Mini Stop

Which Japanese convenience store has the best salted onigiri rice balls?

A surprising new-and-improved contender from Lawson might just steal your heart this year.

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Deep-fried delight – Taste testing the menchi katsu from four Japanese convenience store chains

Four chains, five cutlets, and one very full stomach.

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The difference between onigiri rice balls in Tokyo and Osaka

There’s a reason why this convenience store staple tastes different in these regions. 

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Japan’s Mini Stop rolls out “Addictive Kitchen” hash browns to satisfy Japan’s “potato refugees”

McDonald’s Japan potato shortage continues to be an opportunity for competitors using local growers.

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Which Japanese convenience store has the best plain onigiri rice balls?

Lawson, 7-Eleven and Family Mart go head-to-head in this konbini battle but there can only be one winner.

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Which Japanese convenience store has the best premium pork buns?

This steaming hot showdown between Family Mart, Lawson and 7-Eleven produces a very surprising result.

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Which Japanese convenience store has the best steamed curry buns?【Taste test】

Family Mart? 7-Eleven? Or a dark horse contender? Join us on this steaming hot konbini odyssey.

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Which Japanese convenience store sells the best pizza bun?【Taste test】

Lawson, Family Mart, 7-Eleven and Mini Stop are all in the running for the top spot.  

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Which Japanese convenience store has the best steamed pork buns?【Taste test】

We visit Japan’s big three combini, plus one dark horse contender, on our search for nikuman bliss.

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Got a sweet tooth? Here are our reporters’ favorite new-release convenience store desserts

Try one of these seven tasty treats the next time you have a sweets craving!

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Convenience store Mini Stop’s new Gyoza Dog is must-try for all Gyoza fans! 【Taste test】

With all the flavors of a pot sticker in the perfect portion size, you can’t go wrong with the Gyoza Dog!

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It’s a Japanese boxed lunch in the palm of your hand with the new bento rice ball

Convenience store’s deluxe onigiri is a bento boxed lunch you can eat with one hand.

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No more porn–Japanese convenience store chain to phase out adult magazine sales by end of year

New policy follows increased complaints from female shoppers.

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Transform your bottle of tea into Sailor Senshi with these cool Sailor Moon covers from Mini Stop

Heat and humidity are as much a part of a Japanese summer as festivals and fireworks. With the threat of dehydration always looming, it’s a smart idea to always carry a cool, rehydrating beverage with you, but if you’re sweating profusely, you can bet the plastic bottle your drink is in is doing likewise.

To keep the rest of the contents of your bag from getting damp, you could wrap the bottle in a hand towel. A more effective alternative, though, is to slip a specially designed cover over it, and if you’re going that route, why not use one of these cool Sailor Moon costume covers that you can get for free with a bottle of Japanese tea at Mini Stop convenience stores?

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Get Your Dragon Ball Hair Fries at a Mini Stop Store Near You!

In perhaps the most genius use of french fries we’ve seen in years, Japanese convenience store chain Mini Stop has begun selling a number of Dragon Ball-themed sweets and fried foods as part of a promotion for upcoming movie Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods.

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