Are you interested in Japanese supermarket?
If so, you’re in for a treat! Japanese supermarkets are more than just places to buy groceries; they are cultural hubs, offering a fascinating glimpse into daily life in Japan. From the vibrant produce sections filled with seasonal fruits and vegetables to the aisles of unique snacks and ready-made meals, there’s so much to discover. Whether you’re a foodie, a culture enthusiast, or simply curious, let’s dive into the delightful world of Japanese supermarkets together!
Table of Contents:
Discovering Food Culture in Japanese Supermarkets
You often see scenes like the one in the photo, with vegetables and fruits displayed at the entrance of supermarkets in Japan.
Let’s grab a basket and head into the store.
As soon as you enter the store, the first thing you notice is the bananas. Many supermarkets place bananas at the entrance.
There is a wide variety, with five different kinds of bananas.
Fruits such as bananas from the Philippines and pineapples from Taiwan are common imported products. Depending on the season, Japan-grown fruits like strawberries, peaches, and Muscat grapes are also available.
There’s also a wide variety of tofu and udon, including tofu specifically for hot pots. Tofu for hot pots is often seen during the winter, which is hot pot season.
Tofu is known for being rich in nutrients and a healthy food option. Since it is low in calories and high in protein, it often appears on the dining table every day. I frequently add it to miso soup, but I also enjoy eating it with green onions on top and a splash of ponzu sauce, or using it in dishes like mapo tofu or simmered tofu with meat. Additionally, I sometimes replace meat with tofu to make tofu hamburg stakes, making it a very health-conscious ingredient.
You can find individual packs of squid, shrimp, amberjack, horse mackerel, and more, as well as packs with a variety of different types of sushi. There are also nori rolls and seafood rice bowls available.
In my case, on weekdays when I don’t have the energy to cook dinner, I sometimes buy sushi to take home. Additionally, when I have gatherings with friends or family, I often buy sushi as the main dish. It’s a little treat.
They come in packs, so you can enjoy them at cherry blossom viewings, picnics, or even at the park.
Here is the fresh fish section. There is a kitchen in the back where they can prepare the fish for you on the spot. You can find fish for sashimi, fish for hot pots, and more.
This is the dashi (soup stock) section. Recently, quick and easy cooking using mentsuyu has become popular in Japan. Mentsuyu was originally used as a dipping sauce or broth for udon and soba noodles, but nowadays, it is widely utilized as a versatile seasoning. It can be added to stir-fried dishes for flavor, incorporated into tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet), or used in takikomi gohan (seasoned rice).
There is a wide variety of soy sauce available, and the sizes range from large bottles to small ones.
Koikuchi soy sauce and Usukuchi soy sauce are two common types of Japanese soy sauce.
Koikuchi soy sauce is the most widely used soy sauce in Japan. It is darker and richer in flavor, with a strong umami taste, making it highly versatile. It is commonly used for general cooking, seasoning, and dipping. This type of soy sauce is ideal for dishes where a bold flavor is desired, such as teriyaki or as a dip for sashimi.
Usukuchi soy sauce, on the other hand, is lighter in color but actually saltier than Koikuchi. It is often used in Kansai-style cooking, where preserving the color of ingredients is important. This makes it ideal for soups and simmered dishes, as its lighter appearance enhances the presentation while still adding depth of flavor.
Convenient Online Supermarkets
It’s a service where you can order groceries and daily necessities online and have them delivered to your home. It’s very convenient on days when you don’t have time to go to the supermarket, don’t want to carry heavy items, or when it’s raining. It’s especially popular among working families and the elderly.
You can select products on your smartphone, specify the time and date, and have them delivered as quickly as the same day.
Some Reasons Why It’s Convenient
- You can shop while working remotely.
- You can schedule delivery for a specific time.
- While shopping, you can check the ingredients you already have at home, reducing unnecessary purchases.
- It saves time and effort by eliminating the need to go to the store.
What I Bought from an Online Supermarket
It’s the middle of the week, Wednesday. Since it was raining and I wanted to buy rice and water, I decided to place an order through an online supermarket. The night before, I scheduled a delivery for around noon the next day, and they delivered it right on time.
I’m so grateful for it!
So much stuff!
It would be hard to carry all of this on a bicycle by myself, so it’s really a big help. The items are neatly packed into bags for frozen, refrigerated, and room-temperature products, which feels very typically Japanese. I also reuse the bags as shopping bags or trash bags.
If there’s even a slight chance they might be late for the scheduled time, the driver will take the trouble to call you. It’s truly an excellent service.
As for packaging, eggs are wrapped in cushioning materials to prevent them from breaking, and mushrooms and vegetables are often sold individually packed. While this can feel like excessive packaging compared to other countries, efforts are made to be environmentally conscious by washing packaging materials, placing them in recycling boxes available at supermarkets, and carefully sorting waste.
Here are today’s purchases!
I bought 5 kilograms of rice, which I store in the vegetable compartment of the fridge. Since our family eats rice every evening, I make sure I never run out. For miso, I chose a low-sodium option. Although miso soup seems healthy, it actually contains a lot of salt, so I picked a healthier type with less sodium. Natto and tofu are my regular staples as well. Bread is for breakfast.
I also bought beans for salads, along with vegetables, mushrooms, meat, and eggs. Frozen udon noodles are incredibly handy when I’m short on time. I even decided to try some Chicken Ramen this time! Chicken Ramen, known as the world’s first instant ramen, is often enjoyed as a lunch meal by adding vegetables and eggs.
Speaking of Chicken Ramen, there is the Cup Noodles Museum in Osaka, where you can choose your favorite ingredients and create your own original cup noodles. It’s a highly recommended spot where kids and adults can have fun together.
The fish was a bit expensive, so I didn’t buy it this time.
Hamburg steak, omelette, fried rice, and chicken salad… These are likely to be this week’s recipes.
I make miso soup almost every day. I often use ingredients like tofu, mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, wakame seaweed, carrots, and other vegetables or mushrooms left in the fridge.
I sometimes make tonjiru (pork miso soup), which is hearty and nutritious as it includes both meat and vegetables. You should check out recipes for tonjiru and bento boxes for inspiration!
I address my vegetable intake by having miso soup.
Snack Time: My Favorites
Don’t you find that you treat yourself when you go grocery shopping? I often end up buying snacks. Even when I tell myself not to, I sometimes just can’t resist. My favorite snack, in particular, is Calbee’s Jagarico.
It’s a snack made primarily from potatoes. The potatoes are steamed, shaped into thin sticks, and then fried. Jagarico is a popular snack that comes in a variety of flavors like “Cheese,” “Butter Potato,” and “Spicy Cod Roe,” offering a wide range of options. In addition, when traveling, you can find regional-exclusive flavors that are unique to each area.
For example, there’s Butadon(Pork Rice Bowl) flavor in Hokkaido, Gyutan(Beef Tongue) flavor in Tohoku, Crab Broth flavor along the Japan Sea, and Takoyaki flavor in Kansai. With its variety of unique tastes, Jagarico makes an excellent souvenir.
Japanese Convenience Stores vs. Supermarkets
Convenience Stores (コンビニ): Japanese convenience stores, known as “conbini,” are small, well-organized shops that operate around the clock. They offer a wide range of products and services, including ready-to-eat meals, snacks, drinks, toiletries, and even ticketing or bill payment services. Popular chains like 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart are known for their cleanliness, efficiency, and high-quality food options like onigiri and bento boxes. They’re perfect for quick purchases or when you’re on the go.
Supermarkets (スーパー): Supermarkets in Japan are larger than convenience stores and focus on selling a variety of fresh produce, meats, seafood, and household items. They often have better prices and more extensive selections compared to convenience stores, making them ideal for weekly or bulk shopping. Many supermarkets have fresh food counters, offering sushi, tempura, and other prepared dishes. Supermarkets like Aeon, Ito-Yokado, and Seiyu are commonly found across Japan.
When buying fresh produce, I go to the supermarket, but for sweets and drinks, I head to the convenience store. While supermarkets also sell many sweets, Japanese convenience stores put a lot of effort into their dessert selection, which is why many people go there specifically to buy sweets. You can enjoy delicious cakes and puddings at a more affordable price than those from a cake shop.
