Konbini Rules in Japan: Age Check at 20, Bags on Request
Every rule here comes from the Seven-Eleven Japan English FAQ for visitors, which we checked on 17 October 2026. The count of services comes from our own database of 7-Eleven payments and services. We wrote the rules for 7-Eleven because it publishes them in English for visitors.
Several of these rules are questions the clerk may ask you at the till. The sections below go through alcohol, heating, cutlery, bags, eating in and the extra services.
7-Eleven store rules at a glance
At the till, the clerk may ask about heating, cutlery and whether hot and cold items can share a bag. The table lists each situation from the FAQ and which stores it applies to.
| Situation | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol and cigarettes | Tap the age-check button on the register screen; drinking under 20 is illegal | Most stores |
| Heating food | Ask staff to heat it; some items cannot be heated | Most stores |
| Chopsticks, spoons, forks | Ask at the till when you buy ready-to-eat food | At the till |
| Plastic bags | Only on request, for a small fee by size | At the till |
| Eat-in area | Keep stays short, talk quietly, sort trash by store rules | Some stores |
| Eating in: tax | Taxed at 10% instead of 8% | Stores with an eat-in area |
| Tax-free shopping | Only some stores; see our tax-free guide for the rules | Some stores |
| Collecting a parcel at the store | Not available; staff cannot keep packages | No store |
Read the Where column first. “Most stores” is what the FAQ says for heating, alcohol and cigarettes. “Some stores” is what it says for the eat-in area and tax-free shopping. One service is offered at no store at all: having a parcel delivered to a store so you can collect it there.
We counted 12 in-store services in our 7-Eleven payment and services database, all taken from Seven-Eleven Japan’s own pages on 17 October 2026. Six of the 12 are at some stores only: tax-free shopping, sending a parcel or suitcase, luggage storage, pocket Wi-Fi rental, power bank rental and the eat-in area. Two are at most stores: heating food, and alcohol and cigarettes.
For ways to pay at the till, see our 7-Eleven Japan payments guide.
Buying alcohol and cigarettes: the age check
Most 7-Eleven stores in Japan sell alcohol and cigarettes, though the FAQ notes that this varies from store to store.
When you buy either one, Seven-Eleven Japan asks you to tap the age-check button on the till screen.
The drawing shows the order: bring the item to the till, tap the button, then pay.
Japan’s legal drinking age is 20, and the FAQ states this right after the button rule.
Heating food and asking for chopsticks
Most 7-Eleven stores have a microwave, and staff will heat your food if you ask. At the register, the clerk may also ask whether you want a bento box heated. Some items cannot be heated in the store.
If the clerk asks first, a nod and “hai” (yes) is enough. If you want food heated and nobody asks, say “Atatamete kudasai” (please heat it).
Cutlery works the same way. When you buy a bento, a salad, frozen food or anything else to eat right away, ask at the till for chopsticks, a spoon, a fork or napkins. Staff may also ask you whether you need any. Say “Ohashi kudasai” for chopsticks.
The checklist above sums up the questions you may hear at the till: heating, cutlery, the bag, and hot and cold items in one bag.
Hot snacks, Seven Cafe coffee, smoothies and oden each have a how-to video from Seven-Eleven Japan. Our guide to 7-Eleven Japan hot snacks covers the counter foods.
For prices, our 7-Eleven Japan food database lists 120 foods. Across 119 items on the Kanto list, the median is 204 yen before tax.
Plastic bags
At 7-Eleven, you get a plastic bag only if you ask, and it costs a small fee that depends on the size. Seven-Eleven Japan says the fee is part of Japan’s effort to reduce plastic waste.
So the clerk will not put your items in a bag unless you ask for one. If you want a bag, say “Fukuro kudasai” (a bag, please). If you have your own bag, say “Fukuro wa irimasen” (no bag, thanks).
Staff may also ask whether you are fine with hot and cold items in the same bag.
If you carry your own folding bag, you can skip the fee.
Eat-in areas and trash
Some 7-Eleven stores have an eat-in area for food you bought there.
The FAQ asks three things of people using the space, so that it stays comfortable for everyone. Do not stay a long time. Do not talk loudly. Throw away your trash the way the store asks.
The drawing shows those three requests: a short stay, a quiet voice, and the store’s own trash rules.
Eating in also changes the tax: eat-in is taxed at 10% instead of 8%. Our guide to Japanese convenience store food explains both rates.
Other services: tax-free, parcels and luggage
Most of the extra services are at some stores only. The chart counts the services on our list by where you find them.
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Some stores only | 6 services | Tax-free, parcels, luggage storage, Wi-Fi, power banks, eat-in |
| Copy machine or till | 3 services | Printing at the copy machine; bags and cutlery at the till |
| Most stores | 2 services | Heating food, alcohol and cigarettes |
| Not offered | 1 service | Having a parcel sent to a store |
Six services sit at some stores only, two are at most stores, and one is not offered anywhere. The other three happen at the copy machine or the till: printing, plastic bags and cutlery.
Some 7-Eleven stores offer tax-free shopping; our tax-free shopping guide has the rules and the steps.
Some stores send packages to airports, hotels or homes. Allow a day or more, depending on the destination. Our guide to luggage forwarding in Japan has rates and airport cut-off times.
The reverse does not work. You cannot have a parcel delivered to a 7-Eleven store to collect it there, because staff cannot receive or keep packages for customers.
Some stores offer luggage storage through ecbo cloak, and some rent power banks and pocket Wi-Fi. For cash, our Seven Bank ATM guide has the limits and hours by card.
Short phrases for the till
Four short phrases cover the questions above. Each one answers a question the clerk may ask about bags, heating or cutlery.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 袋ください | Fukuro kudasai | A bag, please |
| 袋はいりません | Fukuro wa irimasen | No bag, thanks |
| 温めてください | Atatamete kudasai | Please heat it |
| お箸ください | Ohashi kudasai | Chopsticks, please |
“Kudasai” means “please give me”, so add it after the thing you want. “Irimasen” is the easy no, and it works for bags, cutlery or heating. Say “arigatou gozaimasu” (thank you) as you leave.
The phrases work at any chain. Of the three big chains, 7-Eleven has the most stores in 26 of the 47 prefectures. Lawson leads in 11 and FamilyMart in 10, so the store on your corner may not be a 7-Eleven.
Tokyo has 2,943 7-Eleven stores, 2,443 FamilyMart and 1,639 Lawson, by the counts in our page on 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart in Tokyo. In Hokkaido, the local chain Seicomart has 1,087 stores, more than 7-Eleven’s 991. Our database of convenience stores by prefecture has the counts for every prefecture.
FAQ
How do you buy alcohol at a 7-Eleven in Japan?
Take the item to the till and tap the age-check button on the till screen. Then pay as usual. Japan’s legal drinking age is 20. Most 7-Eleven stores sell alcohol, but it varies by store.
Will 7-Eleven in Japan heat my food?
Yes, at most stores. Ask the staff, or answer yes when they ask about your bento. Some items cannot be heated in the store.
Are plastic bags free at 7-Eleven in Japan?
No. Bags are given only on request, for a small fee that depends on the size. You can also bring your own bag.
Can I eat inside a 7-Eleven in Japan?
Only at stores with an eat-in area, and only some stores have one. Food you eat there is taxed at 10% instead of 8%. Keep your stay short, talk quietly, and throw away trash the way the store asks.
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