We love Lawson Japan! No trip to Japan is complete without a trip to a convenience store (also known as ‘konbini’ locally).
You are spoiled for choice with over 56,000 convenience stores in Japan but Lawson is one the leading shops, with over 13,000 stores (plus thousands more overseas).
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From their incredible egg sandwiches or the incredible range of Lawson merchandise, there is a lot to like about Lawson Japan – and don’t get us started on Lawson karaage chicken.
Here are 18 facts about Lawson Japan, including Lawson 100 and Natural Lawson.
This article was originally published on 13 May 2024.
Check out all our Plan my Japan convenience store articles >
1. Lawson Chicken Karaage
Lawson’s chicken in Japan is a ‘clucking’ good reason alone just to visit the Land of the Rising Sun.
Putting the fun into kara-age kun, virtually every visitor to the Lawson convenience store in Japan will have tried this classic fried chicken nugget snack at some point.
So popular is Lawson chicken karaage, you can also buy Lawson karaage keyrings, Lawson chicken gachapon toys and there was once even large Lawson rooster plushies made by Taito. Sugoi!
There are four standard Lawson karaage flavours (original, cheese, spicy and lemon) and Lawson release seasonal flavours such as BBQ, blue cheese and spicy cod roe with mayo – in 2023, Lawson’s launched a ‘Legend of Zelda’ flavor fried chicken!
Despite so many hot counter choices like yakitori skewers or bao buns, chicken remains the number 1 top selling hot convenience store food in Japan.
New for 2025 and to try and combat the rise of FamilyMart’s Famichiki fanbase, Lawson Japan has now launched manmaru chicken for 248 Yen. It has less batter and has a fluffy texture inside.
Find out more in our ‘Cult of Lawson’s Fried Chicken Kara-age Kun Nuggets’ article >
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2. Lawson egg sandwiches are the most eggs-cellent
Every visitor to Japan soon learns about the ‘cult of Japanese convenience store egg sandwiches‘ but which is the best?
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 but it is a cheap and cheerful choice that tastes amazing.
We genuinely rate the Lawson egg sandwich as the best konbini egg sandwich in Japan – the bread is the fluffiest and the egg filling is never too gooey or slimy like some others (yes, we are talking about you, Daily Yamazaki).
Even the late, great food critic Anthony Bourdain (RIP) was a fan of Lawson egg sandwiches and documented his love of the Lawson egg sandwich in the Okinawa edition of ‘Parts Unknown’.
Read our Plan My Japan guide / love story to Japanese convenience store egg sandwiches >
3. Lawson is the third biggest convenience store in Japan
Lawson may seem like the most iconic convenience store in Japan but it turns out that it is actually the third biggest convenience store chain in Japan.
Japan has over 56,000 convenience stores (or ‘konbini’ コンビニ as they are known locally) and the biggest in Japan is 7-Eleven with 21,248 stores – after that, FamilyMart Japan is the second biggest convenience store chain with 16,047 stores.
Lawson Japan is just behind FamilyMart JP with 13,779 stores as of 2025.
That said, customer satisfaction ratings are higher for Lawson in Japan than either 7-Eleven or FamilyMart. A 2024 customer satisfaction stats show that Lawson came third for satisfaction, after Seicomart and Daily Yamazaki.
4. You can buy a mini Lawson light up sign and other branded merchandise
Such is the love for Lawson livery and the iconic Lawson light and milk urn, Lawson recently released a range of their own merchandise.
Light up your house with a mini Lawson Station sign, pick up a Lawson Station purse / pouch (great for your small change from konbinis) or grab a lovely Lawson tote bag – the ultimate gifts and souvenirs for Lawson lovers.
5. Mount Fuji Lawson controversy
Perhaps the biggest Lawson Japan news story in 2024 involved the Lawson convenience store in Fujikawaguchiko that has such incredible views of Mt Fuji behind it.
Thousands have stopped to take a picture of Japan’s most pretty convenience store with Mount Fuji as the beautiful backdrop.
However, recently overtourism and visitors stopping to take pictures on the road, parking in weird spots or staying too long have caused Lawson to take matters into their own hands and erect a barrier to cover up the view – and this is why we can’t have nice things!
The completed barrier at this Mount Fuji Lawson was completed by the end of May 2024, but on our visit in November 2024, the barrier had been removed! A second smaller barrier was erected in August 2025 but will it last this time?
6. Not all Lawson stores are 24 hours
In the major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, most of the downtown branches of Lawson Japan are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
However, in quieter areas or out of the cities, many Lawson stores open early morning (6am to 7am) and close around 11pm or midnight – it really varies from city to city.
7. Go large at Lawson for free
Earlier this year, Lawson Japan did the unthinkable in these cost conscious times – they upsized a range of their popular snacks and desserts at 47% bigger size but kept the price the same.
So enjoy super-sized katsu curry or tuna mayonnaise onigiri for no extra Yen!
To be fair, Lawson is pretty good value at any time – they famously kept the price of their Lawson karaage nuggets the same for over 35 years since they launched in 1986, finally increasing the price by 10% in 2022.
8. Look out for Lawson Store 100
Lawson 100 stores are a little less frequent in Japan, but they offer a much bigger fresh food and chiller cabinets range, ideal for takeaway lunches or on the go snacks.
Japanese Lawson 100 stores launched in late 2013 and get their name from all of the 100 Yen groceries (however most prices have gone up since the launch over 10 years ago) and their exclusive 100 Yen series of products.
The other major difference is that whilst the normal Lawsons Japan convenience store branding is blue white and red (with the milk urn icon), Lawson 100 is green, red and white (a little along the lines of 7-Eleven – is this tactical or just trolling?).
9. Natural Lawson Stores in Japan
In addition to the special Lawson 100 stores, there is also a smaller chain of Natural Lawson stores, famed for their crimson exteriors and healthier product lines, selling more fruits, nuts and seeds plus low sugar drinks.
They also carry more beauty products than the standard Lawson convenience stores.
Don’t worry, Natural Lawson sells all the standard Lawson drinks and snacks but with just a few more health-conscious dishes – kind of like ‘Lawson Light’ we guess!
In 2023, Natural Lawsons launched a retro Japanese snack selection entitled ‘Showa’ recreating a veritable feast of vintage Japanese foods from the 70s and 80s including a retro bento box, doorstop fried egg sandwiches and a range of old school Japanese candies – sweet as!
10. There are Dragon Quest themed Lawson stores in Osaka and Tokyo
2025 update – The Osaka Dragon Quest themed Lawson store has closed
The Dragon Quest themed Lawson konbinis will bring out your inner ‘otaku’ in Osaka – a second newer Dragon Quest Lawson also opened in Shibuya in 2023, after the former Akihabara one closed down.
The first thing you notice when you first visit the themed Lawson is how the store-front has been taken over with all the online characters and dragons like Slime, Dracky, Weartiger and Erik from original Dragon Quest – very cool.
As you go through the front door, the usual Lawson door entrance doorbell chime and greeting is replaced by words spoken by the characters.
The store has lots of Dragon Quest merchandise inside too and even the chillers and freezers are branded and covered in monsters.
Want to see more? Read our guide to the themed Lawson Dragon Quest convenience store >
11. Lawson Japan Goes Worldwide
It isn’t just Lawson Japan – there are Lawson convenience stores all over the world including Lawson in Thailand (150 stores), Lawson in Indonesia (67 stores) and Lawson in the Philippines (68 stores).
There are even two Lawson JP stores in Hawaii USA (with plans to add more in the USA).
Outside of Japan, the second biggest Lawson network is over 4,000 Lawson China / Chinese shops.
In total across the world, there are around 21,000 Lawson stores as of October 2025.
12. The very first Lawson shop / Lawson Japan origin
Lawsons has grown over the years, to achieve 13,779 Lawsons Japan stores as of 2025 – however it all started with the very the first very Lawson Japan store in 1975, that opened in Sakurazuka in Toyonaka City, Osaka.
Lawson back then was very different and the first store sold American themed party foods!
Even more interestingly, the Lawson name and milk urn logo date back to the 1930s, from J. J. Lawson who owned an American dairy shop – “Mr. Lawson’s milk store”.
The Lawson Milk Company was established and later taken over by USA manufacturer Consolidated Foods Inc.
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13. Lawson Japan isn’t just convenience stores
Lawsons have many different business interests – it isn’t just convenience stores!
Did you know there is a Lawson United Cinemas? The newest 12 screen Lawson cinema Minatomirai opened in February 2024, and there are over 40 Lawson United Cinemas in Japan.
Lawson JP also operate the SEIJO ISHII supermarket chain plus have Lawson Bank, Lawson Travel (cheap flights and accommodation) and Lawson Entertainment in their portfolio.
14. They are trialling ‘Green Lawson’
First there was Lawson, then Lawson 100 followed by Natural Lawson – the latest Lawson fad? Welcome to Lawson Green, a new trial where a Natural Lawson in Tokyo’s Toshima City.
Green Lawson is a self-service store where there are no cashiers, just an avatar hosted shopping check-out (plus one member of staff in case of any queries or emergencies).
Green Lawson avatars are dressed in Lawson uniforms and there is a male or female avatar to engage with – speakers and motion detectors in the store encourage you to make purchases with some suggested things to buy. Kerching!
To encourage environmentally aware behaviour, there is also a foodbank and clothes recycling drop-off points in the trial store. Go green!
15. You can sleep overnight in Lawson
Well, not literally in the store as that would be weird but as of July 2025, you can now pay to park your car overnight in the parking lot and have a sleep – and just imagine all the amazing Lawson foods you’ll wake up to!
Cheaper than staying in a campsite, Lawson have now opened up some of their parking lots to shachuhaku.
Those travellers who prefer to sleep in their cars overnight instead of going to a hotel or taking a tent. P.S. shachuhaku translates as ‘sleeping overnight in a vehicle’.
But their is a catch – this is a trail scheme and currently only available at half a dozen Lawson convenience stores in in Chiba Prefecture – a wider rollout is expected in 2026.
16. Rural Lawson stores
Keep an eye out for some Lawson stores that have special branding and more inkeeping with their surroundings like this Lawson we spotted on Miyajima Island near Hiroshima.
In Japan’s areas of outstanding natural beauty and national parks, it is quite common for Japanese konbinis to have smaller signs or less colourful hoardings.
For instance, in National Parks, many 7-Eleven stores have black and white logos as opposed to the more familiar red and green signs.
We’ve also spotted black Lawson signs and logos in places like Kyoto and Kyushu.
17. Lawson AI Future Stores
In June 2025, Lawson opened its first ‘future’ store in Tokyo’s Takanawa Gateway City.
This clever Lawson Japan konbini has robots that stack shelves and also fry up the famous Lawson “Karaage-kun” chicken – all price labels are electronic and be updated remotely.
Avatars on screen can also check your age and advise on any promotional offers.
Is this the future of Lawson? Well as long as it involves fried chicken, we don’t mind!
Lawson Japan – our final Lawson fact and trivia
18. Many Lawson lines are limited edition…
…so buy them whilst you can. Competition is so fierce amongst the Japanese convenience stores that they often do collaborations with cartoon characters like Hello Kitty or Snoopy but these products don’t stick around forever.
As many of the stores themselves are so small, shelf space is at a premium so many limited edition goods come and go.
Over the years, Lawson have done limited edition promotions like a free furry Hello Kitty cup holder sleeve or Lawson Legend of Zelda lights. But they’ve all sold out very quickly so make sure if you see something cute or charming, buy it straight away (and just worry about the excess baggage at the airport).
Check out the Ultraman Themed 7-Eleven in Taiwan, on our sister site Taiwanderers.com >
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My son came to Japan in June and bought an umbrella, clear plastic with a chimchar handle he bought it from Lawson shop how do I get to buy one as he has lost his!
I am looking for a umbrella my son bought in Japan from Lawson shop
Clear plastic with chimchar handle
Do you know where I can buy one from to post to England