7 Eleven Japanese Sandwich Line Up
7 Eleven Japanese Sandwich Line Up
Overview
In this episode of Only in Japan Go, host John Daub is joined by his friend Peter von Gomm and his son Leo for a deep dive into the world of Japanese convenience store sandwiches. Starting in Hibiya, Tokyo, the trio heads into a 7-Eleven to select a variety of sando (sandwiches) for a taste test. They navigate the aisles stealthily to pick out classics like Chicken Katsu Sando, Tamago (egg) sandwiches, and unique options like Bacon Egg and Cheese.
After securing their food and some collaborative 7-Eleven Suntory beers, the group relocates to film in front of the iconic Godzilla Head statue at Toho Cinemas in Shinjuku. Here, they unbox and review each item, discussing the quality, texture, and cultural nuances of Japanese convenience store food. The conversation touches on why Japanese sandwiches have their crusts removed, the ubiquity of egg salad sandwiches, and the creativity of Japanese chefs even in fast food settings.
This video serves as both a fun family vlog and a practical guide for travelers who might be hesitant to try traditional Japanese food. John emphasizes that convenience store sandwiches are a high-quality, affordable alternative to Western chains like McDonald's when visiting Japan with family. The episode highlights the hospitality and innovation found in even the smallest details of Japanese food culture.
Highlights
- 00:06 John introduces the episode in Hibiya with Peter and Leo.
- 02:39 The group enters the 7-Eleven to select sandwiches stealthily.
- 04:58 They finalize their sandwich lineup including Chicken Katsu and Bacon Egg Cheese.
- 09:59 Filming begins in front of the Godzilla Head statue in Shinjuku.
- 11:03 They toast with special 7-Eleven Suntory Premium Gold beers.
- 15:11 Peter reviews the Chicken Katsu Sando and its sweet tangy sauce.
- 17:18 Leo tries the Bacon Egg and Cheese sandwich.
- 22:31 Discussion on why Japanese sandwiches have no crusts.
- 26:21 Price reveal: Chicken Katsu Sando is 268 yen.
- 33:47 John explains why sandwiches are great for travelers avoiding sushi.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Intro in Hibiya
- 02:30 Shopping at 7-Eleven
- 08:55 Setup at Godzilla Head
- 11:00 Kanpai and Beer Tasting
- 13:00 Chicken Katsu Sando Review
- 17:00 Mixed Sandwich and Leo's Choice
- 22:00 Cultural Discussion: Crusts
- 28:00 Technical Discussion and Plugs
- 33:00 Final Thoughts and Outro
Japan Travel Tips
- Convenience Store Quality: Japanese convenience store (konbini) food is high quality, fresh, and safe to eat. It is not comparable to typical Western gas station food.
- Sandwiches for Kids: If traveling with children who are hesitant to try sushi or ramen, convenience store sandwiches are an excellent alternative. They are familiar yet distinctly Japanese in quality.
- Pricing: Sandwiches are affordable, typically ranging from 200 to 400 yen (approx. $2–$4 USD).
- Where to Buy: 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart all have excellent sandwich lineups. Train stations also have dedicated sandwich shops with boxed varieties.
- Etiquette: While filming inside stores is generally discouraged ("stealth mode" as John calls it), purchasing and eating outside is common. Dispose of trash properly using store bins.
- Best Time to Visit: Evening is great for a snack or light meal, but fresh items are restocked throughout the day.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Sando (サンド): The Japanese pronunciation of "sandwich." Often refers to soft white bread sandwiches with crusts removed.
- Katsu (カツ): A breaded and deep-fried cutlet, usually pork (tonkatsu) or chicken (chicken katsu).
- Kanpai (乾杯): The Japanese word for "Cheers" used when drinking.
- Otsukaresama (お疲れ様): A phrase meaning "thank you for your hard work," used here as a casual cheer among friends.
- Crust Removal: Japanese sandwiches typically have the crusts removed (mimi nashi). This is done to prioritize the soft texture and purity of the filling ingredients, though some foreigners prefer the crust for contrast.
- Shinkansen (新幹線): The bullet train, briefly spotted by John during the intro, symbolizing Tokyo's busy transport network.
Food & Drink Guide
- Chicken Katsu Sando (Chicken Cutlet Sandwich): 15:11. Breaded deep-fried chicken with tangy sauce. Price: 268 yen. John shares this with Leo.
- Tamago Ham Yasai Sando (Egg Ham Vegetable Sandwich): 17:18. A mixed sandwich featuring egg salad, ham, and lettuce. Known for rich, creamy egg filling.
- Bacon Egg and Cheese Sando: 19:26. Leo's choice. Features processed cheese and egg. Leo rates it "Good."
- Suntory Premium Gold Beer: 11:03. A 7-Eleven collaboration beer. John notes it is surprisingly good for a convenience store brew.
- Yakisoba Pan (Fried Noodle Bread): 05:33. Mentioned but not selected. A bun filled with stir-fried noodles.
- Cream Pan (Custard Bread): 05:33. Sweet bun filled with custard cream.
People
- John Daub: Host and creator of Only in Japan Go. American expat living in Japan for 30+ years. Guides the tasting and provides cultural context.
- Peter von Gomm: John's friend and fellow American expat. Known for his voice work (narration, Spring Man in Arms). Provides commentary and humor.
- Leo Daub: John's son. Referred to as "Joji/Georgie" in the original ASR transcript due to mishearing. Participates in the tasting and offers simple, honest reviews.
Key Takeaways
- Japanese convenience store sandwiches are an art form, offering high quality at low prices.
- The removal of crusts is a cultural preference for texture and ingredient purity.
- Egg salad sandwiches (tamago sando) are ubiquitous and consistently delicious across all chains.
- For travelers with picky eaters, konbini food is a better cultural immersion than American fast food chains.
- Creativity in Japanese food extends even to simple items like sandwiches and beer collaborations.
Notable Quotes
- 01:37 "Oh, the Shinkansen. Hold on. Shinkansen. Hey! Mr. Easily Distracted, Johnny D."
- 11:03 "Otsukaresama! Cheers, guys."
- 15:11 "It might sit around for a few days before it starts disintegrating, or if it ever does. But it's still smells really sweet."
- 17:18 "We're obligated to always show a positive, delicious face."
- 22:31 "By cutting off the crust, you're getting just the pure sandwich."
- 33:47 "I think a sandwich in Japan what it represents is it's like a challenge to a chef to take their cuisine... and condensing it into something that you can hold in your hand."
Related Topics
- Japanese Convenience Store Food Tours
- Tokyo Street Food
- Family Travel in Japan
- Peter von Gomm Voice Work
- Godzilla Head Shinjuku
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #tokyo #7-eleven #sandwich #japanese-food #convenience-store #hibiya #shinjuku #godzilla #john-daub #peter-von-gomm #leo-daub #taste-test #travel-japan #sando #katsu
Full Transcript
00:06 John Daub: Welcome to Hibiya, in the center of Tokyo. Hey everybody, I'm going to bring you the 7-Eleven lineup of sandwiches, which is right there. But I'm not going to do this alone. I have some people here to help with this sandwich lineup, tasting and unwrapping. I can't do this alone. And these two people that are going to help me are right here. There they are. We have Peter von Gomm. How do you do? And down there is Mr. Leo. Leo's in the house. So get down to Leo level, Peter. I can't stoop that low. Bring it down a level.
00:53 John Daub: In this episode, we're going to try three sandwiches from 7-Eleven Japan. The reason why is because Peter von Gomm and I, well, I made a video on Japanese sandwiches. And Peter added a little bit of condiment to it. I'm just joking, by using his voice and doing an excellent job voicing it over. So we want to take this a little bit further. Now, those sandwiches came from Tokyo Station, a lot of them did, where you can get them in boxes. And the array of sandwiches is incredible. However, we did show Pete bits and pieces from 7-Eleven, which is right over there. And that's still going to be our provider tonight for dinner. Or snack. Or is it good enough to be a complete meal?
01:37 John Daub: Oh, the Shinkansen (bullet train). Hold on. Shinkansen. Hey! Mr. Easily Distracted, Johnny D. Well, I mean, it was just going by. What am I supposed to do? They've seen Shinkansen before. Oh, you have? Have you? I'm sure. Uh, do you think they have the cream sando (sandwich)? Oh! Ooh! Leo, what are you? Alright, we're going to first give you our expectations. I'm going to go for this teriyaki chicken and egg sandwich. Okay. I'm going to see if they have it. Leo, what are you into? Well, we take a look. I don't think he knows what all the... Well, what do you want? What's your... I'm thinking like katsu sando. Yeah, 7-Eleven style. And Leo, you're looking at cream sandwich with fruits? Maybe. He's undecided. Alright, I will decide. He's not having a cream sando. Wow! Mr. Bad Uncle. Let's go. Alright, let's go inside. Technically, we're not allowed to film in here, but we're going to do it by stealth.
02:38 Peter von Gomm: Okay.
02:39 John Daub: Will Uncle John pay him? Yeah. Oh, I noticed he shows that he's giving money to me for posterity, because this is the... It never happens like this. He says, oh, I'll get you... He did. Because I'm holding the camera. Oh, okay. He always makes it too hard. Alright, just let's go in here. We're not allowed to film, so this is by stealth. Okay. Here we go. Leo, lead us.
03:11 John Daub: I need to go there, sir. It's over here. Okay. I'll go. Oh, wow. The sandwiches are very limited in scope. Well, yeah. But they do have one. You know what I'm going to do? They have the chicken... The variety. The variety pack. Oh. One for this one. Here you go. Leo, what do you think we want? Leo, what are you into? We've got another egg one here that's in it, like a submarine sandwich bun. That's true. Leo, you want this? This is the mixed sandwich, Leo. What? You want the mixed sandwich? He doesn't like mayonnaise. You don't like mayonnaise? He likes the looks of that one. Or do you want something with egg in it? Check this out, Leo. I want this. Tamago ham yasai no sandwich (egg ham vegetable sandwich). He gets to choose the biggest one. John's trying to steer him away from the big one. Oops. Sorry. Are you kidding me? Leo, can you eat that? That's like half your height. Leo, if you promise that you can eat that, I'll get that for you. What is it? Cheese? Cheese. Oh, check it out. Look at these burgers. This is the Cheesy Cheese Burger. Wow. Does that qualify as a sandwich, though? No. Not really. And they do have onigiri (rice balls) right here, but let's get this. Yeah. I'm not worried you're not getting onigiri. We're going to try this chicken katsu? Sure. All right. Chicken katsu. That's not a sandwich, Leo. That's a cheeseburger. That doesn't qualify. That's a sandwich. That's not a sandwich. Listen to the he, he, he. All right. Hold this, Peter.
04:57 Peter von Gomm: Okay.
04:58 John Daub: So here's what we got so far. And Leo, what are you into? And there's no fruit sandwich. I'm sorry. I already got that. I'll share this with you, Leo, if you can get another one. How about the bacon egg and cheese? Or the ham sando. The ham sandwich. This one has this. Okay. Bacon, egg, and cheese. That's pretty bizarre. Let's hold them up. Here's what we got. All right. Let's see your lineup here. Very cool. Awesome. And do we get drinks, Uncle John?
05:24 Peter von Gomm: Sure, sure, sure. What do you want?
05:33 John Daub: He doesn't need a drink. Could be. Yeah, just pick something, dude. Oh. And they do have the yakisoba pan (fried noodle bread). Leo, you want to try this? No, Leo said no. There's the corn potage (corn soup). Very good. Are you in a cream pan? Oh, but that's not a sandwich, Leo. Are you seriously starting to drink? Seriously. Okay. We're going someplace next. Oh. It's okay. Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay, go ahead. Get—should I get one too? Let's get one for me too. Yeah. A little tiny baby. You get a big one. No, okay. You want more money? No, that's okay. No, really, I think you've exceeded the budget. Let me get some for you. It's on coins. Penny American money, how's that getting there? Oh, is it anymore? Yeah, good. Yeah, you hungry? Yeah. All right, I never like filming guerrilla style. I don't know. All right, this should be out in a second.
08:06 John Daub: Guess she's carding him, making sure that they don't give it to Peter. All right, they don't give the beer to Leo. Maybe. Did you get it? All right, we're good. Oh. You got something. Did you get the jackpot? No, you lost, man, but you won some sandwiches. You scored some sandwiches, buddy. All right. Let's take this now to Godzilla. I think—have you seen the new Godzilla? Maybe we should hold up the sandwiches and take a picture for the thumbnail in front of Godzilla. No, in front of this 7-Eleven. Okay. All right. We'll be right back in one minute. Okay.
08:55 John Daub: We're live. We're back. Are we live? Yeah, we're back here. So we took a thumbnail here. If you guys want to take a thumbnail to here, Leo, hold up your sandwich for the people. This is my sandwich. My sandwich, it every—all right. Come on, man. All right, let's do this now. We're gonna unwrap it and uneat it or we're going to unbox it. Come on, city boy. See, got your dog. You want to do it here? Let's do it in front of Godzilla. All right. Hey, that's mine, buddy. Oh. Ten yen. Leo, here you go. No, don't eat that. Silly boy. Alright, so we're going to go in front of Godzilla and eat it. Have you seen it? It did shrink.
09:59 John Daub: Hey, everybody. So I think maybe we were having a little bit of technical difficulties because we were between some buildings, but now we're here in front of Godzilla. And this is a pretty cool statue, I think. And this is a brand new Godzilla that they put in about two months ago. And I was here in a live stream to bring the opening of this shopping mall. And this seems like the perfect place to do an unboxing, unwrapping with some Japanese sandwiches with Leo. Leo's in the house. Where'd daddy go? I mean, you have to keep him on a leash. You gotta put him on a leash, right, Leo? Yeah, yank the leash. Say, daddy! Yeah, bring it! Daddy, we're back on! We're yanking the leash. I got the food, I got the drinks. Alright, who's going? Okay, let's go do the kanpai (cheers) first, okay? Kanpai!
10:53 Peter von Gomm: Hey, now, that's not a word that you should know. Well, I guess I've never done that before.
11:03 John Daub: So maybe we should put this on top of the mailbox? I'm not sure. Where should we put this? This is not a tripod. Or inside the phone? Alright, let's do this. We'll do the kanpai and then we'll find a new place. Okay. So these are 7-Eleven special beers. I've never had this before. Suntory. It's a Suntory Premium Gold. It's a collaboration with 7-Eleven, it appears. Suntory Premium Gold. That sounded really nice. Alright, kanpai. Do it, man. Otsukaresama (thank you for your hard work)! Cheers, guys.
11:39 Peter von Gomm: Cheers. Otsukare. Kanpai.
11:42 John Daub: Well, well, TGIF. And well done on the narration. Thank you, thank you. Kanpai, kanpai, kanpai. That was a fun project. Was it fun? Has everybody seen it? I did a good job writing the script for Peter to read, didn't I? Mmm. I did, didn't I? Well, when things are well written, it makes narrating so much better. So much easier. And when things are well narrated, it makes editing so much better. Okay. It was a good joint project. That was fun. And those sandwiches, man, I love people's comments because they were genuinely hungry after watching that. It was so true and it was unending. There was like five minutes of sandwiches, one after another. Just when we thought it was over, another one popped up. I know, I know. One of my favorite comments was that the guy goes, five minutes into watching this, which is when he got to your part, he had to stop the video, go into the kitchen, make a sandwich, then come back and watch the rest of the episode. I thought that was pretty cool. And if you haven't seen this episode, I'm gonna put a link right here and you can check it out. It was a fun one. My favorite comment was from a guy who said, if Peter keeps narrating like that, they're gonna have to put this segment on one of the adult video channels. Oh, no. No. Really? I don't know. All right. It was pretty seductive.
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