5 ms·

YMMV, yes I agree that the convini sandwich is something to try and the perfect thing for a quick "oops I forgot to prepare anything" picnic in Yoyogi Park. Ho

YMMV, yes I agree that the convini sandwich is something to try and the perfect thing for a quick "oops I forgot to prepare anything" picnic in Yoyogi Park. However my main critique is that some times their filling is just a small line across the bread, where the cut showing the contents is, and the rest is basically empty bread. You can see an example of what I mean in this article (it's about Taiwan, but in Japan I've seen way worse): http://jonathanlee.org/2014/02/21/interlude-treachery-7-11-sandwiches/ http://jonathanlee.org/2014/02/21/interlude-treachery-7-11-s... You can also guess it from this side-view; yes the meat is just a strip along the cut edge, the rest is stale-ish bread: https://grapee.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/s-50126_05.jpg https://grapee.jp/en/wp-content/uploads/s-50126_05.jpg It depends on the type of sandwich, so it goes from "always wrong" (like the last pic) to "it really depends" on some others. Normally it's okay though: https://soranews24.com/2020/10/24/25-different-japanese-convenience-store-sandwiches-whats-inside-them%E3%80%90photos%E3%80%91/ https://soranews24.com/2020/10/24/25-different-japanese-conv...

SenHeng 5y ago
The main culprit for this really is 7-11, FamilyMart and Lawson are slightly better in this regard.
ayngg 5y ago
I never really thought the sandwiches were anything special, the real gem was the fried chicken, the Famichiki or its equivalent that the other places had. You could grab a couple onigiri and a famichiki for the price of a sandwich and it would be way more satisfying imo.
- poglet 5y ago
  I loved the Oden in winter - despite being unsure how long it had been sitting there. Also went through a phase of getting the アメリカンドッグ 'America Dog'.
Tor3 5y ago
7/11 is mostly a franchise setup in Japan, so things aren't completely uniform. The 7/11 combini I've been visiting over the years doesn't suffer from the empty bread syndrome. This isn't a big city, it's almost rural, don't know if that matters too. When that's said, the sandwiches they prepare in the bread shop in the nearby shopping mall is better, if anything there's too much filling. Anyway, it can never be truly good because it's all 100% white bread wherever you buy it.
- friedturkey 5y ago
  7/11 prepares their sandwiches in centralized factories. They’ll deep fry things in store, but anything chilled is shipped as-is from hours away.
- johnwalkr 5y ago
  It’s a franchise but it’s notorious for getting mom and pop convenience stores to switch to being a franchise and then forcing them to stay open 24 hours and source most goods from 7-11. There’s sometimes articles about franchise owners working 20 hour days because they are required to stay open but don’t make enough money to pay employees. On the other hand franchise owners are allowed to tailor what they sell.

SenHeng 5y ago

The main culprit for this really is 7-11, FamilyMart and Lawson are slightly better in this regard.

ayngg 5y ago

I never really thought the sandwiches were anything special, the real gem was the fried chicken, the Famichiki or its equivalent that the other places had. You could grab a couple onigiri and a famichiki for the price of a sandwich and it would be way more satisfying imo.

poglet 5y ago
I loved the Oden in winter - despite being unsure how long it had been sitting there. Also went through a phase of getting the アメリカンドッグ 'America Dog'.

Tor3 5y ago

7/11 is mostly a franchise setup in Japan, so things aren't completely uniform. The 7/11 combini I've been visiting over the years doesn't suffer from the empty bread syndrome. This isn't a big city, it's almost rural, don't know if that matters too. When that's said, the sandwiches they prepare in the bread shop in the nearby shopping mall is better, if anything there's too much filling. Anyway, it can never be truly good because it's all 100% white bread wherever you buy it.

friedturkey 5y ago
7/11 prepares their sandwiches in centralized factories. They’ll deep fry things in store, but anything chilled is shipped as-is from hours away.
johnwalkr 5y ago
It’s a franchise but it’s notorious for getting mom and pop convenience stores to switch to being a franchise and then forcing them to stay open 24 hours and source most goods from 7-11. There’s sometimes articles about franchise owners working 20 hour days because they are required to stay open but don’t make enough money to pay employees. On the other hand franchise owners are allowed to tailor what they sell.