Japanese convenience store FamilyMart makes its sandwiches better inside and out

Tasty Japanese sandwiches

If you've ever been to Japan, you've probably seen them: tasty-looking sandwiches made with fluffy white shokupan milk bread, usually on the slim side compared to their Western counterparts, crusts removed and shaped into perfect triangles. Whether it's a BLT, a tuna salad sandwich, an egg salad sandwich, or a ham and cheese sandwich, they're a common sight in convenience stores. During a certain famous international sporting event held in Tokyo last year, some reporters couldn't stop raving about them.

FamilyMart's better sandwiches

As many residents and visitors to Japan already know, FamilyMart has a great selection of sandwiches. But now, their sandwiches are getting even better, in more ways than one.

FamilyMart Co., Ltd. has just announced it is making two important changes. To begin with, they've introduced a new packaging material as part of their "Famima eco Vision 2050" initiative, which will reduce the amount of plastic used by approximately 12 tons per year. Second, they've updated their sandwich lineup of popular standard sandwiches such as its "egg salad sandwich" and introduced a new "morning sandwich." These new sandwiches are now available at approximately 16,200 FamilyMart stores nationwide, excluding Okinawa Prefecture.

New packaging

Since April 2020, FamilyMart has been reducing the amount of petroleum-based plastic used in sandwich packaging by making the header 12.5% thinner and smaller than previous products. This initiative is now being applied to their sandwiches, changing the header of the sandwich wrapping material from a square to a trapezoidal shape and reducing the height.

(Left): Old package (Right) New package.

Updated sandwich lineup

Egg salad

Name: たまごサンド Egg (salad)
Price: 212 JPY plus tax
Update: The egg salad has been improved with a richer, more flavorful taste. In addition, the sandwich now features 25% more egg salad for a plumper, more satisfying sandwich.

Mix (assorted)

Name: ミックスサンド Mix (assorted)
Price: 239 JPY plus tax
Update: This combines a ham and egg salad sandwich, a ham, lettuce, and cheese sandwich, and a tuna salad sandwich featuring tun salad seasoned with vinegar and broth. The egg salad in the egg sandwich has been updated with a richer, more flavorful taste.

Tuna salad and egg

Name: ツナたまごサンド Tuna salad and egg salad
Price: 221 JPY plus tax
Update: The tuna salad is seasoned with vinegar and broth and blended with onion salad. The egg sandwich features boiled eggs and FamilyMart's updated, tastier egg salad.

Ham, cheese and egg

Name: ハムチーズたまごサンド Ham, cheese and egg
Price: 230 JPY plus tax
Update: This sandwich contains pork ham, cheddar cheese, egg salad and boiled egg, seasoned with a vinegar mayo sauce. Of course, the egg salad is FamilyMart's tastier, updated version.

New "Morning Sandwich"

Name: ハムチーズたまごサンド Ham, cheese and egg
Price: 184 JPY plus tax
Each of these sandwiches offers four different flavors: croquette, egg salad, ham and cheese, and tuna salad.

More eco-friendly spoons and forks

FamilyMart introduced lightweight spoons with perforated handles in May 2021 and they're currently available at stores nationwide. The forks with perforated handles were introduced in some areas beginning in January 2022, and will be available in all stores by this summer. Compared to conventional plastic forks and spoons, they use approximately 12% and 8% less plastic, respectively, and are expected to reduce plastic by approximately 87 tons annually.

By - grape Japan editorial staff.