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About a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, convenience stores operated by Japan’s three largest chains reopened at a rapid pace after temporary closures.<\/p>\n
Selling food, water, and other daily necessities, convenience stores are an essential lifeline for evacuees. They are also helping deliver emergency supplies to disaster-hit communities facing shortages.<\/p>\n
At the height of the disruption, about 200 stores operated by Seven-Eleven Japan, FamilyMart, and Lawson were temporarily closed because of earthquake damage.<\/p>\n
Beginning July 29, the day after the quake, all three companies dispatched headquarters staff to affected stores across Kumamoto to clear away broken bottles, fallen merchandise, and other debris so the stores could reopen as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
Rapid Reopening Effort<\/p>\n
FamilyMart and Lawson had reopened all temporarily closed stores by August 3. As of August 4, Seven-Eleven had reduced the number of closed stores to just 15, with only the most heavily damaged locations still unable to resume operations.<\/p>\n
“Even if shelves aren’t fully stocked, customers feel reassured simply by seeing the store open,” Lawson President Sadanobu Takemasu told reporters in Tokyo on August 4. “Opening our stores is our first responsibility during a disaster.”<\/p>\n
Getting stores back in business, however, is only part of the challenge. Damaged roads have disrupted distribution networks, forcing delivery trucks to take lengthy detours.<\/p>\n
Some roads remain restricted to emergency vehicles involved in disaster recovery, preventing commercial deliveries from reaching affected areas.<\/p>\n
To keep products flowing, Seven-Eleven has increased the number of delivery vehicles to offset longer travel times. <\/p>\n
FamilyMart is routing deliveries through neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture, while Lawson has temporarily secured an additional distribution center to meet increased demand for food and is shipping larger-than-usual volumes of goods to affected areas.<\/p>\n
Relief Efforts and Free Services<\/p>\n
The three companies have also stepped up their disaster relief efforts. Since July 29, they have accepted donations for affected municipalities at stores nationwide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They are also sending emergency supplies\u2014including bottled water, tea, bread, instant noodles, and rice balls\u2014to disaster-hit communities.<\/p>\n
For a limited time, all three chains are offering free smartphone charging at selected stores in Kumamoto Prefecture. Seven-Eleven and FamilyMart have also made electric vehicle charging stations at some Kumamoto stores available free of charge.<\/p>\n
Author: Suguru Kojima<\/a>, The Sankei Shimbun<\/p>\n \u3053\u306e\u30da\u30fc\u30b8\u3092 <\/p>\n
\n![\"Japan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1786095445_220_japan-2-earth-masthead-v2.jpg\")
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