The world may be trying to go paperless, but in Japan, things are decisively paper-more. Despite the country’s high-tech image, paper is still king in many areas of life here. It’s why so many Japanese households have printers. It makes it so much easier to, say, create your own nengajo (New Year’s cards). So, if the large printer-slash-copy machines tucked away in corners at most Japanese konbini (convenience stores) could only, well, print and copy, they probably would’ve died out a long time ago. But they have managed to hold on all this time because they are capable of so much more.
Japan’s Enduring Paper Culture
Japan’s love affair with paper runs deep, from traditional washi paper crafts to the modern-day bureaucracy that still heavily relies on physical documents and hanko (personal stamps). While the country may be known for robots and bullet trains, many aspects of daily life still depend on tangible paperwork.
This cultural preference for physical documentation explains why the multifunction printers found in Japanese convenience stores have evolved to offer such a wide range of services. These machines serve as a crucial bridge between the digital and analog worlds, allowing residents and visitors to transform virtual files into something they can hold in their hands.
a picture of a japanese convenience store printer…that has been printed from a japanese convenience store printer
Personal Services: Making Digital Content Tangible
Photo Printing and Smartphone-to-Paper Options
The multifunction printer-slash-copy machines you’ll find at convenience stores admittedly can’t out-tech a smartphone, but they can add an extra sense to everything your pocket computer offers. Printing out photos that can be touched and framed (and cannot be hacked, something of increasing importance these days) might seem like a little thing. After all, you can also do this on your home printer — though you do need the right kind of printer, and sometimes special ink cartridges, plus photo paper to do it correctly. Stopping by a konbini and using the very simple PrintSmash app (Lawson, FamilyMart and Ministop) or Kantan Netprint app (7-Eleven) to quickly make your photos physical is an underrated service offered by Japanese convenience stores.
You can also print out calendars with a photo of your choice for either hanging on the wall or folding into a standing shape using premade templates (up to six at most major convenience stores). These work great in spaces where you wouldn’t necessarily want electronics, like bathrooms or kitchens, but you can also look at them as one-of-a-kind decorations that don’t require batteries or charging. And unlike in custom print shops, you don’t need to order a minimum of 100.
The same goes for poster printouts or the function that can turn any uploaded files into stickers — great not just for ornamentation purposes but also to help you organize things or as a quick, custom-made gift for people with kids who don’t have strong attachments to empty surfaces in their homes.
a bromide photograph printed from a japanese printer
Essential Official Services
Obtaining Juminhyo and Other Official Documents
Most konbini multifunction copiers offer an Official Documents service that allows local residents to obtain various certificates using their My Number cards. This usually only works at stores physically located within the jurisdiction of your ward or city office, and the documents available to print differ from city to city, but generally include the ever-important juminhyo (certificate of residence). Juminhyo have a ton of uses, like applying to schools or for various credentials, and are often required from new hires at Japanese companies. Some institutions can get that information directly from a My Number card, but the vast majority still require a physical printout of the certificate, and lines for the multifunction copiers at konbini are usually much shorter than those at the municipal office.
You can also get things like koseki shomeisho (family register certificates) and the like at the machines. Just be sure to note that, as the service is connected to the local municipal office, documents can only be obtained within specific hours (like from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.), and those hours will vary depending on the municipality.
At FamilyMart multifunction copy machines, you can also pay for bike insurance, and nearly every konbini lets you pay for online shopping for sites like Amazon and Rakuten, or to settle fees for things like the Japanese Language Proficiency Test.
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Unique and Unexpected Features
Historical Newspaper Front Pages
Would you like the front page of a major Japanese newspaper from any date, like, say, your birthday? Konbini multifunction copiers can get that for you. At Lawson, you have to select Other Contents and then find the newspaper printout function that’ll allow you to choose a date and one of six papers that the machines have access to, including The Japan Times, The Asahi Shimbun and The Yomiuri Shimbun. It’s still a fairly obscure function of convenience stores, but a few people on social media have been spreading the word, usually to tons of replies all saying some variation of “I want one, too!”
Bromide and Collectible Printing Services
Or how about some bromide? Not the chemical compound but the collectible photographs. They originated in the late 19th century and initially featured famous singers, geisha, sumo wrestlers and other celebrities of the day. They’re still around and a big part of Japanese fandom culture. Their variety is staggering; from athletes to anime characters to YouTubers to pretty obscure manga characters, you can collect and trade all sorts of bromides available exclusively through konbini multifunction copiers.
Entertainment Options
You can also get humorous parody stickers for upcoming and past holidays — like one saying “Overwhelming Mom” for Mother’s Day. If you don’t have your phone and want to kill some time, you can also print out puzzles, sudoku or connect-the-dot games. Need to settle a music-related bet, perhaps? Sheet music and song lyrics are also available to print.
Store-Specific Differences and Navigation Tips
Each convenience store chain has its own version of these multifunction printers, with slight variations in available services and user interface. 7-Eleven machines use the Kantan Netprint system, while Lawson, FamilyMart, and Ministop share the PrintSmash platform, though each may offer unique services not found at competitors.
Most machines feature touchscreen interfaces with multiple language options, including English, making them accessible to non-Japanese speakers. Prices are reasonable and clearly displayed before printing, with most services costing between ¥30 and ¥200 per page, depending on the type of service and paper quality.
When all is said and done, the multifunctional printer-slash-copy machines found at konbini aren’t nearly as versatile as smartphones — but there is something to be said for things you can hold in your hands. In that regard, the convenience store machines are beyond convenient.
