Convenience store chain FamilyMart Co. plans to open over 3,000 new outlets in Japan over the three years through February 2016, focusing on areas where its presence is relatively low, company officials said.

FamilyMart plans to increase the number of outlets to over 100 each in 22 prefectures, including in Akita and Kochi, where it has a small number of stores.

The nation's third-largest convenience store chain has expanded outlets mainly in the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka metropolitan areas, and its total number of outlets in Japan was 9,320 as of the end of January.

FamilyMart had 12,651 outlets abroad, mainly in Asia, as of the end of January, and is seeking to increase the combined number of domestic and overseas outlets to 25,000 by next February.