I ate a lot 7/11 onigiri as a poor grad student exploring Tokyo on a long layover once... they're truly wonderful little stores. (They also are one of the few places you can use an ATM, very useful given how cash based Japan is)<p>He can be proud of the legacy he built, which is something many American founders cannot say with a straight face.<p>Rest in power sir.
The local stores in Japan and Taiwan are really nice. 7/11 and Family Mart are these pleasant places where you can see schoolchildren sitting chatting and eating. That’s not something you’d see in San Francisco.<p>You’ll see adults with children sometimes at Whole Foods, which is nice, but unattended children not so much.
On our last couple of Japan trips, we would walk into 7/11s for an inexpensive coffee, an egg or fruit sandwich, and also do some treasure-hunting for co-branded items with Muji/Uniqlo or others. It became a short and meaningful part of our routine. We loved the convenient locations and fantastic service at all their stores. Well done, Suzuki-san!
Having spent a significant amount of time in Japan, 7/11 there is an experience the rest of the world needs to know.
I wonder how 7/11 in the US will change now that the Japanese version bought out the US version. Will we actually have hot and prepared food like Japan? I doubt it, seems the supply chain infrastructure just isn't there.
It's been fully owned by the Japanese company for over 20 years
7/11 Japan has been running the stores in Hawaii for ages, just look there.
The waste generated is also a major challenge. Having fresh food always ready means trashing a lot of meals. In the US there are networks of food banks and such, but it can still be difficult to keep up with the flow of unpurchased food that is no longer fresh.
I was in 7/11 in the US and they sell egg sandwiches.<p>coincidence?
I learned today that 7/11 in Japan wasn't a pure licensing play but a technology enabled business model disruption of large grocery stores and mom-and-pop convenience stores. The launch of 7/11 Japan introduced: franchising, JIT inventory management, and centralized POS terminals to the Japanese retail market. The linked article explains this in more detail.
I almost never go to a 7/11 in the US but every time I go to Japan I visit a 7/11 at least once a day. No matter where you are in Japan there's likely a 7/11 within walking distance and besides the usual assortment of drinks and snacks you can get quick full meals there of high quality.<p><a href="https://thisis-japan.com/7-eleven-japan-guide-2025/" rel="nofollow">https://thisis-japan.com/7-eleven-japan-guide-2025/</a>
Alternate link: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/25/asia/711-japan-founder-dies-intl-hnk" rel="nofollow">https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/25/asia/711-japan-founder-dies-i...</a>
(<a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48263423">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48263423</a>)<p>NYT Obit <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/business/toshifumi-suzuki-dead.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/business/toshifumi-suzuki...</a>
Wondering if there's a better reference article for this. The current link goes to a page with so many adverts that I saw no actual content on my phone screen.