Major Japanese convenience store chains to stop selling pornography ahead of Rugby World Cup

Japanese convenience stores are a treasure trove of goodies! You can find nearly anything — from food to cosmetics and even limited-edition anime merch. However, it’s going to be a lot harder to find adult magazines.

7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart have all announced that they will be pulling porno magazines from racks. The three major chains cite a combination of a diversified clientele, increased tourists ahead of the Olympics, and falling sales.

In the past, most shoppers at convenience stores have been young men, but that’s been changing. Women, children, and the elderly have become important shoppers and the chains don’t want to alienate them. Since most porn is made for young male audiences, it can leave a sour experience for others — plus any possible litigation if a child were to walk out with any nudes.

7-Eleven also issued a statement that it wants to clean up Japan’s image before the 2020 Olympics commence. It’s not uncommon for host countries to “remove” taboo materials in an attempt to not offend visiting athletes and tourists.

But the main reason has to do with money — or the lack of. 7-Eleven stated that porn sales make up less than one percent of their revenues and are not worth the cost. Hobby magazines and manga anthologies outpace adult magazine sales, largely due to the internet. Lawson and FamilyMart shared similar sentiments.

The corporate offices hope to have all adult magazines pulled by this August, but left some wiggle room for individual franchisees. Individual stores have different circumstances, so franchisees can still sell adult magazines if they are important to their bottom line, but they will have to put in orders themselves.

While it seems like a major change, most convenience stores have been quietly pulling adult magazines from their shelves.