7-Eleven is a US staple. Embarking on a family road trip and swinging by 7-Eleven for a quick Slurpee for the drive... Ah, memories.
After talking to fellow BuzzFeed staffer Keijiro, I was curious to see how 7-Eleven stores in Japan differ from those in the US. So, we decided to compare 7-Eleven products in our two respective cities: Tokyo and Los Angeles. Here's what we found:
Note: This was a collaborative post. US item beats were written by Andria, and Japan item beats were written by Keijiro.
1. Every 7-Eleven in the US has some sort of coffee machine with assorted creamers, and usually an iced coffee option.
2. In Japan, you can choose from hot lattes, coffees, or a premium Kilimanjaro blend.
3. Beef jerky is a common US 7-Eleven snack item that comes in multiple flavors and brands.
4. Beef jerky is also common at Japanese 7-Elevens, but dried squid has even more flavor choices.
5. The US 7-Eleven ice cream selection is always spot on.
6. In Japan, 7-Eleven has no Snickers ice cream bar, but there are always premium 7-Eleven original ice creams. There is a rich selection of sweets too.
7. Pretty sure they don't even sell these powdered donuts in grocery stores, and only at US 7-Elevens.
8. Likewise in Japan, they sell pastries and breads specific to 7-Eleven.
My favorite is the pull-apart chocolate cream bread.
9. In the US, most 7-Elevens offer a variety of hot dogs and condiments.
10. Japan 7-Eleven doesn't have traditional American hot dogs, but they do have corn dogs, meat buns, and oden (a Japanese soup usually filled with boiled egg, fishcakes, etc.).
11. Or you can grab a bowl of soba noodles with spicy green onions.
12. US 7-Elevens also usually offer whole pizzas or by the slice, as well as assorted chicken wings and skewers.
13. In Japan, it's common to grab an onigiri (Japanese rice ball stuffed with fish and wrapped in seaweed) and pair it with a hot bottle of green tea.
14. Of course, in the US, Slurpees are a 7-Eleven staple. Cherry, blue raspberry, Coke, and sometimes a random flavor are all frozen and ready to be slurped.
15. In Japan, only a few 7-Eleven stores have Slurpee machines. However, there are plenty of other options for cold beverages, like this yuzu (citrus fruit) and lemon drink.
16. And finally, Funyuns are a popular US 7-Eleven snack.
17. In Japan, cracker and chip options range from cheese corn chips, edamame chips, and almond cookies.
