Convenience stores in Japan are a great place to pick up snacks, drinks, and even meals. Whether you’re in a rush or have some downtime, they always have what you need. Sometimes, convenience stores collaborate with other brands to create more amazing goodies. Here are some awesome convenience store collaborations to check out! 

Calbee and Family Mart 

Calbee, one of Japan’s well-known chips manufacturers, recently launched a collaboration with Family Mart. They created a pizza sandwich that tastes like the popular Calbee chips flavor しあわせバター (‘shiawase bata’, meaning “happiness butter”).  The wrap sandwich is filled with gooey, melted cheese, potatoes, butter, herbs, and broccoli. Pick one up for a nice, hearty lunch. Given how tasty Calbee’s chips are, we’re sure that this pizza sandwich won’t disappoint. 

Milk Craft Cream and Lawson 

If you love dairy-based sweets, you’re sure to enjoy Lawson and Milk Craft Cream’s collaboration. Milk Craft Cream is a soft-serve ice cream shop with locations in Osaka, Tokyo, and Aichi. You might’ve seen one of their shops with their characteristic cow statue out front. All of their products are made with ingredients from Kushiro, Hokkaido. Even if you don’t like near a Milk Craft Cream shop, you might be able to try some of their sweets at a Lawson near you.

The Lawson and Milk Craft Cream collaboration products include a cream puff, a milk crepe, a cream-filled cake, and of course, ice cream. The special collaboration ice cream is topped with caramel and nuts. 

Mr. Cheesecake and Seven Eleven 

Seven Eleven and Mr. Cheesecake have worked together to bring us some sweet delights. As the name suggests, Mr. Cheesecake is well known for their cheesecakes. However, when they teamed up with Seven Eleven, they made something a little different – ice cream! There’s a lemon and vanilla flavor that comes in a cup, as well as a cacao raspberry sauce cone. These ice creams are so popular that they’re selling out in Seven Elevens across Japan. Make sure to try them before it’s too late!  

NiziU and Lawson 

Although this collaboration resulted in some sweet treats, it’s not actually between Lawson and a food manufacturer. NiziU is a popular girl group that produces music, movies, and other media. They teamed up with Lawson to create strawberry and chocolate roll cakes. The packaging features members of the girl group. We can’t be sure if they’re any better than the average roll cake, but at 160 yen a piece, they’re a great, inexpensive snack. Whether you like roll cakes or just want to support the girl group, you can’t go wrong with one. 

Pierre Herme and Seven Eleven 

This collaboration is for those who love eclairs. Pierre Herme is well known for their French style sweets, such as macarons and tarts. While they’re a higher-end brand that’s typically sold in department stores, you can get one of their treats for only a few hundred yen at Seven Eleven. The collaboration has resulted in a delicious Marron Chocolat eclair. It is filled with three different types of cream: whipped cream, chocolate custard, and roasted chestnut cream. The pastry is soft, fluffy, and everything you’d want in an eclair. If you’re into chestnuts or eclairs, stop by Seven Eleven to pick one up before they’re gone! 

Muji and Lawson

Muji has teamed up with  Family Mart, making it easier for you to purchase their classic, minimalist goods. That is if you live in Tokyo. The Muji and Lawson collaboration started out in a few Tokyo stores during the summer of 2020. If it is successful, the collaboration may expand to Lawson stores across the country.

Right now, if you’re lucky enough to live near one of the Lawson locations selected for the collaboration, you can pick up any one of over 500 Muji products without going to a Muji store. The products being sold at Lawson include underwear, microwaveable curry, cosmetics, and stationery. Muji once had a collaboration with Family Mart, but it ended in 2019. We hope to see Muji products in every Lawson in Japan, but for now, those of us who live outside of Tokyo will have to stick to visiting Muji stores.