Seven Eleven Japan: 25 Must-Try Foods, Drinks, & Snacks

Everyone visiting Japan will step into a convenience store at least once. Known in Japanese as konbini, these stores are located all over the country, with over 56,000 convenience stores in Japan. Seven Eleven Japan rules as the market leader. In 2024, there were a reported 21,770 Seven-Eleven konbini stores in Japan, with 2,916 of them being located in Tokyo.

The first 7-Eleven store opened in America in 1927, but it wasn’t until 1974 that the chain reached the shores of Japan. Opening in Toyosu, Tokyo, in May 1974, the first store was a hit, and over 100 stores would open over the next two years.

Their name came from the fact that the stores were open from 7 am to 11 pm, but in 1975, the first 24-hour Seven-Eleven store opened. This is now common with the majority of 7-Elevens across Japan, with customers relying on them for snacks, coffee, groceries, toiletries, and much more.

Visiting Japan isn’t complete until you venture into a Seven-Eleven to try some of their delicious offerings. The selection can be overwhelming on your first visit, so in this article, I will share 25 of the best must-try snacks, foods, drinks, and sweets.

I’ve also written similar articles for Lawson Japan and Family Mart Japan.

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Hot Food Counter

Some of the most delicious foods in 7-Eleven are available from their handy hot food counters.

1. Nana Chiki

Every konbini chain in Japan has its take on fried chicken, and one of the most popular is Nana Chiki (Nana is the Japanese word for Seven). This fried chicken looks a bit smaller than the Fami Chiki rival, but it makes up for the size with its thickness. Nana Chiki is an extremely juicy and tender piece of delicious fried chicken coated with a light, crispy batter. It has 11 different spices to deliver a mouth-watering flavour. This fried chicken will set you back 241 yen.

2. Store-Fried Curry Bread

The Seven-Eleven Store Fried Curry Bread is such a popular item that in 2023 it became a Guinness World Record holder as the most sold freshly made curry bread, selling an impressive 76,987,667 units.

Costing 161 yen, this curry bread is fried fresh in the store. It’s created using curry roux, containing 30 different kinds of spices, coated with dough and breadcrumbs. Every bite delivers a nice crunch followed by a mouthful of aromatic Japanese curry. It’s sweet and a little spicy. 

3. Sweet Bean Paste Buns

There’s a variety of fresh Chinese-style steamed buns available at convenience stores. 7-Eleven sells a delicious Sweet Bean Paste Bun, which makes a perfect snack on the go. The filling is created with azuki beans boiled with sugar and then mashed into a paste. The bun is created from yeast and feels soft and squishy. The bun has a light taste, with the sweetness coming from the anko. These delightful buns cost 150 yen.

4. Fried Karaage Skewer

You can’t go wrong with karaage in Japan. These skewers come with four pieces of delicious fried chicken on a single stick. Karaage is prepared in a different way from Western-style fried chicken, the marinade contains soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and sake. This infuses the meat with a rich flavour. This fried karaage skewer has a salty coating which gives a great crunch with each bite. These mouth-watering skewers cost 180 yen each.

Sweets

Seven-Eleven sell a variety of tasty fresh desserts, including cakes, pudding, and traditional Japanese sweets. 

5. Annin Tofu

This almond tofu pudding is one of my favourite sweets available at 7-Eleven and costs an affordable 205 yen. Annin Tofu is made from apricot kernel milk, agar, and sugar. The apricot kernel has an almond-like flavour, which is why it is often referred to as almond tofu. This pudding is smooth, refreshing and light to eat with a melty texture. The milk adds some richness, and the sugar adds sweetness without becoming sickly sweet.

6. Pumpkin Cheesecake

This Seven-Eleven Pumpkin Cheesecake is sold in a cup with the cake pre-cut into small bite-sized cubes. The cheesecake has a rich pumpkin flavour, with a moist, creamy texture. The spiced flavours from the pumpkin make this a great sweet for fans of pumpkin lovers or people who don’t want an overly sweet taste. Each cup is filled with around 6 or 7 pieces, which is the perfect amount to enjoy without indulging. This cute dessert costs 292 yen. 

7. Warabimochi

Described on the packaging as Soybean Flour Bracken-Starch Jelly, this Warabimochi is a great sweet for those wanting to sample something more Japanese. This traditional Japanese confectionery will cost you 238 yen. Warabimochi is a jelly-like dessert with a squishy, elastic texture. It is coated with kinako (roasted soybean flour), which gives it its unique appearance. Inside the pieces of warabimochi is a filling of kuromitsu (brown sugar molasses syrup). This delivers a well-balanced mixture of kinako and kuromitsu with every bite.

8. Chiffon Cake and Whipped Cream

This is another Seven-Eleven dessert served in a cup for convenience. The cups are packed with soft chiffon cake and fresh whipped cream. One of these desserts will set you back 400 yen. The chiffon cake is fluffy and light with a simple taste. The cake is cut into pieces a little bigger than bite-sized. The whipped cream has a sweet, milky taste which pairs perfectly with the cake. Although this dessert doesn’t look like much, it is surprisingly filling.

Frozen Foods

If you visit Japan during the hot summer months, you might be on the hunt for something to help cool you down. Head to 7-Eleven for some frozen treats that will sort you out.

9. Ohayo Brulee

This frozen brulee has gone viral over social media like TikTok and Instagram for good reason. This is an exquisite dessert. Ohayo Brulee is made from a milk-rich ice cream with ingredients from Hokkaido. The top of the product is sprinkled with sugar, and then it’s baked, which forms a sweet caramelised top. Part of the fun is cracking the hard, glass-like top and mixing it with the thick ice cream to create a flavourful treat. Ohayo Brulee costs 397 yen, but it’s worth every yen.

10. Premium Matcha Ice Cream Cone

This ice cream is from the 7 Premium Gold line, which offers higher quality foods. It will set you back 408 yen. The soft serve ice cream is made from a rich Uji matcha. The matcha has a refined sweetness with a little bit of bitterness, which makes every lick delightful. Focus has also been placed on the cone, which has a sweet taste similar to a waffle cookie, which pairs perfectly with the slightly bitter matcha.

11. Mango Ice Bar

Seven-Eleven’s Mango Ice Bar is a mouthwatering treat with a texture like biting into real mango. The ice bar has a ripe mango flavour, which is very refreshing on a hot summer day. It’s created with two different types of juice, Alphonso mango and apple mango. It has a very smooth, glossy appearance, which makes it satisfying to bite into. The Mango Ice Bar only costs 160 yen, which is on the cheaper range of frozen sweets Seven-Eleven has to offer.

Drinks

7-Eleven isn’t just popular for its food and snacks; they also sell a wide variety of drinks, including some tasty exclusive items.

12. Fresh Green Smoothie

Seven-Eleven sells a range of fresh, delicious smoothies, which can be found in their freezer section. At first, you might think they are cups of diced frozen fruit. But after purchasing the cup, you take it to the smoothie machine, and that’s where the magic happens. Remove the lid and insert the cup, and the machine will blend the fruits into a tasty cold drink. The Green Smoothie costs 300 yen, and it is made from kale, pineapple, grapefruit, broccoli, and carrot puree.

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13. Strawberry Yoghurt Drink

For strawberry lovers, the Strawberry Yoghurt Drink is a must-try. It contains real strawberry pulp mixed perfectly with creamy yoghurt. The real strawberries give each sip a delightful texture combined with the smoothness of the yoghurt. It’s sweet but doesn’t taste overly sugary. It costs 170 yen for the Strawberry Yoghurt Drink, and it makes for an interesting change when you are craving a sweet drink.

14. Melon Soda

One of the cheaper sodas available at Seven-Eleven is their Melon Soda, referred to in Japanese as Melon Cider. It contains 10% fruit juice, which is made from ripe melon juice. This is a carbonated drink that is not as artificial and sweet as the bright green melon soda you will often see in Japan. This drink costs 127 yen. Pro-tip: pour it into a glass with ice and add some vanilla ice cream to create a melon soda float. 

15. Matcha Au Lait & Brown Sugar Jelly

This Japanese green tea cafe au lait combines the flavours of matcha and creamy, smooth milk. However, this is upgraded with kuromitsu. This is a molasses-like brown sugar syrup which is created into a jelly texture and mixed with the matcha au lait. The combination of the flavourful Uji matcha, the rich milk and the sweet kuromitsu creates a taste and texture explosion. This Matcha Au Lait & Brown Sugar Jelly drink will cost you 203 yen.

Meals

You are never far from a good restaurant in Japan serving hot, delicious food, but you might be surprised to read that konbini stores sell meals that are restaurant quality.

16. Stir-Fried Noodles, Tofu, Pork, and Spicy Paste

This is Seven–Eleven’s take on mapo tofu with yakisoba. The fried noodles are chewy and fragrant. And the mapo tofu is cooked in a sauce with some minced pork, onions, chilli oil, Sichuan pepper, and garlic. The sauce is a little spicy and has the numbing taste of Sichuan pepper. There is a generous amount of soft tofu, which makes it a hearty meal. For the price of 572 yen, this is a satisfying dish that tastes like something you would order in a Chinese restaurant.

17. Rice Bowl with Chicken and Egg

This is another 7-Eleven meal that tastes like food you could purchase at a restaurant. It comes with a serving of rice, a fried egg, and fried chicken, which is coated in a special garlic soy sauce. The sauce has soaked into the batter of the fried chicken and gives it a wonderful taste. The fried egg is still soft, so you can break the egg and mix it with the chicken and rice. This is a great rice bowl for 646 yen.

18. Somen with Green Onion, Ginger, and Broth

During the summer months, I sometimes can’t stomach eating hot food. That makes this cold noodle dish an excellent choice. The somen noodles are hand-stretched using traditional Japanese methods. It comes with a bonito dashi broth, which is used for dipping the noodles into. There is also a side of green onions and ginger. Dipping the noodles into the broth delivers a rich and refreshing flavour. This is a light meal to eat during the hotter months, and it will only set you back 410 yen.

Sandwiches

Japan and sandwiches go together more than you would think. Seven-Eleven sells a wide variety of sandwiches, which will have something for everyone. 

19. Chicken and Egg with Teriyaki Sauce

One of the most popular convenience store items that foreign visitors buy is egg sandwiches. But why stop at just egg? This 7-Eleven sandwich takes that favourite sandwich but adds slices of chicken and a sweet and tangy teriyaki sauce, costing you 346 yen. All of this is sandwiched between Japanese white bread. The bread is soft and squishy with a little sweetness to it. This sandwich takes a favourite and elevates it to something greater.

20. Tomato, Mozzarella, Pork Ham and Basil

This is one of my go-to sandwiches when I can find it, and it costs 410 yen. The sandwich is made with a fluffy bran bread that’s perfect for holding, and the filling is a wonderful mixture of Italian ingredients. The mozzarella cheese is melty with a slightly sour taste. The sweet tomatoes, basil and the prosciutto are a great combination. And the mayonnaise and olive oil set it all off. This is an addictive sandwich that I often crave.

Snacks

Browsing 7-Eleven convenience stores, you will discover more snacks than you could ever imagine. These are some of the best and uniquely Japanese snacks that you can’t miss.

21. Chocolate Green Grape Gummies

This is another Seven-Eleven snack that became popular on social media, and it’s a cheap snack at only 149 yen. These are chewy muscat grape gummies that are coated in a delicious milk chocolate. The grape and chocolate flavours make a surprisingly good combination. And the texture of the chewy gummy mixed with the melting chocolate creates an unusual yet satisfying texture. This is a small bag at only 30g, so it might leave you wanting more.

22. Ippudo Instant Ramen

Ippudo is one of the most popular ramen chains, and now you can buy this instant version at 7-Eleven Japan for 354 yen. This is a Hakata tonkotsu ramen, which has a creamy pork broth. I was surprised to see a slice of pork inside the packet. It felt like beef jerky at first, but it changed to regular pork after adding the boiling water. Nothing beats a real bowl of ramen from a restaurant, but this is the closest taste I have had from instant noodles.

23. Egg, Miso, and Chicken Onigiri

There is a large variety of onigiri at konbini stores. Tuna & Mayonnaise or Salmon are the most popular flavours. But this Seven-Eleven Egg, Miso, and Chicken onigiri is a must-try for 171 yen. The rice is fluffy, and it’s been made with dashi stock for extra flavouring. The chicken is soft with strong flavours of miso, and the egg yolk has a great taste that creates a sauce for the filling. If you want to experience onigiri but don’t like fish, this option is for you.

24. Chocolate Coated Freeze-Dried Strawberries

This is another snack from the Seven-Eleven Premium line, and it definitely feels like you are eating a more luxurious snack. These freeze-dried strawberries have been cut into quarters and then dipped in white chocolate. The strawberries have a rich fruity flavour, and the chocolate is sweet and gives each bite a crispy taste. These are very satisfying to eat. This cute snack costs 214 yen per bag.

25. Butter and Soy Sauce Flavored Potato Chips

A popular flavour for Japanese potato chips is a combination of butter and soy sauce. This Seven-Eleven version is the perfect snack to enjoy while watching a movie or to pair with a beer. The soy sauce brings out the flavour of the potatoes, and the butter adds a bit of sweetness without being overpowering. These potato chips are the long, shredded variety like sticks. This makes them easy to share. This savoury snack costs 138 yen.

Final Thoughts

When you visit Japan, you are going to stumble across hundreds of convenience stores, and a large percentage of them will be 7-Eleven. These konbini stores are a massive part of Japanese daily life, and now also a fun activity for foreigners to try a variety of unique foods.

If you are in Japan and feeling peckish, pop into a Seven-Eleven and try for yourself. Most of the stores are open 24/7, and there is usually one not too far. This makes it the ideal place to pick up something for breakfast or a late-night snack. 

If you’ve enjoyed this article, I’ve also written similar Top 25 articles for Lawson Japan and Family Mart Japan.

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