A new survey from a major Japanese marketing firm finds that Japan remains a top draw for repeat tourism. The country’s combini also remain as popular as ever – with an unexpected dish topping travelers’ list of must-try goods.
Japanese combini: A must-see tourist attraction
Ask people who travel to Japan where they want to go, and most people will include a convenience store (combini) in their lists.
It’s not hard to see why. For residents of Japan, combini are a part of the country’s essential infrastructure. They’re more than just a place to buy food, sweet treats, and booze. Typical services offered by combini include bill payment, paying for online purchases, shipping and returns, purchasing concert tickets, printing documents and photos, taking out money, and more.
More than anything, it’s food that draws many tourists to combinis. In my own home country (the United States), for example, most people view the food at 7-Eleven as low-quality slop. In Japan, however, the Japanese-owned chain is known for serving bentō lunches that are cheap, tasty, and, occasionally, healthy.
This reputation extends to other combini as well. Anthony Bourdain (RIP, brother) famously said that the egg salad sandwich from Lawson was the first thing he always bought upon arrival. Combini are also known for their hot food, with Family Mart’s FamiChiki a perennial best-seller.
Combini sushi tops list of combini draws in new survey
A new survey shows that, to no one’s surprise, combini remain a top draw among Japanese inbound tourists. What might be surprising is what they’re buying.
The survey from Dentsu examines Japan’s “brand” across 20 different countries. Their top-line finding is that, as a brand attracting inbound visitors, Japan has lost none of its power. Of those surveyed who’d visited various countries, 52.7% said they wanted to visit Japan again. Only 20% said the same about the second-ranked country, South Korea. (16% said they’d go back to the US, for some reason.) This is in line with other surveys I’ve read about Japan’s ability to draw repeat travelers.
When asked what they most wanted to experience about Japan, 56.4% said washoku (和食), or traditional Japanese food. That was followed by nature sites (45.3%), experiencing Japan’s four seasons (cough) at 39.3%, and traditional culture at 36.4%.
Combini came in at 32.9%, outpacing Japanese drug stores at 24.1%. When asked what people most wanted to buy at combini, the top choice was sushi, at a whopping 46.9%.
The most delicious combini sushi?
What’s interesting about this is that sushi is a relatively recent addition to combinis. As Nippon.com reported back in 2013, most combini didn’t start selling sushi until around 2012. That’s because, traditionally, sushi was thought of as something that should be eaten freshly prepared by a trained chef.
At the time, writer Kitamura Mori singled out Lawson as having the most authentic sushi. According to Japanese food site MogNavi, Lawson remains king of the crop in 2025: its red vinegar nigiri sushi and inari sushi plates continue to be top-ranked choices for locals.
Other top combini buys for tourists
Not surprisingly, the second-highest reason tourists go to combini is for the ice cream. Japanese combini are known for their delicious selections of frozen treats, with new seasonally themed items arriving every few weeks. Onigiri and sweets tie for third place at 43.3%.
Given the combination of convenience and high quality, it’s no surprise that combini are such a draw for Japan’s inbound tourists. You can experience them yourself the moment you land: 7-Eleven, Lawson, Mini Stop, and other combini are permanent fixtures at most major Japanese airports.
Do you regularly eat combini sushi? Is it as good as it’s cracked up to be? Let us know on our Bluesky account or in our Discord server.
Discover other unique parts of Japan
Japan is on everyone’s travel bucket list. Sadly, many end up going to the same places as everyone else. That can turn what could have been a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience into an exhausting battle with crowds.
We started Unseen Japan Tours for the same reason we started Unseen Japan: To give people a unique glimpse into Japan they can’t get anywhere else. Let us create a custom itinerary of hard-to-find spots centered on your interests. We can also serve as your guides and interpreters, taking you to places that non-Japanese-speaking tourists usually can’t access.
Contact us below to get the ball rolling today!
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Sources
電通、世界20の国・地域を対象に「ジャパンブランド調査2025」を実施. Dentsu
インバウンド消費の新定番は「コンビニ寿司」 電通調査で明らかに. AdverTimes
「#寿司」の「コンビニ寿司・コンビニ弁当」のおすすめランキング. Mognavi
