There is such a place out there. In fact there are tens of thousands of places like that out there. They are called konbini, or convenience stores in English, and they can be found all over Japan. I know what you are thinking. “You want me to go to a convenience store just to eat the food? Are you kidding?” Past experience has taught you that convenience stores are only good for greasy, slimy hot dogs, nuclear nachos, drinks the size of small children, crusty old corn dogs and mystery meat hamburgers. Until my first trip to Japan, I was right there with you. I would have never dreamed of wasting my hard-earned money or the trip of a lifetime in a place like a convenience store until I went into my very first Family Mart in Narita, Japan. Now whenever I am in Japan, I can’t resist having at least one meal or more a day from a konbini!  -- By Rose

Breakfast

Lunch

Now it is lunch time. Maybe you don’t have time to order at a restaurant — even a fast food one! Again a konbini is the place to go. By far my favorite lunch option at a konbini is bento. Konbini-ben are portable, well-portioned and well-balanced meals that typically feature a variety of protein, veggies and starch. From there the sky is the limit. Konbini-ben can either be a classic Japanese meal like tofu steak, rice and sumono, or it can be an exotic meal like bibimbap from Korea or even a down-home Japanese meal like curry rice or omuraisu. Konbini-ben can also change based on the season. Warm dishes like beef stew are available in the winter, while light cold noodle dishes like zaru soba are popular in the summer. Other favorite lunch options include rice balls. At Family Mart, they keep their rice perfectly fresh and tender, and the nori is kept separate form the rice until it is time to eat it to keep it nice and crisp. The fillings are the best part! So many choices and most of them very tasty! Increasingly there are a number of innovative onigiri options like sukiyaki, salmon and even uni and ikura!

Dinner

Now it is dinner time. Perhaps you aren’t the greatest cook, or it seems you were too busy having fun, and all the restaurants are now closed. Or like me, you just don’t have a ton of money, period. Never fear; konbini is here! You don’t have to pick out another bento. There are plenty of other options available at a konbini such as pasta. Try a tasty and traditional meat-sauce spaghetti. Or if you feel more adventurous, there is always the tarako and butter pasta The pasta is always fresh, never frozen or prepackaged. Instead all of the fresh food available at a konibini is made daily in nearby factories and then shipped directly to the konbini. In some areas where it is really busy, a konbini might receive several deliveries each day to keep up with demand.

Dessert

Night Snack

So,

when visiting Japan, don’t bypass the konbini! Go in, look around and eat something! Besides, konbini are also great places to buy other things such as stationery, clothing, simple groceries and household products, pay a bill, mail a package, make a copy, send a fax or buy a souvenir to take back home to your friends.

About writer: Rose is a blogger at umailabs.com. The blog dedicates itself to seeking out or recreating the food she loved so much when she was an exchange student in Japan. She earned her degree in International Studies: Japan from UW. Her passion is sharing her knowledge of Japan and her dinner table with anyone who is hungry.

Images (c) FamilyMart Co., Ltd.