It’s fair to say that the Japanese are obsessed with food. And with good reason. Japanese food is a veritable treasure trove of edible delights just waiting to be savoured. Pretty much any conversation amongst the Japanese will involve some discussion around food. Whether you are discussing a recently visited destination, an event, or even the weather, there will be some reference to food. It is this obsession and the well-documented attention to detail that the Japanese are known for that makes Japanese food so amazing. We’d go so far as saying that you’d be hard pressed finding a bad meal in Japan!  

As with other great food nations, Japan’s history and geography have resulted in a fascinating and incredibly diverse range of food styles and offerings. For instance, the humble pork cutlet which takes pride of place in one of our favourite konbini go-tos (the katsu-sando) can be directly attributed to the Portugues who introduced meat and deep-frying techniques to the Japanese almost 500 years ago. 

Japan is a paradise for food lovers. From the freshest seasonal seafood to melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu beef, every region boasts unique specialties and culinary traditions. But what are the essential food experiences you must have while visiting Japan?  

Of course, there are obligatory specialities such as Kaiseki, the multi-course Japanese haute cuisine style known for its meticulous presentation and seasonal ingredients, which all foodies will have on their to-do list. Or dining at one of Japan’s famed sushi bars where a highly trained sushi master will present you with exquisite morsels.  

But what other food experiences should you not miss out on? We think you should look no further than your hotel’s nearest street corner. 

While they might not be the obvious choice, no discussion about Japanese food is complete without including Convenience Store food. These stores, colloquially referred to as ‘konbini’ by the locals are an absolute gold mine of delicious (and very affordable) snacks and meals.  

There are three major chains – 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart, that operate the 60,000 konbini across Japan and everyone in Japan has their favourite. Each has a point of difference, for instance, Lawson is highly regarded for its hot food and regional speciality options. In fact, legendary chef David Chang of Momofuku fame is a huge fan of theirs. FamilyMart (The Japan Concierge’s favourite) is known for its healthier choices and fresh food options, their snacks are incredible too.  

Konbini essentials – what must you try? These are a couple of our absolute favourites. 

Onigiri. 

The first thing to go in your basket must be onigiri. Onigiri is the perfect snack food and can be had at any time of the day or night. These triangle-shaped delights may not look very interesting at first glance, but you know what they say about books and their covers.  

It’s easy to describe onigiri as stuffed rice balls but that’s like saying pizza is a type of bread. Onigiri are wrapped in nori which adds an incredible texture and flavour to an already delicious combination of soft rice with a delicious filling. The nori is kept crisp through an ingenious but easy-to-remove plastic wrapper which separates the rice from the nori. The fillings cater for all tastes but skew to seafood (it is Japan after all) but you can’t go wrong with tuna mayo, salmon or pickled plum (umeboshi).  

Katsu-sando.  

Outside of Japan, pork cutlet sandwiches are having a bit of a moment and rightly so, they are delicious, in the meantime back in Japan they are still as highly regarded as ever. The delicious combination of soft fluffy shokupan, tender pork cutlet and umami-rich tonkatsu sauce is a national treasure and is available at any convenience store. 

While you are in the sandwich section, you need to add an egg sandwich to your shopping basket. This too may not be an obvious selection but trust us on this one.  

There are warm meals to be had as well. Be sure to try nikuman - another great snack in the cooler months. These steamed buns are filled with savoury meat fillings like pork, char siu or pizza filling, comprising of cheese and pizza sauce – need we say more? 

Then there is the fried chicken. This is the absolute test of konbini allegiance and determines where people choose to spend their yen. Each konbini chain has its own special fried chicken which devotees swear by. 7-Eleven has Nakachiki, Lawson has EruChiki & FamilyMart has Famichiki. We certainly have our favourite, but you should decide for yourself which is the best.  

These are a few of the things we love and think you should try out at your local konbini but this is by no means a complete list – that would take days to compile.  

Do you have a favourite konbini snack?