in the store? Only in an eat-in corner, and only food bought there. Eating in is taxed at 10%; takeaway food at 8%.

Can I throw away my rubbish at a konbini? Rubbish from things you bought there, sorted into the right bins, yes. Household trash, no.

Can tourists print a residence certificate? No. The certificate service is for registered residents with a My Number Card, in municipalities that take part.

Are konbini toilets free to use? Many stores let customers use them, but not all, especially at night. Ask first: "Toire o okari shite mo ii desu ka?" Buying something is a polite thank-you.

What should I do in an earthquake if I am far from my hotel? Follow official instructions. If you walk, look for stores with the "disaster walk-home support station" sticker. They offer water, toilets and road information as far as they can.

Sources and dates checked (all checked on 2026-10-26)

• Japan Franchise Association, convenience store statistics (monthly reports) — jfa-fc.or.jp/particle/320.html (primary)
• Ryutsuu News, JFA convenience store statistics for April 2026 (56,125 stores; 1,337,087,000 customers; average spend 734.9 yen; published 20 May 2026) — ryutsuu.biz/sales/s052015.html
• Ryutsuu News, 50th anniversary visit to Seven-Eleven's first store in Toyosu (opened 15 May 1974) — ryutsuu.biz/store/q051516.html ; Walkerplus on the first store being a franchise — walkerplus.com/article/1142073 ; Seven-Eleven Japan, corporate history — sej.co.jp/company/history (primary)
• Seven Bank, ATMs for overseas cards (guide in 12 languages) — sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/index2.html (primary)
• J-LIS, convenience-store certificate issuance — lg-waps.go.jp (primary); Fukuoka Prefecture, hours 6:30 to 23:00 (not 29 December to 3 January), card plus 4-digit PIN, and participation — pref.fukuoka.lg.jp/contents/mynumber-conveniko… (primary)
• National Tax Agency, outline of the reduced tax rate (8% on food and drink excluding alcohol and dining out; 10% standard) — nta.go.jp/taxes/shiraberu/zeimokubets… (primary)
• Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun (Kyodo), cabinet approves bill to cut food consumption tax to 1% from April 2027 (9 October 2026) — kumanichi.com/articles/2044798 ; Ibaraki Prefecture notice on the proposed cut (updated 2 October 2026) — pref.ibaraki.jp/somu/zeimu/fuka/zeiritsuhik… (primary)
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, plastic shopping bag charges from 1 July 2020 — meti.go.jp/policy/recycle/plasticbag/p… (primary)
• Cabinet Office (disaster management), list of designated public institutions (Seven-Eleven Japan, Lawson, FamilyMart) — bousai.go.jp/taisaku/soshiki/s_koukyou.h… (primary); Newswitch (Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun), "Seven retailers become designated public institutions from today" (1 July 2017) — newswitch.jp/p/9553
• Yokohama City, support for people walking home after a disaster (walk-home support stations: water, toilets, road and disaster information, rest; updated 1 April 2026) — city.yokohama.lg.jp/kurashi/bousai-kyukyu-bohan… (primary); Tokyo Metropolitan Government press release noting agreements with convenience store operators (November 2024) — metro.tokyo.lg.jp/information/press/2024/11/2… (primary)
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Study Group on the Future of Convenience Stores (meetings 2019, owner hearings, report 10 February 2020) — meti.go.jp/shingikai/mono_info_service… (primary); Toyo Keizai on the Higashi-Osaka store's shortened hours — toyokeizai.net/articles/-/383467 ; Nihon Shokuryo Shimbun on the chains' action plans and owners' staff shortages — news.nissyoku.co.jp/news/original2020010702
• Images: Wikimedia Commons file pages (licences checked) — commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rice_balls_of_Cir… , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Konbini_drink_cor…

What we changed from the March 2026 version: we removed figures we could not trace to the company or a primary source (2.2 billion onigiri a year, the 120-yen onigiri) and the claim that other countries failed to copy the model. We replaced the general 2011 disaster claim with the 2017 designation and the walk-home station agreements, and added practical how-to sections.

By J-Times Editorial (information as of 2026-10-26)