How foreign workers became an essential part of Japan’s ubiquitous konbini

COMMUNITY

How foreign workers became an essential part of Japan’s ubiquitous konbini

Myanmar national Nyan Linn, who works at a Lawson outlet in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward, is one of over 110,000 foreign workers employed by Japan's three largest convenience store chains. | Johan Brooks

By Yumi Wijers-Hasegawa
Contributing writer

Jul 26, 2026

The number of foreign workers in Japan has risen dramatically over the past several years, and perhaps nowhere is this more visible than at the nation’s ubiquitous konbini.

In 2025, major convenience store chains 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart together employed over 110,000 foreign workers out of their combined 800,000 part-time workforce.

However, what stands out for hiring managers and trainers is not just the number of applicants they’ve hired, but the high quality of their work. Despite the fact that most are relatively new to Japan, konbini officials say foreign staff routinely display impressive customer service skills and have an excellent command of the language.