SoraNews24 —Japan News—

We review all the products to find out which ones should you try and which ones you should miss.

Last month, Japanese convenience store chain Family Mart made news when it opened a new flagship in Tokyo called Famima Park Azabudai. Produced under the guidance of fashion designer and creative director Nigo, founder of streetwear brands A Bathing Ape and Human Made, the new-look store has a cool, sleek vibe to it and a slew of new products to match, also developed under Nigo’s direction.

▼ Famima Park Azabudai

While these products were only available at the flagship initially, Family Mart recently released a huge chunk of them at regular branches nationwide, so more customers can now get a taste of the “Famima” project and enjoy its original character-driven products and lifestyle items.

With well over a dozen items in the range, it’s not easy to choose between them all, and even more difficult to decide which ones are worth buying. To help you make that choice, we headed out and purchased everything in the range to give you an honest review, saving you time and reducing the overwhelm you might feel upon seeing the range in store.

▼ We’ll cover each one and rate them as BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑ / TRY ⭑⭑⭑☆☆ / SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

▼ Let’s dip our toes into the range with the keychains, some of which are soft while others are metallic, but all of which are very tempting.

▼ 3-D Rubber Keychain F (800 yen [US$5.03])

This lightweight, rubber-type keychain features Famima’s unnamed “F” mascot character.

TRY ⭑⭑⭑☆☆

▼ The only thing holding us back from rating this a must-buy is its size, as it’s slightly bulky.

While that can be handy when you’re fishing around in your bag for your keys, when you’re out and about, and especially if you have limited room in your luggage, one of the more slimline keyrings will likely be a better fit while still being a cool convenience store souvenir.

▼ 3D Rubber Keychain – Family Mart Cafe Mini 4-Piece Set (1,400 yen)

Another lightweight design, this rubber keychain is slightly less bulky, as it has four miniature Famima-branded cups in varying sizes dangling off the main chain.

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

This keychain gets our vote for its unique cuteness, with “Famima Cafe” written on each cup so there’s no mistaking where you got it from. Not only are they cute, they’re also very good quality, and feel great to the touch while being nice and quiet compared to metallic keychains.

▼ Metal Keychain – Family Mart Cafe Mini 4-Piece Set (1,400 yen)

A sturdy, metallic keychain that replicates Famima’s coffee cups and their corresponding sizes.

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

This slim keychain won’t take up much room in your bag at all, and the jangly noise that the cups make as they swing against each other is delightfully pleasant.

Another surprisingly high-quality piece, this keychain also comes with the Famima logo on the reverse side of the largest cup.

▼ Metal Keychain – Famichiki (800 yen)

This sturdy keychain is designed to resemble the familiar packaging used for Family Mart’s Famichiki fried chicken.

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Nothing says Family Mart quite like Famichiki, arguably its most iconic signature product, making this a definite must-buy.

Made with high-quality materials, the keychain has a smooth-yet-textured surface that makes it feel nice under the fingers, and the Famima logo on the reverse side is another sweet design feature.

▼  Rubber Keychain – Famichiki (800 yen)

A lightweight rubber keychain featuring a Famichiki design.

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

This keychain recreates the Famichiki with a plump look and feel that’s slightly more realistic compared to the metallic version.

The faithful recreation continues on the back, where you’ll find instructions on how to eat a Famichiki, just as you would on the in-store packs.

A very cool way to show your love for Famicihiki… although it might just make you crave a piece of juicy fried chicken every time you look at it.

▼ Plush Keychain – F (1,200 yen)

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

While this plush “F” is soft to touch, and fits satisfyingly in your hand, unless you’re a fan of chunky plush keychains, this is something you might want to skip. 

The “F” character is yet to become as strongly associated with Family Mart as the chain’s blue-white-and-green stripes, so although it’s cute, it doesn’t have enough of a “wow” factor yet to warrant the investment.

▼ Plush Keychain – Sun and Star (1,200 yen)

This “sun and star” keychain features what looks to be the sun, despite being a cool shade of green.

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

Despite being soft and satisfying to hold, like a plush stress ball, this item just doesn’t have the right level of cuteness or recognition yet for us to wholeheartedly recommend it.

▼ Sun and Stars Tote Bag – Ivory (1,998 yen)

This bag features a versatile two-way design lets you carry it over your shoulder or by hand.

TRY ⭑⭑⭑☆☆

▼ The two-way feature makes this a handy bag to use in a variety of everyday settings.

▼ The canvas material is solid and well made, with a good quality gusset and reinforcements.

However, the sturdy construction also means it’s slightly heavy and not so easy to wash and dry, which could be an inconvenience for those travelling around Japan.

▼ Money Roll-Style Eco Bag – Light Grey (500 yen)

Generously sized, this eco bag rolls up to resemble a roll of money and is kept secure with an elastic band.

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

The blue-white-and-green stripes are easily identifiable Family Mart markers, making this a fun convenience store souvenir that’s practical as well.

The bag, which has the Famima logo on one side, has conveniently long handles, allowing you to hold it by hand or sling it over your shoulder.

Lightweight and compact, the bag will come in handy for those times when you wind up buying more than you thought you would while out and about, saving you in a pinch.

▼ Paper shopping bag – F, Small (350 yen) and Medium (400 yen)

Stylish and simple, this paper bag has a wide base, and can be used for various occasions.

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

Though it looks like a plain paper bag from a distance, when you’re up close you can make out the cute details of the “F” character.

With handles made from material, this is a good quality bag, but unless you’re in a bind and need it for gift-giving Family Mart goods, this is, in our opinion, one of the products you can skip in the collection.

▼ Ballpoint Pen – White x Green (350 yen)

This pen keeps to a simple two-tone colour scheme of white and green, with the FAMIMA logo adding a strong accent.

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with owning a Bic Pen like this one, the other pen in the collection is more of a showstopper.

▼ Mascot Ballpoint Pen – F (880 yen)

This clip-on ballpoint pen features an eye-catching, adorable character design.

TRY ⭑⭑⭑☆☆

Made in Japan with the help of Bandai Namco, this is a quality product that’s unique as well, with nothing else quite like it on the market. Though it’s not an essential must-buy, if you are looking for a pen, this is one that’ll put a smile on your dial.

▼ Famima Cafe Tumbler (1,500 yen)

A tumbler that’s designed to hold Famima Cafe coffee cups, with both hot and cold retention properties.

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

Despite being sturdy and stylish, you won’t have much need for this unless you’re a regular Family Mart coffee drinker, so this is one you could skip.

▼ Boxed Tissues – F (370 yen)

High-quality tissues, made in Japan using 100-percent pure pulp.

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

This is a very good-looking box, and the tissues themselves are good quality, but it is on the large side, making it slightly impractical unless you want to add a splash of Famima flair to your home.

▼ Line Socks – Famima / White (680 yen)

Popular line socks now come in a new character color scheme, covering the following sizes: 22-25 centimetres (8.7–9.8 inches), 25-28 centimetres and children’s (13-19 centimetres, 19-22 centimetres).

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

Family Mart socks have become an iconic way to add the chain’s brand colours to your wardrobe, and this new variety gives the striped design a unique twist, with the addition of the “F” character.

▼ The F sits on one foot only, giving the pair a fashionable, asymmetrical look.

Not only do these socks look cool, they feel fantastic too. In fact, they seem softer and more long-lasting than the chain’s regular Line Socks, making them great value for 680 yen.

▼ Imabari Towel – Sun and Star / White (800 yen)

This Imabari-made hand towel features a color scheme inspired by the sun-and-star motifs, and is highly absorbent.

TRY ⭑⭑⭑☆☆

Imabari is a highly respected Japanese towel brand, and small square towels like this are commonly used in Japan to dry your hands when using public restrooms. Against that backdrop, this little towel has a lot going for it, especially in summer when it also comes in handy for mopping sweat off your brow, so this is a little piece of Japan that you won’t regret trying.

▼ Outer T-shirt – Sun and Star / White (1,998 yen)

This limited-edition item features the Famima Sun and Star logo on an “Outer T-shirt”, an iconic item from Family Mart’s Convenience Wear line.

SKIP ⭑☆☆☆☆

This was a tough one to rate, but given its limited sizing – the shirt only comes in medium and large – and the large placement of the logo, which is yet to gain traction in the fashion community, this is a shirt you could probably skip without feeling bad about it.

It is made with a heavy cotton so there are no issues with quality, and it hangs well on the body, but if you’re going to spend close to 2,000 yen on a shirt, the plain black or white T-shirts in the Convenience Wear line will give you the same fit, but with more versatility for a wider range of occasions.

▼ Vinyl Umbrella Azabudai Map – 65 centimetres (1,480 yen)

An umbrella with a map design that shows the location of the flagship store. 

BUY ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

With a green handle branded with the Famima logo, this is a distinctive umbrella with a generous 65-centimetre (26-inch) diameter. 

What really makes this one special is the map design, which will take you right back to the streets of Tokyo every time you look at it.

Stylish and practical, this is a great umbrella to cheer you up on grey, rainy days, with bright Famima branding adding an accent of colour to the city streets and main location markers.

This turned out to be our favourite item in the whole collection, and we still smile every time we open it.

This truly is a massive collection for a massive name in the convenience store world, and we have a feeling that it’s just the start of even greater things for the Famima brand. Being relatively new, there’s a chance that products might be phased in and out of the collection as the brand works to carve out its niche, so if there is something that catches your eye, it’s best to grab it while you can. And you can always put together a whole look out of Convenience Wear as a side quest while you’re there!

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