KEY TAKEAWAY

• A day in the life of Michael Machida living and working in Japan from America

• Japanese convenience stores sell more than fast food like in America

• Japanese convenience stores are a one stop shop for just about anything you need

• Learn English with Michael's Travels Around Japan

• Learn Japanese With Akiko from Tokyo, Japan Japanese Lessons with TheJEGroup!

Michael Goes To A Japanese Convenience Store!

Daniel TJ International Correspondent Tokyo, Japan

Bento, Language Lessons, and a New Friend at the Neighborhood Konbini

I wasn’t planning to have a conversation that morning. Honestly, I was just hungry.

You know that feeling? You're standing in front of a shelf packed with more food than your stomach can even handle, and somehow it all looks good? That was me, staring down the wall of bento boxes like I was trying to solve a mystery. Fried chicken? Some kind of meat patty? Wait, what is the difference between karaage and menchi-katsu again?

And that’s when she stepped in.

“Good morning! Can I help you find something?”

I turned and saw her—Ayaka. She had this bright, easy smile like she genuinely enjoyed being there, and somehow that made me relax instantly. I laughed a little, honestly kind of relieved someone noticed my mental food spiral.

“Oh! Good morning. Thank you. I’m just trying to decide which bento to get. Everything looks so good.”

It kicked off from there. She started explaining the difference between the fried items—karaage (juicy fried chicken) and menchi-katsu (a softer, ground meat cutlet)—and just like that, I wasn’t in a rush anymore. The whole thing shifted from "grab lunch and go" to "huh, I might be making a new friend."

The Power of Small Conversations

As we talked, I learned Ayaka was studying English because she wanted to travel one day—maybe to Canada or Australia. I told her I was from the U.S. and still battling Japanese like it was the final boss in a video game. We laughed about kanji, how confusing convenience store tea labels can be, and how food is actually a great way to learn vocabulary.

She said, “If you like, I can tell you some Japanese words when you come.”
And without even thinking, I said, “That would be fantastic.”

I’m not kidding, that offer kind of made my whole week. A “mini Japanese lesson with lunch,” I called it.

She giggled and replied, “Bento and Nihongo setto!”

Boom—instant slogan.

She even took a moment to write out メンチカツ on a piece of packaging for me and explained how "katsu" comes from "katsuretsu," which is borrowed from the English word "cutlet." Mind blown. I’ve seen that word a hundred times and never thought about the etymology. And here I was, learning it from someone just trying to help a confused foreigner pick lunch.

This Is Why I Love Japan

These are the moments I don’t think people talk about enough when they imagine life in Japan. Everyone pictures the temples, the cherry blossoms, the crazy scramble in Shibuya. But honestly? The heart of it is in these tiny human interactions.

It’s being confused in a konbini and finding someone who wants to help you.

It’s sharing words and laughter with a stranger over bento and hōjicha.

It’s realizing that learning a language doesn’t always mean sitting in a classroom—it can happen at a lunch counter with someone who’s rooting for you.

Ayaka ended up bagging my menchi-katsu and okonomiyaki (because I couldn’t decide and she said okonomiyaki is “still good even cold”). She even helped me choose a roasted tea to go with it because “it’s good with fried food, not too strong.”

Before I left, I promised I’d be back—and we agreed to trade one word in English and one word in Japanese every time I visit.

“Today’s word in English: Cutlet,” I said.

She repeated it slowly, “Cut-let.”

And then she said, “In Japanese: Katsu.”

We smiled, shook on it like a silly language exchange club, and I walked out with way more than lunch in my bag. I had a new word, a warm moment, and the kind of reminder I didn’t even know I needed: that connection can happen anywhere—even in the refrigerated aisle.

So yeah, I’ll be going back soon.

Not just for the bento. For the conversation. For the smiles. For the feeling that, even in a big foreign city, you’re not as alone as you think.

Mata ne, Ayaka-san. Looking forward to our next word.

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