The three chains
Even the store names are katakana — sound them out.
Food and drinks
Most of the shelf is English in disguise.
The two native-script words worth knowing: おにぎり (onigiri) in hiragana, with its filling printed on the label, and お茶 (ocha, tea). Everything with a long dash (ー) just stretches a vowel — コーヒー is kō-hī, "coffee." The same loanword reading cracks Japan's vending machines out on the street.
At the register
The cashier (the レジ, reji) will almost always ask one of three quick questions. You don't have to read them — but recognizing them by ear means you'll know what the nod is for.
Watch the one-character difference: レジ (reji) is the register, レンジ (renji) is the microwave — the ン adds a tiny n. Most konbini also have an ATM and a clean トイレ you're welcome to use.
Deals and label words
A few kanji that flag the best buys.
限定 (gentei, limited) is the word to hunt for — konbini rotate seasonal and region-only snacks constantly, and they make great souvenirs. Prices end in 円 (yen) and note 税込 (tax included) or 税別 (tax extra), just like on a restaurant menu.
Read the next shelf yourself
Learn the katakana the labels are built from, paste a product name into the converter, or point the app at the shelf and read it live — even offline, deep inside a basement konbini with no signal.
Ready when you are
Read every shelf, not just the pictures.
Kanapow turns any Japanese word into kana with tap-to-hear pronunciation, so konbini shelves, menus, and signs all become readable. Free on iPhone, and the Japan Trip mode works fully offline.
Download on the App StoreReading a konbini FAQ
What does konbini mean?
Konbini (コンビニ) is the Japanese word for a convenience store — a shortening of the English "convenience". The big three chains are 7-Eleven (セブンイレブン), Lawson (ローソン), and FamilyMart (ファミリーマート, often nicknamed FamiMa / ファミマ).
Do I need to read Japanese to shop at a konbini?
Not strictly — prices are in Western numerals and the register shows your total. But most product names are katakana loanwords like サンドイッチ (sandwich) and コーヒー (coffee), so knowing the katakana sounds lets you read most of the store and pick confidently instead of guessing by picture.
What does the cashier ask me?
Usually one of three things: 温めますか (atatamemasu ka — shall I heat it up?) for cold food, 袋いりますか (fukuro irimasu ka — do you need a bag?), and ポイントカードはお持ちですか (do you have a point card?). A nod or a "no thank you" covers all three.
What's the best thing to buy at a konbini?
The おにぎり (onigiri, rice ball) is the classic cheap snack — written in hiragana, around 150 yen, with the filling named on the label. Konbini also do excellent お弁当 (bento), hot fried snacks by the register, and seasonal 限定 (gentei, limited) items worth hunting for.