For every foreigner who arrives in Japan, shopping for food becomes a big hassle. The main reason being the language barrier. It becomes very difficult to look for items in a store where everything is written in a different alphabet. As a result many foreigners lean on International stores and spend fortunes on them.
But it does not have to be this way. Here a few tips that will help you shop in Japanese stores at ease.
Language:
Even if you do not speak Japanese, you still need to get familiar with a few important words and learn how to identify them. For a Muslim like me who cannot eat pork, the first thing I learned after arriving in this country was how to write and say pork in Japanese. It goes without saying that if you have food restrictions, knowing the names of those foods can save the day.
Here is a list of all items you need to know if you have food restrictions:
Pork: 豚 Buta)、豚肉 （Butaniku)
Gelatin：ゼラチン
Shortning：ショターニング
Beef essence：ビーフエキス
Chicken：鶏 （Tori)、鶏肉 (Toriniku）
Wheat: 小麦 (Komugi)、小麦粉 （Komugikona: Wheat flour)
Fish：魚 （Sakana)
Eggs：卵 （Tamago)
Stores:
Once you arrive in Japan, you need to locate the store nearest to you (not a convenience store like 7/11). Once you do, visit the store. Stores in Japan are divided into departments like the Meat section, the Fish section, the Dairy section, the Vegetables section. Moreover, the setting does not change much; if you find the mayonnaise in the 3rd row, there is a big chance that you will keep finding it there week after week. My advice is to roam inside the store and locate the things you need without buying them. Make a map if you have to. That way, you can shop without a problem in the future.
Moreover, it is also great to find about the stores bargains. For every Japanese store you have, they will have days and hours where products will be cheaper. Usually after 4:00 Pm everything is cheaper. And there is a day of the month where prices will be slashed. Get to know those days in order to get good deals.
On top of that, every store will have a card where you can pile up points every time you shop. And you can receive up to 1000 yen discount after you piled up a good amount of points.
Get a Japanese friend or an foreigner friend who speaks the language:
Shopping with a Japanese friend or a foreigner friend who knows the language will be very beneficial. That friend can give you all the advices, show you all the good food but also tell you where to find a great deal. And if you do not have a friend with those skills, try contacting your local ward office. There is always a lounge that welcome foreigners and help them solve problems. There are also many volunteer groups who are willing to help expats living in Japan.
International shops:
International shops are easier to find when you live in a town like Tokyo or Yokohama. Many foreigners use Costco or Nissin. The later is pricier than the first one. However you can find some of the food from home you crave. If you want to survive in Japan, I think it is important to balance shopping in local stores and shopping in International stores.
Costco
www.costco.co.jp/eng
Nissin
www.nissinham.co.jp/nwd
Union
www.unionex.co.jp (Only in Japanese)
Motomachi Union: Yokohama, Nakaku, Motomachi 4-166
Phone:045-641-8551
Roppongi Union: Tokyo Minato ku, Roppongi 3-7-1-101
The Roppongi Tokyo Plaza
Phone: 03-3582-9450
Shinjyuku Union: Tokyo,Shinjyuku ku, Kita Shinjyuku 2-21-1
Shinjyuku Front Tower 1F
Phone:03-5386-6933
Depa Chika:
Depa chika is the name of the lower floors in department stores. Those floors always have small stalls that serve already cooked food, pastries and sweets. In there you can buy Japanese meals, or even European meals. You can find your French baguette or your cream puff. However, they do come with a price. It is good to know that shopping there after dark will help you save a few Yens as prices drop near closing time. Depa chika are also a great place to unwind after a long day of shopping. You can order a coffee and eat a freshly baked bread or Gelato in Summer.
Online shopping:
You an buy a lot of things online in Japan, even food. There are several companies that cater to you on a daily basis whether it is for imported goods or local goods. And if you live in a area that is very difficult to access, like on top of a hill, using those companies will save you the hassle of carrying big bags all the way up.
The Flying Pig
www.theflyingpig.com/tfp/Shop.ASP
Amazon
www.amazon.co.jp
Rakuten
http://global.rakuten.com/en
Do not underestimate convenient stores:
In Japan, you can find almost anything at convenient stores. They save the day when you run out of milk in the middle of the week. However there is a new brand of convenience store that have more items that are useful to our daily lives. Lawson 100 for example offers a variety of vegetables, breads, juices, spices all for 105Y. It is cheap but it is not bad quality. Moreover it is open 24/7. Give it a try.
I hope this will make your shopping easier in Japan. I understand that it can be overwhelming to shop here particularly after everything that has being going on with radiations and such. However, once you give it a try, it can become less of a chore and more of a fun activity.
For more detailed infos on food labels in Japanese, check this great site here:
http://www.survivingnjapan.com/search?q=food+shopping.jpg)
