Japan is no doubt the land of convenience, with over 50,000 convenience stores nationwide offering ATMs, mailing, and printing services!
Whether you go to FamilyMart, Lawson, or the globally recognized 7-Eleven in Japan, you will always have access to incredibly convenient printing and scanning services! In fact, so cheap are these services that you can save money by not having to buy and maintain your own printer, toner, and paper at home.
Printing, Scanning & Photocopying!
There’s an abundance of services related to printing, scanning, and photocopying at Japan’s convenience stores.
What really makes it great is the printing options you have at your disposal, for example, you can print straight from your device, a USB memory stick, or even use their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth services!
Furthermore, you have the option of printing in color for 80 yen a page or in black and white for 10 yen a page, and there are even options for regular paper and “glossy” paper (sounds fancy, right?)
Easy To Use!
Even in the most remote convenience stores in Japan, these printers come with additional language settings including English, Chinese, and Korean.
Using the touchscreen, simply select what type of service you’d like (printing, scanning, etc.) and the method you wish to use (e.g. via USB, cable-to-device, etc.).
Finally, you can select the files you wish to print, the number of copies, and other factors such as dimensions, color, and type of paper used.
The final screen will prompt you to insert the required amount of cash. For me, this is typically a mere 10 yen coin straight into the slot!
Done & Dusted!
There you have it! Printing at Japanese convenience stores made easy.
If you are coming to live in Japan on a longer term basis like on a working holiday visa or student visa, then you will absolutely be using these services.
So whether you’re opening up a Japanese bank account or applying for a Japanese driver’s license, chances are you will need to provide hard copies of your identity documents and application forms.
Indeed, Japan is a country that holds onto older traditions while still embracing new ways of doing things, but paperwork is one of those things that isn’t quite out the door yet!
Of course, if you are planning to visit Japan, you’ll need a way to get around the country as efficiently and affordably as possible. Japan Rail provides an abundance of travel passes to suit your travel needs. So whether you are traveling individually or as a group, the JR Pass is every traveler’s go-to for getting around and making the most of your time in Japan!