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I'm an American who visited 7-Eleven in Japan. I loved it, and a few things surprised me.

I'm an American who visited 7-Eleven in Japan. I loved it, and a few things surprised me.

Sarah Vincent

I can't wait to go back to Japan — when I do, I know my first stop will be 7-Eleven. Sarah Vincent

7-Elevens are on almost every street corner in Japan and are known for delicious, affordable food.
Most Japanese locations don't serve the iconic Slurpee, but they have other great drink options

In the US, I'd never go out of my way to visit a 7-Eleven for a meal. But when I was in Japan, 7-Eleven was one of my favorite places to grab a bite.

And it's largely because the Japanese convenience stores are a far cry from their American counterparts.

Known for delicious food and low prices, the chain is incredibly popular in Japan — and the island country has more 7-Elevens than anywhere else in the world.

I visited 7-Elevens across 11 cities in Japan. I loved the convenience and tasty offerings and a few things surprised me.

Most of the 7-Elevens in Japan don't have Slurpees …

Slurpees are hard to find in Japan. Sarah Vincent

Most 7-Elevens in Japan don't sell Slurpees, the chain's most iconic treat.

Although you can get a Slurpee at select locations, very few stores have the machine needed to make them.

Slurpees are so rare here that there are crowdsourced maps online marking where fans can go to get their fix.

… but you can make a fruit smoothie in the store.

Still, I missed the Coca-Cola Slurpees in the US. Sarah Vincent

Perhaps instead of Slurpees, Japanese 7-Elevens offer a less intense drink: freshly blended smoothies.

To make one, pick a cup of frozen fruit from the freezer, where options range from mango to strawberry-banana. After you pay, a machine blends the smoothie right into your cup.

Each smoothie only cost me about $2, which felt like a steal for a healthy pick-me-up.

I was able to rent phone-charger packs for a few bucks.

If your phone is dying, you no longer have to compete for the one working outlet at the coffee shop. Sarah Vincent

Many 7-Eleven locations in Japan have portable phone chargers you can borrow for a small fee.

Simply scan the QR code and pay online to unlock a charger pack. The best part is that each pack has built-in charging cords, so you don't need to carry wires with you to use it.

I haven't seen these in American 7-Elevens before, but it seemed nice not to worry about finding my way home with a dead phone.

The 7-Elevens also sell lots of liquor.

You can buy alcohol at 7-Eleven in Japan. Sarah Vincent

The 7-Elevens I visited in Japan sold a lot of alcohol — not just beer and wine. Some of the bottles were even special to 7-Eleven.

A 2-liter bottle of 7-Eleven-brand shochu, a Japanese liquor that typically has a 25% ABV, will only cost you about $11.80.

I also found some creative (and reasonably sized) alcoholic offerings, like a Jack Daniels Coke. It only cost me about $1.50 and it was delicious.

The selection impressed me extra because not all 7-Eleven locations in the US sell alcohol — and many that do mostly carry beer.

I found tons of seafood options that looked fresh and tasty.

I couldn't help but eye the packaged squid or the seafood pasta with scallops and shrimp when I stopped by. Sarah Vincent

American 7-Elevens don't sell much seafood except for maybe canned tuna. Even if they did, I probably wouldn't want to buy it.

But Japan is one of the biggest consumers of seafood in the world.

I was pleasantly surprised by the wide selection of seafood in its convenience stores — and how delicious it looked. Options ranged from rolls to noodle dishes.

The iced coffee drinks were delicious and so easy to customize.

You can make your own coffee concoctions in Japanese 7-Elevens. Sarah Vincent

Japanese 7-Elevens sell many bottled coffee brands, but the best iced coffee isn't premade.

In Japan, the chain's freezers have multiple shelves with cups of ice that you can bring to the coffee station to prepare your own iced drink just how you like it.

Bottled water was also super affordable.

Water bottles in the US are usually pricier. Sarah Vincent

I've never seen a water bottle in the US cost less than $1.

But at 7-Elevens in Japan, 2 whole liters of cold water cost me about 73 cents.

Plastic bottles aren't the most eco-friendly, but being able to guzzle as much cold water as humanly possible for under a dollar was a godsend on the hot days here.

The bakery sections were always filled with an impressive selection of original treats.

The bakery section of the 7-Eleven had tons of options. Sarah Vincent

Hungry for mushroom, mayo, and cheese bread? What about a mayonnaise and corn bun?

I was so impressed by the wide array of baked goods in every 7-Eleven I visited in Japan. The options went way beyond basic doughnuts.

The Japanese takes on popular American food looked particularly interesting to me. I was pleasantly surprised by the tasty pancake sandwich filled with margarine and syrup that I tried.