We find out if there’s any truth to the so-called “cross-section scam”.

For all the high praise showered upon Japanese convenience store sandwiches by overseas tourists, local customers have been less than enthusiastic recently, with claims that the top chains may be pushing their fillings towards the cross-section, making them seem fuller than they really are.

With rising prices affecting pretty much every aspect of life in Japan, ingredients and serving sizes are being scrutinised like never before, so after hearing the news, we decided to find out if there was any truth to the claims of this so-called dankumen sagi (“cross-section scam”). To really get a good gauge on the situation, we chose to compare the mixed packs, which contain several varieties of sandwich, at the nation’s top three convenience store chains.

▼ Family Mart’s “3類 のミックス” (“Sanrui no Mix” [“Three-variety Mix“]), which goes by the English name, “Tuna, Lettuce, Ham, Cheese, Egg” (321 yen [US$2.02])

▼ Lawson’s “Mixed” or “Assorted” to use its English name (333 yen)

▼ And 7-Eleven’s “Mixed“, or “Tuna Cucumber Salad, Pork Ham, Lettuce & Egg” (302 yen)

All of the packs above contain tuna, egg, and ham and cheese varieties, giving us a nice, even playing field by which to compare them. In terms of price, the most expensive pack came from Lawson, at 333 yen, followed by Family Mart at 321 yen, and 7-Eleven at 302 yen.

Would this price disparity reflect a difference in the size of their fillings? In order to find the answer to that question, we opened each chain’s sandwich packs and laid them out for a good look at what was inside.

▼ Family Mart, or “Famima” (“ファミマ”) as it’s colloquially known in Japan.

At Family Mart, the contents of the egg sandwich were lighter than expected, leaning more towards the cross section side displayed on the shelf, but it wasn’t significant enough to complain about. As for the ham and cheese, that too was sufficient, but the tuna put the others to shame as it was nicely packed to all three edges, revealing that for this pack there was no evidence of a cross-section scam.

▼ Lawson (“ローソン”)

The Lawson sandwiches looked almost the same as Family Mart’s, with the tuna also spread right out to the sides of the sandwich. Unlike the other two chains, though, Lawson doesn’t put boiled egg in its egg mixture, so it appeared to be more spreadable, allowing it to be pushed right out to the edges. Again, no cross-section scam detected.

▼ 7-Eleven, or “7” (“セブン”) as it’s commonly known in Japanese.

This chain serves up an excellent amount of ham and cheese, beating the competition in terms of sandwich coverage. The tuna and egg varieties didn’t wow us in a similar way, but they were sufficient, so yet again…no cross-section scam.

When comparing the three companies by their sandwich fillings, some surprising facts emerge. It’s clear, for instance, that Family Mart and Lawson (left and right above) offer far more substantial servings of tuna, with even the bread size of the 7-Eleven variety (centre) falling short of expectations.

Similarly, Lawson leads the way in the egg sando game, with 7-Eleven, which we’d thought was decent on its own, now appearing rather meager by comparison. 7-Eleven’s egg sando is 21-yen cheaper than the others, though, so the difference in filling size is reflected in the price. 

▼ When it comes to ham and cheese, however, 7-Eleven (centre) definitely has the best serving size.

While looks tell us one thing, numbers can tell a different story, so we made sure to weigh them all for a proper comparison.

▼ Family Mart – 121 grams (4.3 ounces)

▼ Lawson – 135 grams

▼ 7-Eleven – 102 grams

Judging by the weights, it’s clear that Lawson gives us the biggest pack of sandwiches, followed by Family Mart and then 7-Eleven. Doing the math on the per-gram cost, that list also equates to value for money, with Lawson costing 2.47 yen per gram, Family Mart costing 2.65 yen, and 7-Eleven costing 2.96 yen per gram.

▼ So if you’re looking for value for money, and generous servings, head to Lawson and Family Mart.

If you’re on a budget and concerned about your overall spend rather than value for money, then 7-Eleven will be lighter on your wallet. Be warned, though, that it’ll also be lighter on your stomach, but at least it won’t be as bad as the 7-Eleven “paper tiger sandwiches” that previously caused a furore five years ago.

Related: Family Mart, Lawson, 7-Eleven
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