Eating well and cheaply from Japanese convenience stores

Prices are 7-Eleven Japan's listed prices for takeaway, including 8% tax, as of 11 October 2026. Products and prices vary by region and change often.

Breakfast, 07:30: Tuna mayonnaise onigiri (¥196.56) + grilled salmon onigiri (¥213.84). Takeaway price: ¥410.40. No heating needed.

Lunch, 12:30: Ham and egg sandwich (¥374.76) + fried chicken from the hot counter (¥250.56). Takeaway price: ¥625.32. Eat at a park bench or a station seating area.

Dinner, 19:00: Loin tonkatsu bento (¥699.84 takeaway). Takeaway price: ¥699.84. Ask for it heated.

Drinks: 3 bottles of 7-Eleven own-brand water, 550 ml (¥108 each). Takeaway price: ¥324. Branded drinks cost more.

Total. Takeaway price: about ¥2,060.

If you eat dinner in the shop's eat-in corner, the bento is taxed at 10%: ¥648 + 10% = ¥712.80, which is ¥12.96 more than takeaway. Across a 10-day trip, eating every dinner in costs about ¥130 extra. That's small, but tell the cashier: the shop is legally required to charge 10% on food eaten in, and it works out the rate by asking you or by a sign asking you to say so.

Compared with restaurants: at Yayoi-ken, a set-meal (teishoku) chain, set meals in Tokyo cost ¥860–1,570 as of 11 October 2026 (ginger pork set ¥890), so the ¥625 konbini lunch saves about ¥235–945. At dinner, the ¥700 bento compares with ¥990 for many Yayoi-ken sets.

温めますか？ (Atatamemasu ka?): Shall I heat it?. Reply: はい、お願いします (Hai, onegaishimasu) / 大丈夫です (Daijōbu desu).

お箸おつけしますか？ (Ohashi otsuke shimasu ka?): Do you want chopsticks?. Reply: Same replies.

袋はご利用ですか？ (Fukuro wa go-riyō desu ka?): Do you need a bag?. Reply: Bags cost a few yen; say "Daijōbu desu" if you have your own.

店内でお召し上がりですか？ (Tennai de omeshiagari desu ka?): Are you eating in?. Reply: Say "Tennai de" (eat in) or "Mochikaeri de" (takeaway).

ポイントカードはお持ちですか？ (Pointo kādo wa omochi desu ka?): Do you have a point card?. Reply: "Nai desu" (no).

Heating. Staff heat bento, pasta, gratin and some noodles in a commercial microwave in 30–60 seconds. Don't heat sandwiches, salads, onigiri (they're designed to be eaten cold) or chilled noodles. In some branches you heat food yourself in a customer microwave; no chain publishes which branches do this, so follow the heating time printed on the label. Cup noodles: add hot water from the dispenser near the microwave; there's usually a bin and a sink for leftover soup.

Eat-in corners. Many urban branches have a counter or a few seats. The rules:

Tell the cashier you're eating in, so they charge 10%.

Throw away your rubbish in the shop's bins, sorted by type.

Don't bring food from elsewhere.

Some corners post their own opening hours or a time limit; follow the sign.

No seats? Station benches and park benches are fine. Eating while walking along a busy street is frowned on in Japan; see everyday etiquette.

Chopsticks and cutlery. Chopsticks are free. Since 1 April 2022, Japan's plastics law has required shops to cut the number of plastic forks, spoons, knives and straws they hand out. The law lets each shop choose how: asking whether you want one, charging for it, rewarding customers who decline, or switching to wooden or lighter cutlery. So expect to be asked, and say "Supūn kudasai" if you need a spoon. Bring a travel spoon if you eat lots of soup or yoghurt.

Bags. Plastic shopping bags have cost money nationwide since 1 July 2020. A small fold-up bag pays for itself in a week.

Konbini accept cash, major credit and debit cards, IC transport cards such as Suica and ICOCA, and most mobile wallets. Paying with Suica is the fastest: tap and go. For the bigger picture, see cash or card in Japan and Suica, cards and mobile wallets.

Packaged konbini food lists allergens in a box on the label, in Japanese. As of 11 October 2026, nine ingredients must be labelled (特定原材料): prawn/shrimp (えび), cashew (カシューナッツ), crab (かに), walnut (くるみ), wheat (小麦), buckwheat (そば), egg (卵), milk (乳) and peanut (落花生). Cashew was added on 1 April 2026, but packaged food made or imported up to 31 March 2028 may still carry the old label and can stay on sale after that date, so a missing cashew mention does not by itself show absence. Twenty more, including sesame, soya and pork, are recommended but optional.

These labelling rules cover pre-packaged food only. Food sold unpackaged, such as the fried chicken handed over from the hot counter, doesn't have to carry allergen labels, so ask staff or avoid it. If your allergy is severe, stick to factory-packed items and read planning meals with food allergies. Vegetarians should note that dashi (fish stock) hides in many dishes; see vegetarian and vegan food in Japan.

Onigiri: the cheapest filling item. The plastic wrapper opens in three pulls marked 1, 2, 3 so the seaweed stays crisp.

Hot counter (by the till): fried chicken, croquettes, skewers and, in winter, oden. Point and say the number.

Bento: the best-value hot dinner; the shelf tag shows both the pre-tax price and the price with 8% tax, and the tax-inclusive figure is what you pay to take away.

Salads and boiled eggs: for balance; a seasoned soft-boiled egg is a cheap protein boost.

Desserts: the chilled dessert shelf is better than you expect.

On your first evening, buy one bento (¥540–755) and try the full till exchange: answer the heating question, say "Tennai de" or "Mochikaeri de", and tap your Suica.

Hand-rolled onigiri prices (7-Eleven): ¥196.56–224.64 incl. 8% tax.

Bento prices (7-Eleven): ¥537.84–753.84 incl. 8% tax.

Sandwich prices (7-Eleven): ¥374.76–417.96 incl. 8% tax.

Tax: takeaway / eat-in: 8% (food) / 10% (dining out, including eat-in).

Planned food tax cut: 1% from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2029; dining out stays at 10%; outline approved 15 September 2026, bill sent to the Diet 9 October 2026, not yet passed.

Drinking water (7-Eleven own brand, 550 ml): ¥108 incl. 8% tax.

Cup Noodle suggested retail prices (Mini / regular / Big): ¥156 / ¥248 / ¥298 before tax.

Yayoi-ken set meals (Tokyo): ¥860–1,570 incl. tax.

Mandatory allergens: 9 items; cashew added 1 April 2026; food made or imported up to 31 March 2028 may carry the old label.

Plastic cutlery rules: From 1 April 2022; shops choose to ask, charge, give points or switch material.

Allergen labelling scope: Pre-packaged food only; unpackaged food is not covered.

Plastic bag charge: From 1 July 2020.

Sources for this section: 7-Eleven Japan, onigiri · 7-Eleven Japan, bento · 7-Eleven Japan, sandwiches · National Tax Agency, Tax Answer No.6102 (reduced tax rate) · National Tax Agency, food tax cut special site (states the content applies only if the bill passes) · 7-Eleven Japan, own-brand drinks · Nissin Foods, Cup Noodle (regular, Mini, Big) · Yayoi-ken, Tokyo set-meal menu · Kyoto Prefecture, allergen labelling · Okinawa Prefecture, Plastic Resource Circulation Act measures for shops · Consumer Affairs Agency, allergen labelling handbook (April 2026) · Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, plastic bag charging

The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.

• National Tax Agency, Tax Answer No.6102 (reduced tax rate)
• 7-Eleven Japan, onigiri
• 7-Eleven Japan, bento
• 7-Eleven Japan, sandwiches
• 7-Eleven Japan, hot snacks
• Cabinet Secretariat, outline on the temporary food tax cut (15 September 2026) and bill submission (9 October 2026)
• Kyoto Prefecture, allergen labelling
• Ota City, Plastic Resource Circulation Act
• Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, plastic bag charging
• National Tax Agency, food tax cut special site (states the content applies only if the bill passes)
• 7-Eleven Japan, noodles
• 7-Eleven Japan, salads
• 7-Eleven Japan, own-brand drinks
• Nissin Foods, Cup Noodle (regular, Mini, Big)
• Yayoi-ken, Tokyo set-meal menu
• Consumer Affairs Agency, allergen labelling handbook (April 2026)
• Okinawa Prefecture, Plastic Resource Circulation Act measures for shops
• Create SD online, OS-1 500 ml