I'm an American who visited 7-Eleven in Japan, and it totally blew US convenience stores out of the water

Before I moved from the US to Okinawa, Japan, I'd heard about the country's vibrant culture, futuristic technology, and incredible cuisine. However, I didn't expect that I'd be regularly going to the local 7-Eleven to satisfy my breakfast, lunch, and dinner cravings.

The Texas-based convenience-store chain has thousands of brick-and-mortar shops around the world, and many have their own unique spin on the brand.

Even though the stores in Japan look familiar on the outside, they offer a shopping experience that's drastically different from the one I'm used to having at US convenience stores.

As soon as I stepped inside the 7-Eleven — also referred to as a konbini, the Japanese word for convenience store — in Okinawa, I knew that it was eons ahead of the stores I've been to in the US.

Here's what it's like, from an American's perspective.

Like most 7-Elevens around the world, the Japanese locations I've visited are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. But here, they have so much more to offer than just drinks and snacks.

They're often equipped with ATMs, printers, copiers, and fax machines. Many also sell office supplies.

As an added bonus, in my experience, the restrooms inside are usually very clean and even include bidets.

If you snag your nylons or stain your shirt near a 7-Eleven in Japan, you're in luck. The stores carry everything from tights to hair gel to shirts to shampoos and conditioners.

You can also buy toilet paper and cleaning supplies here.

From what I've seen, the 7-Elevens in Japan have decent alcohol selections. Customers can even get an individual alcoholic drink in a container that looks like a juice box.

I also found drinks, pills, and powders near the vitamin supplements and protein gels that are supposed to act as over-the-counter remedies for hangover symptoms.

In the US, I've found that many convenience stores sell fairly basic and just-fine foods, like hot dogs or soggy pizza slices, that I don't go out of my way to eat. You won't just find typical gas-station food here.

In Japan, the 7-Elevens' wide variety of delicious food attracts locals and tourists alike.

The stores have fresh-tasting, high-quality snacks and meals. What's more, they come at a very affordable price.

If I went to 7-Eleven for a breakfast on the go, I wouldn't be able to turn down a package of maple-and-margarine pancakes, which can be served hot at the store. I'd pair them with fruit-flavored yogurt and juice, instant coffee, tea, or milk.

Many coffee drinkers swear by 7-Elevens' freshly brewed coffees and lattes, saying they're comparable in quality to drinks served at popular coffee shops. The beverages are also very cheap at 7-Eleven, with options starting at roughly $0.75.

Almost an entire aisle of my local 7-Eleven is occupied by different types of dry ramen. On the other side, there's ready-to-eat rice and curry.

The only thing you need to do to prepare the dishes is to heat them up in the microwave.

The 7-Eleven has a section of little seasoning bottles, dressings, and sauces.

I also thought it was interesting how the store sold squishy bottles of mayonnaise and ketchup in plastic bags. In the US, they come in firmer plastic bottles.

Onigiri is one of the first things you should try from 7-Eleven.

The popular snack is a rice ball wrapped in seaweed and filled with minced chicken, beef, mayonnaise, or tuna, the latter of which is my favorite.

This perfectly sized snack costs just a little more than $1.

For just over $2, you can get a 7-Eleven sando, which is a crustless sandwich on delicate white bread. The store sells a wide range of options.

The egg salad sandwich is probably the most popular, and it's also the one I recommend trying. Aside from standard options, like ham or turkey topped with lettuce and cheese, other sandwich offerings include pork cutlets and chicken teriyaki with egg.

If you want something sweet, the 7-Elevens here also offer fruit-and-cream sandwiches with fillings that rotate based on the season.

The strawberry-and-cream one is particularly mouthwatering, and I recommend pairing it with sweet and salty lemon chips and royal milk tea, a popular drink usually made with Assam or Darjeeling tea leaves.

Bento is a portable lunch, and the 7-Elevens in Japan have a huge assortment of them to choose from. If you're looking for an affordable meal on the go, a boxed bento meal is the perfect option.

The 7-Elevens here have curry, ramen, soba noodles, and rice bento boxes topped with eggs, tofu, chicken, and beef cutlets.

Cashiers even ask customers if they want to heat up their bento boxes when they check out so that their meal is hot and ready to eat when they leave.

You can't leave 7-Eleven here without trying one of the light meals on display by the register.

The fried chicken is a wildly popular food item, and rightfully so. I also love the corn dog, which comes with a small plastic container of ketchup and mustard.

Both the fried chicken and the corndog are just around $1, a price that's hard to beat.

Shoppers with a sweet tooth can pick between pudding, pastries, cakes, candy, and ice cream galore. The stores also have an impressive frozen-dessert section.

Coolish, "drinkable" ice cream in a pouch, is a popular choice and one of my favorites. When you live on a very hot, tropical island like Okinawa, Coolish is an easy, mess-free treat to get on the go.

If ice cream isn't your dessert of choice, you'll still have plenty of options.

I recommend trying one of Japan's special KitKat flavors, like salt lemon. Or, you can opt for a slice of cookie-crusted cheesecake or a rich piece of chocolate cake, which is surprisingly gooey and moist for a packaged pastry.

When I need a break from 7-Eleven's desserts and fried foods, I can find plenty of fresh-tasting, healthy options a couple of aisles over.

For less than $4, I can buy a crisp salad loaded with toppings. The greens would go well with one of the store's bags of mixed fruit and a cold lemon soda.

In the store's bakery section, you'll find sweet and savory breads and other baked goods.

I also noticed that the 7-Elevens here sell a room-temperature sausage sandwiched between a bun with corn and mayonnaise on it.

I like that the 7-Elevens here offer pieces of meat and fish that are packaged individually and already seasoned.

You can really customize your meal by adding the protein to rice, lettuce, or noodles.

I can always count on my store runs here to be an adventure that exposes me to new foods and flavors.

Although many of the snacks and foods I find here are popular in Japan and other areas, they're still new to me as an American. But hopefully in no time I'll be venturing out of my comfort zone to try my local 7-Eleven's packaged quail eggs or smoked squid.

Whether I'm picking up my favorite treats, trying to make a copy, or grabbing a quick lunch, the convenience stores in Japan are a great place to do it.

The 7-Elevens here definitely seem much cooler and more convenient than the ones back home in the US.