The Japanese konbini are known worldwide for their convenience and number across Japan. For tourists, they’re known for the cheap food and drinks but for residents, they mean much more.
Almost every day, even though I shouldn’t, I go by a konbini at least once. Not only to buy something to eat or drink but to pay bills, withdraw money, or get a shirt in case you need one (who knows!). When I arrived in Japan, I wasn’t aware of all the services a Japanese convenience store offered and I still get impressed when I find something new that can be done there.
Today we’ll talk about all the services a konbini can offer and how you can take advantage of that.
Services Offered
At the counter:
- Pay Bills
- Buy garbage disposal stickers (for companies and/or big items)
- Receive and send packages and luggage
Multi-copy machine
- Buy, pay, or issue a ticket
- Issue credit card bill slip
- Issue government documents – only with a My Number Card:
- Copy of resident record
- Seal registration certificate
- Family register certificate/
- Copy of family register
- Tax certificate
- Print documents and pictures
- Print a Japanese resume template
- Currency Exchange
- Buy lottery tickets
- Smartphone charging battery rental
ATMs
- Withdraw money
- Charge IC Card
- Top Up PayPay account
- and more!
Let’s get into details about some of these services.
Sending luggage to/from a konbini
Be aware that not all convenience stores offer this service, so plan before taking your luggage to the counter.
Places like 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson offer these services in partnership with Yamato Transportations (TA-Q-BIN) and JP Post (Yu-Pack).
TA-Q-BIN
The Kuko Takkyubin (TA-Q-BIN) is specifically for sending luggage to or from the airport. You can check Yamato’s rates and time here. Unfortunately, the website is in Japanese, but nothing that a right-click with the mouse can’t solve (Translating the page).
Yu-Pack
The Yu-Pack is a service offered by the Japanese Post Office and it can be used in convenience stores, Post Offices, and/or JP Post Bank offices.
Here you can check out all the JP Post locations where the service is available, in English!
Be careful with the airport you’re coming from/to, not all airports in Japan are covered by the service. However, the main ones, like Narita and Haneda Airport, and Kansai International Airport have the service. Here you can see a list of all the airports with the Yu-Pack baggage delivery service. For more information about the Yu-Pack service, check the official website in English!
To know more about the sizes you can send and more, check out this post about these services at Japan Travel.
Issue government documents
If you already have a My Number Card (check out about it here), then you will be able to get Government documents without having to visit your local City Hall/Ward. It is a limited number of documents but that can still help a lot by how fast and convenient it is! For a complete guide and step-by-step of how to get the official documents, check out this blog post by Practical Japan.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Japanese konbinis redefine convenience with a diverse range of services, offering more than just food and drinks. These stores cater to the needs of both residents and tourists, showcasing the ultimate convenience we all love in Japan.
