When you walk into Amami Mart, a tiny shop in Leichhardt, you’re immediately surrounded by the unmistakable, unassuming charm of Japan’s convenience stores: neatly stacked shelves laden with ready-made meals, snacks and kawaii drinks, signposted with hand-written labels. Naturally, you’d assume its owner is Japanese. But a few minutes into chatting with Broadsheet, owner Will (who prefers to go by her first name) reveals she’s from Hong Kong.

Will’s fondness for Japan and its culture started as a childhood fascination, first with anime, then manga. That curiosity led her to Japan, where she spent five years studying, immersing herself in the language and wholeheartedly embracing konbini – Japan’s convenience stores, known for their affordable, grab-and-go meals.

Moving Down Under, Will missed that level of convenience. Determined to bring a slice of konbini culture to Sydney, she opened Amami Mart – named after the World Heritage-listed Amami-Oshima Island, where she briefly lived – two years ago.

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“Living in Australia doesn’t feel convenient,” she tells Broadsheet. “Sometimes you’re feeling lazy, so we have frozen and healthy food here that people can buy and microwave anytime. In Japan, everything can be microwaved and still taste good.”

Amami Mart’s shelves are stocked with an assortment of Japanese snacks, confectionery and pantry picks. There are matcha Kit Kats, Pokemon-shaped gummy lollies and black sesame candies, ramen chips and loaves of the lauded Pasco Chojuku shokupan – a classic konbini staple. Plus, you’ll find unique wellness drinks like Ukon no Chikara, a shot-sized, turmeric-powered tonic marketed as a hangover-buster, and a selection of non-alcoholic fermented rice drinks.

But the real magic here is Amami Mart’s ready-made meals. Will makes a range of onigiri fresh daily, with fillings like pork tonkatsu, teriyaki chicken, grilled salted salmon and tuna mayo. There are also steamed buns available in pork, chicken or veg, a selection of instant cup noodles and world-renowned Hokkaido milk soft-serve (which can be topped with matcha powder).

For those who want to enjoy their food on the spot, there’s a small seating area by the front of the store. “Sometimes people want to eat quick,” Will says. Want a hot meal? Just ask Will to zap the dish in the store’s microwave and dine-in. The bestseller is the creamy crab croquette, but there are also unagi bento boxes, golden takoyaki and crumbed prawns.

Beyond snacks and quick meals, Amami Mart stocks pantry staples like sauces, frozen Wagyu steaks and Hello Kitty-shaped pasta. Plus kitchenware like delightful fish-shaped taiyaki moulds, takoyaki pans, hibachi grills and matcha whisks. Will regularly shares quick meal ideas on social media, showcasing easy recipes – like a mackerel bento box – made with ingredients from the store.

“People think if they want Japanese food, they have to go to a restaurant, but we want to give them ready-made meals, so it’s very easy for them to have Japanese food at home.”

Since opening, Will’s also been pleasantly surprised by how keen her customers are to cook Japanese dishes at home from scratch – even if it’s a little less convenient. Amami’s a locally adored, unassuming stop on Norton Street, and it deserves more than one visit.

Amami Mart
16 Norton Street, Leichhardt
0424 474 746

Hours:
Mon to Sat 10am–7pm
Sun 10am–5pm

@amamimart