A three-way battle! Convenience Store Sandwiches “Eggs and lettuce” are the lifeline…FamilyMart specializes in eggs

The second national food after onigiri (rice ball)

Five years ago, a French reporter visiting Tokyo to cover the Tokyo Olympics was at a loss. Due to the effects of the new coronavirus, most restaurants were closed at night. In addition, eating out was prohibited for media personnel to prevent infection. This meant that they could neither relieve themselves from the fatigue of reporting nor enjoy Tokyo’s gourmet food.

With a downcast look on his face, he went to the convenience store in his lodgings and picked up an ordinary “egg sandwich. From his perspective as a French resident, it was less than 2 euros (about 360 yen). But then… The moment the moist bread and creamy egg melded in his mouth, he immediately fell in love with the egg sandwich. After that, he tried all kinds of sandwiches from convenience stores and posted them on SNS before returning to Japan.

These posts became a buzz, and “Tamago Sando” became a big topic of conversation. There are sandwiches made with eggs overseas, but the mainstream is vegetables and ham. Foreigners seem to be surprised by the “egg sandwich,” which is made with just one egg. After the Tokyo Olympics, I have the impression that convenience stores have started to put more effort into “egg sandwiches. It is not unusual for stores to have two rows of sandwiches, and when I visited the sandwich section of a Seven-Eleven convenience store in Shin-Osaka Station, which attracts many inbound customers, the entire shelf was filled with egg sandwiches,” said Shinji Taya, a convenience store researcher.

Of course, foreign tourists are not the only ones paying attention to convenience store sandwiches.

If onigiri is the number four hitter, sandwiches are the number three hitter. If onigiri is the number four hitter, sandwiches are the number three hitter. Sandwiches go well with salads, sweets, and coffee, and are easy to pick up. Many people say, ‘I’d rather have a sandwich than an onigiri because I can eat vegetables. I don’t think there is an absolute leader like tuna mayo in onigiri, but ‘egg sandwiches,’ ‘ham sandwiches,’ and ‘lettuce sandwiches’ are popular, and ‘mixed sandwiches’ that combine them are the most popular.

In other words, whoever controls “egg” and “lettuce,” which are the lifeline of a convenience store sandwich, controls the convenience store sandwich. FamilyMart specializes in one of these, the egg sandwich. With Shohei Otani (31) as its ambassador, one would think that the company would be focusing on onigiri (rice balls), but it is also showing a great deal of commitment to sandwiches. Bread cookery researcher Chikako Katayama tells us, “FamilyMart’s ‘rich and delicious’ sandwiches are a must-have.

I think FamilyMart’s ‘rich and delicious egg sandwich’ (298 yen) is the most complete among the three major convenience store chains. Two years ago, I compared the egg sandwiches of the three companies, and the amount of filling in the FamilyMart product was clearly greater than that of the other two companies. The bread was also moist and soft, with a unified taste. Today, Seven-Eleven and Lawson are continuing to evolve by increasing the amount of filling and improving the bread, but in my opinion, FamilyMart’s “Kokumami Tamago Sandwich” is still the best.

It’s a satisfying meal!

FamilyMart’s commitment to its “egg sandwiches” is considerable! Salad Chicken Roll” (430 yen), “Gorokorodate Tamago Sandwich” (398 yen), “Tamago & Shrimp Broccoli Sandwich” (375 yen), and “Tamagoyaki & Ham Sandwich” (348 yen).

The “Egg & Shrimp Broccoli Sandwich” is our top choice. The moist bread, creamy egg, and of course the plump shrimp are wonderful. The broccoli also adds a nice accent. The mayonnaise is not overpowering, and the overall taste is mild, like a delicatessen dish from a department store.

While FamilyMart’s “Tamago Sando” uses moist bread with a creamy filling, the bread of Lawson’s “Tamago Sando” (297 yen) has a texture that is more satisfying than moist, and the filling has a strong egg flavor. The “Gorotto Tamago Sando” (268 yen) also has bread ears, which are often cut off in other products, and the egg is also cut into large pieces.

Lawson’s “Tamago Sandwich” has a Japanese flavor with a little more dashi (soup stock) than other companies’ products. Lawson’s sandwiches are excellent in their use of mayonnaise. As you can see when you try the “Ham Sandwich” (343 yen), the sour spicy mayonnaise sauce balances the hearty ham and textured cucumber well,” says Mr. Taya.

Convenience Store Sandwiches”: Lawson’s Sandwiches are satisfying and a collaboration with a famous restaurant… Seven’s sandwiches feature original eggs and new technology.

From the March 27/April 3, 2026 issue of FRIDAY