Kanpai to 7-Eleven Japan for its huge beer, alcohol and sake selection. Purchasing a cold Kirin or craft beer from a 7-Eleven in Japan is a traveller rite of passage.
Whether it is an afternoon Asahi (best accompanied with a 7-Eleven egg sandwich) or a sunset Sapporo Beer, 7-Eleven Japan is a convenient and cheap way to get convivial!
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With over 22,000 7-Eleven stores opened in Japan, it is one of the biggest sellers of Japanese beer, whiskey and sake in the world!
From 7-Eleven Japan alcohol laws and their beer range, here is our ultimate guide to buying beer, booze, spirits and sake in 7-Eleven Japan 2024.
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How many 7-Eleven stores are there in Japan?
As of 2024, there are around 22,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan, all of which sell alcohol; this makes it the most popular convenience store chain in Japan beating Lawson, Seicomart, Daily Yamazaki, MiniStop and FamilyMart.
In total, there are around 55,000 convenience stores (konbinis) in Japan as of early 2024 – now that is a lot of sake sales.
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You might like – Our guide to the Sapporo Beer Museum, Japan’s only dedicated beer museum >
7-Eleven Japan alcohol hours and laws
In Japan, most Japan 7-Elevens in the big cities like Tokyo and Osaka are open 24/7 – in Japan, alcohol can be sold 24 hours a day (although you will likely be refused service if you are intoxicated).
This is very different from other 7-Elevens around the world – for instance in Thailand 7-Eleven, you can only buy alcohol in Thailand from 11am– 2pm, and 5pm – midnight.
But 24 hour alcohol sales in Japan seem to work, although the country does seem to have a high rate of alcohol related injuries and deaths, especially in the run up to Christmas.
In Japan, the legal drinking age is 20 years old – you might be asked to show some form of ID in 7-Eleven Japan if you are lucky enough to (still) look young.
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Beer at 7-Eleven Japan
Mainstream beers like Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo dominate the beer sections at 7-Eleven in Japan. Most Japanese beers in convenience stores come in various sizes including 350ml cans and 500ml cans, plus bottles – this is the same for Lawson and FamilyMart.
Beer strength and ABV in Japan is usually between 4% to 5% ABV for most standard 7-Eleven Japanese beers like 4.6% for Kirin Ichiban and 5% for Asahi Dry – low alcohol and mid strength beers are increasingly popular in Japan too.
Look out for limited edition beers during seasons and festivals like the pink coloured Asahi beer cans during the cherry blossom season.
You might like our guide to the best craft beer bars in Tokyo >
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Beer prices in 7-Eleven Japan
The price of Asahi beer in 7-Eleven Japan is around 300 Yen per 500 ml can or about 230 Yen for a 330ml can of beer.
This means a 500ml beer Asahi in 7-Eleven Japan costs around £1.45 or $1.90 USD – these 7-Eleven Japanese beer prices are correct as of summer 2024.
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7-Eleven Craft Beers
Most of the bigger 7-Eleven stores in Japan also sell Japanese craft beers plus some international beers.
The international beers are usually quite standard beers like Budweiser or Heineken but these are kind of seen as cool, craft beers in Japan – we aren’t sure why as the actual craft beer scene in Japan is amazing.
In the larger 7-Eleven Japan city stores, you might find international craft beer brands such as Founders Brewing or Disco Ninja from the USA.
You can also discover local Japanese craft beers like the Udon Brewing Tsukimi Udon Hazy IPA or Ramen Boy Beer from Fukuoka Craft Brewing.
Some of the beers are also quite unusual. Our joy in finding a Japanese Two Rabbits Brewing DDH DIPA beer called ‘F- – – Its Cold’ with a rabbit in a wooly hat cannot be overstated enough (it tasted amazing too).
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The viral 7-Eleven Craft Beer Store – Yokohama Hammerheads
Did you know there is a famous Japanese 7-Eleven craft beer store in Yokohama Port at the front of the Yokohama Hammerhead mall which specialises in international and Japanese craft beer?
This Yokohama 7-Eleven beer store has since gone viral featuring in numerous TikToks and online videos
We’ve visited this viral craft beer 7-Eleven and it is amazing! There are over 500 different craft beers from all over the world plus lots of beer merchandise – Yokohama is a Japan craft beer lover’s dream!
Read more in our guide to 7-Eleven’s craft beer store in Yokohama Hammerhead >
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7-Eleven Japan spirits – whiskey, sake and more
Whiskey in Japan is one of the most widely drunk spirits in Japan and you’ll find a wide array of both Japanese and international whiskeys at 7-Eleven Japan.
If you’d prefer, Japanese high-balls (whiskey and mixers) can be found in premixed cans in the same section as beers. Cans of Japanese highballs are incredibly cheap and in some cases, can be purchased for less than a £1 / $1 USD.
We also found bottles of whiskey to be a LOT cheaper than in the UK including Scottish brands of whiskey. Shochu, umeshu and sake are widely available in 7-Eleven Japan too (try to avoid One Cup Sake as although it is cheap, it certainly isn’t the best).
You might like – Our guide to Ginza Lion in Tokyo, Japan’s oldest beer hall >
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