Everything You Need to Know About Japanese Convenience Stores, Konbini

Konbinis are so much more than just a convenience store. They are essential to the everyday lives of residents and visitors to Japan. In times of emergencies or regular days, konbinis provide all manner of services to help its customers make it through the day. 

In this post, we bring together everything you need to know about Konbinis.

Table of Contents

1. What’s Konbini?
2. What services does Konbini offer? 
   1. Japan’s Convenience Store, Konbini: Services Offered and Major Chains
3. Career and Employment at Konbini 
   1. Work While You Study in Japan: Some of the Part Time Jobs Perfect for International Students
   2. Part-time Jobs in Japan: Working in Konbinis
4. Fun Facts About Japan's Convenience Stores

What’s Konbini? 

Konbini, short form for convenience store in Japanese. Konbini offers a wide range of services and sells a large range of goods to its customers. There are close to 60,000 konbini stores across Japan at time of writing. 

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What services does Konbini offer? 

Japan’s Convenience Store, Konbini: Services Offered and Major Chains

This article introduces the different services offered by Japan’s convenience stores. It also provides short introductions on the 3 biggest konbini chains plus some smaller chains. By reading, it will help you understand how big a part Konbinis play in Japanese society. 

Career and Employment in Konbini

The large number of convenience stores in Japan means lots of job opportunities. Indeed, quite a number of Japanese have experienced working part-time in a konbini, especially during their student days. Part-time work at a konbini is also a common choice for international students. 

Work While You Study: Top Part Time Jobs for International Students in Japan

This article introduces some recommended part-time jobs for international students in Japan, one of which is at konbini. 

Part-time Jobs in Japan: Working in Konbinis

A detailed look into what working in a konbini entails. Includes a breakdown of job scope, average salary, how to get higher hourly wages, level of Japanese required, and important things to know (legal requirements). Skip to the end of the article for a summarization of the whole feature. 

Fun Facts about Japan's Convenience Stores

To wrap things up, here are some interesting facts about Konbinis. 

1. 7-Eleven is the biggest konbini chain in Japan

2. Hokkaido has the most konbini, while Nara has the least

3. Slurpees are a rare find in Japan 

4. A deciding factor when choosing a place to stay is distance to konbini

5. The price of convenience, konbini items may be more expensive 

6. Majority of them are open 24/7