Japanese convenience stores, known as konbinis, embody the best of Japanese culture and creativity. Since the 7-Eleven and Lawson brands made the leap from North America in the 1970s, Japan has done what it often does with foreign imports: made them its own and made them better.
One-stop shops for everything from clothes to make-up to household items, konbinis are open round the clock as “life infrastructure” (an official classification by the Japanese government), offering services that are vital to daily life. You can pay bills, send mail and do your photocopying. There is one on every city block and sometimes several: the different chains include “Famima” (FamilyMart), “Sebun” (7-Eleven) and Lawson.
But it’s the food that makes konbinis such vital destinations. They cater not just to city households with limited cooking space and appliances but also to time-poor workers and ageing communities in rural towns who are unable to shop and cook. The sheer variety of freshly prepared options is staggering. This includes onigiri (seaweed-wrapped rice balls) with filings such as bonito flakes, tuna mayo and umeboshi (pickled plum); sushi rolls; hot snacks such as karaage (fried chicken), which is fried in store; osouzai (side dishes) like braised pork belly and grilled fish; ramen; and baked goods and desserts. Regional differences reflect local tastes. Konbinis in the north, for instance, might have a limited-edition miso ramen, which is famous in Hokkaido, while southern konbinis will have tonkotsu, a pork-bone ramen popular in Kyushu.
Chef Brendan Liew and Caryn Ng were founders of pop-up Chotto in Melbourne (Liew is currently at the city’s Warabi, a sushi omakase restaurant) and have spent more than a decade travelling to Japan. In Konbini: Cult Recipes, Stories and Adventures from Japan’s Iconic Convenience Stores (Smith Street Books), they offer a study of konbinis as “B-gourmet wonderlands”. Liew tells me: “There’s always a twist, an element that sets the food apart from standard fare. A konbini ham and cheese sando will contain a whole egg with Kewpie mayo and special Kamakura ham. A macaroni salad will be spiked with mentaiko (spicy pollock roe) to enhance umami and provide a spicy kick. A Hamburg steak will be made with premium Wagyu beef. Tourists may gravitate towards iconic or junky items like sandos and fried chicken, as do the locals, but locals also rely on salads, bento and other pre-packaged food for a healthy balanced diet.”
The quality is driven by fierce competition between chains and opinion differs over whose version is best. In his TV series Parts Unknown, chef Anthony Bourdain waxed lyrical about the egg sandos from Lawson (calling them “pillows of love”). And his endorsement still holds sway. But Liew believes 7-Eleven’s are better, as do countless other tastemakers. As for the hotly contested category of fried chicken, there are different camps for 7-Eleven’s “Nanachiki”, Lawson’s “EruChiki” or FamilyMart’s “Famichicki”.
In 2002, Lawson introduced a premium onigiri range focused on high-end, local ingredients in a bid to differentiate itself. Fillings include grilled salmon belly, maguro tataki (sliced tuna) and umeboshi (pickled plum) made using prized nanko ume plums. “On a recent trip I had an onigiri filled with raw egg,” says British-based chef Tim Anderson, the author of several books on Japanese cuisine. “You bite into it and get this delicious runny yolk like a self-saucing snack. Making just one of those by hand would be a feat. Mass producing them and getting them fresh and intact into a convenience store is amazing.”
Lawson also pioneered high-quality konbini cakes and desserts at a time when that category was largely the domain of speciality cake stores. Its bestselling “premium roll cake” is a cream-filled sponge that comes as a single slice for the solo diner and costs around ¥200 (about £1). Among other chains, Ministop is renowned for its limited-edition “soft cream” (soft serve) and parfaits made in store using locally prized fruit.
For foreign visitors, konbinis are at the forefront of a global trend for “supermarket tourism”. With their abundant stock (constantly replenished and perfectly presented) and distinctive signage, they have been embraced as quintessential Japanese shrines to excellence and efficiency. “It’s like a treasure hunt going into a konbini,” says Liew. “So much stuff with items customised to each location. You walk in and are dazzled.”
In their development of novelty items, konbinis are retail leaders. “Lawson, for instance, has eight teams around Japan creating limited editions that tap into popular games (such as The Legend of Zelda) and anime, and work on collaborations with local brands and restaurants,” says Ng. “The chain releases 100 new products a week with 200 new products launching in the bakery section each year.” The recent appointment of Nigo as creative director of FamilyMart signals the importance in this sector of using trend-based ventures and strong branding to gain a competitive edge. The creator of streetwear brand A Bathing Ape and Kenzo’s current artistic director, Nigo is taking charge of FamilyMart’s marketing and in-store digital signage as well as next-generation store and strategic product development.
“I often go into a konbini for fun to see the new flavours of beer, KitKat or crisps,” says Anderson. “That novelty aspect of food culture is missing in the west. We also have different expectations of what can or should be convenience food. In the UK, I miss konbinis on a daily basis. Especially when I travel. Can we please get good food at train stations? I don’t always want to eat a baguette.”
@ajesh34
