Convenience Stores コンビニ
More than 40,000 convenience stores (コンビニ) can be found across Japan. Strong competition between major operators such as Seven Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart, produces new innovative products and services and makes Japanese convenience stores truly convenient. They can very different than many of the convenience stores you may find in other countries.
Most convenience stores are open 24 hours per day and 7 days per week.
Food products offered include a large range of meals, snacks and sweets such as rice balls おにぎり, sandwiches サンドイッチ, bread パン, rice crackers せんべい, chips チップズ, chocolate チョコレット, lunch boxes べんと, salads サラダ, dairy products ギュウニュウノモノ, instant noodles ラーメン, microwave meals and various hot dishes like nikuman にくまん and oden おでん. Cold dishes can also be heated up by the store personnel after purchase.
Beverages offered range from sport drinks スポーツドリンク, tea おちゃOrこうちゃ, coffee コーヒー, soft drinks コーラ, juices ジュース, water みず and milk ぎゅうにゅう to vitamin drinks. Both, hot and cold beverages are available.
Many convenience stores also sell alcoholic beverages including beer, happoshu はっぽしゅ, chuhai 酒ハイ, nihonshu 日本酒（さけ）, shochu しょうちゅ and wine ワイン .
Other goods available include body care products, cosmetics, batteries, blank CDs and tapes, umbrellas, newspapers, magazines and comics. Some stores, particularly outside of the city centers, have a restroom.
Convenience stores also offer a wide range of services, many of which can be accessed through automated multi-purpose terminals (the user menu is usually in Japanese only):
- ATM: ATMs offer various banking services and often also serve as the above mentioned multi-purpose terminals. Foreign credit and debit cards are usually not recognized by the ATMs found in convenience stores, although credit card chip technology has changed this in some places in recent times.
- Copier/Fax: A copy machine and fax is available at most convenience stores. If not the ATM, it is usually the copy machine which serves as the store's multi-purpose terminal.
- Ticket Reservations: Tickets for sport events, concerts, theme parks, highway buses and other travel services can be purchased at the multi-purpose terminal.
- Digital Camera Prints: You can get prints of digital pictures by inserting your camera's memory card into the multi-purpose terminal. Depending on the store, the prints will be ready instantly or can be picked up later.
- Bill Payment: Many bills, including utility, cell phone and insurance bills, can be paid at convenience stores.
- Delivery Services: At many stores, it is possible to drop off or pick up deliveries (takuhaibin), such as parcels or luggage. A limited range of postal services, such as the sale of post cards and stamps, is also available. (Japan-Guide)
Souvenirs
At a souvenir store おみやげやで（御土産屋で
おみやげや（お土産＝Souvenirs）のてんいん（店員）とりょこう（旅行者＝Tourist）のかいわ（会話＋Dialogue）見ましょう。ふといじ（太い字＝BoldLetters）にきをつけてください（気を付けて下さい＝Take care）。
Let’s look at this conversation between a store clerk（店員） and a tourist. Pay attention to underlined letters.
おみやげや（お土産屋）＝Souvenir Store)：いらっしゃいませ。やきもの（焼き物）はいかがですか。きょうと（京都）めいぶつ (a special souvenir from Kyoto)のきよみずやき (the Kiyomizu Pottery)です。
りょこうしゃ（旅行者）：きれい（綺麗）ですね。おゆのみ（tea cup）はありますか。
お宮家や：はい、もちろん（Certainly）。
旅行者：この大きいのは、いくらですか。
お土産屋：この大きいのはこうきゅうです（Special）。にひやくえん（二百円）です。
旅行者：ううん... ちょっとたかい（高い）ですね。もっとやすい（安い）のがありますか。
お土産屋：これはどうですか。 百五十円です。ちょっとちいさい（小さい）ですが、おなじくらい綺麗です。
旅行者：じゃあ、それをふたつ（二つ）ください。
お土産屋：どうもありがとうございます。三百円です。
旅行者：じゃあ、五百円で。
お土産屋：二百円のおつりです。まいどありがとうございます。
Practice the following new words in Japanese (including the Kanji). Click each word to see the correct answer.
| やきもの（焼き物） | |
| いくらですか。 | |
| こうきゅうです。 | |
| にひゃくえん（二百円） | |
| おつり | |
| ひやくごじゅうえん（百五十円） | |
| おなじくらいきれい（同じくらい綺麗） | |
| もっとやすいの（もっと安いの） | |
| ください（下さい） | |
| いらっしゃいませ | |
| まいどありがとうごあじます（毎度ありがとうございます） |
Writing Practice
When you are confident that you understand the conversation in the previous tab, come back and answer the following questions based on that conversation. When you are finished, click each question to see the correct responses.
| 旅行は何が見たかったですか。 | |
| 焼き物はどうでしたか。 | |
| 大きいおゆのみはいくらでしたか。 | |
| ちょっと小さいおゆのみはいくらでしたか。 | |
| どちらが きれいですか。 | |
| 旅行者はいくつ買いましたか。 |
Practice - Flashcards
You should be remembering to repeat Japanese as much as you can when you hear Japanese in the course and it is also imperative that you spend time outside of class studying your Japanese.
Before we get going very far, see how well you're doing on this Unit's vocabulary. The following flash card activity will help you learn your vocabulary. See if you know what each word or phrase means. Click on "Begin" to hear the words. Go on to a new word by click on "Next" in the controls at the bottom.
Click Flashcards or Click to start below.
Here is a print version of this actvity. You will still need to use the online version to hear any audio.
Graded Assignments
Please return to the Section 3 Tasks & Assignments folder to complete the graded assignments for Section3, Part A.
