Familymart
Japanese netizens are puzzled by Vietnamese convenience stores using increasingly minor characters from Doraemon for their popular steamed buns.
Here are five of the best, high quality cosmetics that line the shelves at Japanese convenience stores, according to one of our Japanese reporters.
There are many “symbols of Japan”–from Mt. Fuji to Akihabara, the country has numerous faces to the outside world. But regardless of what comes to mind when you think of the country, there’s a good chance that you’ll stop by one of its many convenience stores on the way to your destination. In many ways, the army of small shops that squat on half the corners from Hokkaido to Okinawa are the perfect symbol of the country. But it looks like the convenience stores of Japan are now facing a serious problem: They can’t find enough employees!
While not everyone in Japan quite knew what to expect from Disney’s newest hit Big Hero 6 (or Baymax, as it’s known over here), it hasn’t stopped audiences from loving the film. Or sobbing through half of it like big babies. (That wasn’t just me, right?) So, it was hardly a surprise when I spotted Baymax mitrashi dango at convenience store chain FamilyMart. And, being the curious person I am, it also wasn’t really a surprise when I found myself buying a pack just to see what they taste like!
Check out our review of the Baymax mitarashi dango and see if you’ll want to pick up a pack for yourself before you head to the theater!
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been buying beer, bread, or ice-cream at my local conbini and thought to myself, “If only I could scream a few lines of verse into a microphone without having to leave the building.” In the past, the closest I could ever get to combining convenience store shopping with singing was choosing karaoke booths located immediately next door to a 7-Eleven, but now all that is about to change.
In a special collaboration between Japan’s third-largest convenience store chain FamilyMart and nationwide operator Karaoke Club DAM, a one-of-a-kind conbini x karoke parlour will open its doors on April 17 in Tokyo.
Yes, thanks to Japan you can now shop and sing all in the same place.
Pixar’s highly anticipated Monsters University finally opened in Japan on July 6, and to celebrate FamilyMart have launched an edible collaboration of delicious pork buns. We rushed out to buy a few and put them to the taste test, all for the benefit of our dear readers, of course!









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Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
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“Sleeping Cat” and “Three Wise Monkeys” at Nikko’s Tōshō-gū Shrine removed for restoration work
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Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
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Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
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Large amount of supposed human organs left in Osaka marketplace
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
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Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
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Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
“Sleeping Cat” and “Three Wise Monkeys” at Nikko’s Tōshō-gū Shrine removed for restoration work
Japanese instant curry promises flavor of day-old curry right away, and that’s a very good thing
Evangelion original anime studio Gainax is now completely dissolved, Eva’s creator mourns ruined friendships
More Than a Capsule Stay: Why Solo Travelers Choose “global cabin Yokohama Chinatown”
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Can a dirty butthole make you filthy rich in Japan? We’re starting a New Year’s lottery experiment
Possibly Japan’s most convenient apartment building, thanks to train station on its first floor
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Starbucks Japan releases new Pumpkin Spice Latte chilled cup exclusively at convenience stores
A Japanese dating app matched our bachelorette with a Buddhist monk, and she learned some things
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo