Convenience Stores in Japan

More than 40 000 convenience stores (Kombini in Japanese) can be found in Japan.
There is a strong competition between the 3 major operators : Seven Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart.
Most of them are open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Goods offered :
You can find whatever you want in a kombini: food, snacks, obento, ramen, micro wave meals, drinks, coffee, soda, juices, sport drinks... and also alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, alcohols).
The selection changes frequently because of the seasons.
Basic goods such as body care products, batteries, blank CDs, newspapers, umbrellas and comics are also available.
In the stores outside the city center, you can fine toilets.
Services offered:
ATMs are available in all the convenient stores (but foreign cards are available only at 7-Eleven).
You can also find a copier:fax, a ticket reservation machine (but it is provided in Japanese only), digital camera print (no in all the komninis and not very easy to use) and other services such as bill payment (useful for refilling our japanese cell-phone!) and delivery service.

List of Convenience store in Japan :
Seven Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, Circle K Sunkus, Daliy Yamazaki, Mini stop, Am Pm, Coco Store, Seico Mart.

Convenience store is an international concept, very famous in North America and almost in Asia.

In France we don't have any of them; it is a pity because it is very useful. Neither they have in any country of Europe, even if some "corner shops" have opened in England.