This post may contain affiliate links to tours and hotels. These help us earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
The famous Japanese egg sandwiches are an egg-cellent reason to visit the Land of the Rising Sun (no yolk!).
One of the cheapest and most famous snacks in Japan, egg sandwiches (‘tamago sando’) from a convenience store may not be an elegant epicurean experience like Kobe beef or Japanese ramen, but it is a fun foodie thing to try.
Convenience store egg sandwiches in Japan are big business, with all the big Japanese convenience stores (‘konbinis’) like Lawson, 7-Eleven, Family Mart and Daily Yamazaki selling their own take on classic egg sandwiches on fluffy and sweet white milk bread.
Despite all the seasoned array of sandwiches available, the number 1 top selling store bought sandwich in Japan is the egg sandwich. Even the late, great food critic Anthony Bourdain (RIP) was a fan and documented his love of the Lawson egg sandwich in the Okinawa edition of ‘Parts Unknown’.
From the best konbini egg sandwich in Japan (in our opinion) to prices and the cult of Japanese convenience stores, here is the ultimate guide to egg sandwiches in Japan’s convenience stores:
You might like – The cult of Lawson’s karaage fried chicken in Japan >
So what is the big deal with Japanese egg sandwiches?
Seriously?! We’re assuming anyone who is asking this question hasn’t tried one for themselves.
Quick bites to eat from Japanese convenience is an everyday occurrence for business people or hungry travellers on a budget.
Japanese ‘konbinis’ are famous for many types of food (particularly the chicken from the hot counter) but nothing has quite stirred the imagination for many as much as the simple yet sublime Japanese egg sandwich.
So what is in a Japanese egg sandwich?
Quite simply, it is the fluffiest white bread you have ever eaten in your life (the crusts are chopped off), with a generous dollop of egg salad, mayonnaise, all mixed in the middle, and oozing out the bready package. Jeez, we are making ourselves hungry just talking about it…take us back to Japan now!
We also suspect some might have yellow colouring as some brands are like bright yellow whilst others are more pale.
You might like – Guide to Kura Sushi conveyor belt restaurants in Japan >
Japanese convenience store sandwich culture
As of 2024, there are around 55,000 convenience stores in Japan. Of these, the biggest Japanese convenience store chain is 7-Eleven with 27,000 stores in 2024 and over 22 million customer visits every day – now that is the potential for an egg-plosion of egg sandwich sales every day in Japan.
After 7-Eleven, the second biggest convenience store chain in Japan is Family Mart with 16,000 stores and then Lawson is third with over 14,000 stores.
Each of these Japanese konbinis / convenience stores has their own take on the ‘tamago sando’ / Japanese egg sandwich with sweet milk bread.
Often open 24 hours a day, pretty much every visitor to Japan has at some stage dived into a 7-Eleven Japan convenience store for an egg sandwich (or two).
You might like – Guide to 7-Eleven stores in Japan or how to use 7 Eleven ATMs
How much do egg sandwiches cost in Japan?
The cost of egg sandwiches in Japan varies a little across convenience store brands but expect to pay around 250 Yen per two pack of egg sandwiches
This equates to around £1.30 / $1.70 / 1.55 Euros per pack of convenience store egg sandwiches in Japan.
For instance, the classic Japanese Lawson egg sandwich costs 238 Yen (257 Yen with tax) for a pack containing two sandwiches.
Also, if you are calorie counting, most packs of Japanese egg sandwiches bought from convenience stores come in at around 270 to 340 calories per pack. 7-Eleven egg sandwiches have 340 calories – so an hour of brisk walking around the streets of Tokyo or Kyoto should burn this off!
You might like – Guide to the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama >
How to ask for an egg sandwich in Japanese?
The japanese for egg sandwich is ‘tamago sando’ (or ‘たまごサンド’ in Kanji.
If you cannot find an egg sandwich when in a convenience store (to be fair, they often sell out), you could try saying:
“卵サンドイッチください
Tamago sandoitchi kudasai
An egg sandwich, please
BRAND NEW FOR MAY 2024
Join our Facebook Japan Travel Tips Group!
Need help with your Japan itinerary or have any questions?
Head on over to our Facebook group and ask the experts!
Click here to join our group >
Japanese eggs sandwiches – which is the best?
The battle of the egg sandwiches is serious stuff in Japan – Lawson vs Family Mart vs 7-Eleven vs Daily Yamazaki – which has the most ‘elevated’ egg sandwich?
The best konbini egg sandwich is a debate for the generations and one that is strongly contested – it comes down to personal taste but for us, the Lawson egg sandwich in Japan is the best and the clear winner.
Why is Lawson’s the best egg sandwich in Japan? Well, it has the fluffiest white milk bread which is super soft and not too sweet, the egg filling is the creamiest and isn’t too much in quantity.
We think the runner up for best Japanese egg sandwich has to be Daily Yamazaki – the white bread is just as soft as Lawsons but the egg filling is often too much and spilling over the sides, and not quite as moist.
And for the record, Family Mart and 7-Eleven Japan both do epic egg sandwiches too but their bread just isn’t as fluffy as Lawson! So spend your ‘dough’ wisely when electing which egg sandwich.
You might like – Guide to 40+ Japanese Kit Kat flavours >
Other things to know about the cult of Japanese egg sandwiches
- Anthony Bourdain described Japanese egg sandwiches as “insanely delicious and incongruously addictive” when visiting Okinawa in his Parts Unknown series. In a behind the scenes clip, the producer recalled that Bourdain’s favourite was the Lawson egg sandwiches but whilst filming the egg sandwich segment, most Lawsons had sold out of his favourite snack so Bourdain’s patience wore thin.
- Most egg sandwiches in Japan have their crusts removed – this is why no-one in Japan has curly hair (probably)
- IN 2023, Lawsons released a new type of egg and soy sandwich which we’ve yet to try. The new healthier Lawsons egg sandwich pack contains one traditional (chicken) egg sandwich and a second that contains a soy milk-based egg substitute. The idea is for consumers to try them and see if they can taste the difference.
- You can even get miniature plastic egg sandwiches in gachapon toy capsule (link) form – check out our guide to Japan’s coolest gachapon toys here > link
Eaten too many egg sandwiches? Then challenge Tokyo Sumo Wrestlers and enjoy a sumo style meal >
Did you enjoy our Japan convenience store egg sandwich blog post? Let us know in the comments or by sharing it on social media.
You can follow us on:
Instagram
Tik Tok
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
You might also like
Cult of Lawson’s Fried Chicken Kara-age Kun Nuggets in Japan
Cult of TENGA Products – TENGA in Japan Guide
Yokohama, Japan – Things To Do Guide + Photos
Ginza, Tokyo – Things To Do + Photos
Guide to Kit Kat Flavours in Japan!
Odaiba, Tokyo – Things To Do + Photos
Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama, Japan – Guide + Photos
Super Potato – Retro Game Store in Japan