What is actually worth buying at a Japanese supermarket or convenience store, and which items travel well?

The three shops, and what each one is for

Konbini are everywhere and open 24 hours. They are not just snacks: the rice balls (onigiri), the tamago sando, the hot case by the register and the in-store coffee are all made to a standard that would be a premium shop elsewhere. In winter they add a pot of oden (fish cake, daikon, egg simmered in dashi) by the till.

Supermarkets are where locals do their weekly shop. This is where the pantry staples live, and where you find the regional shelves that stock whatever the prefecture is known for.

Depachika sit under the big department stores (Isetan, Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, Daimaru). They are the most expensive and the most impressive: counters of wagashi, bento and prepared food. Almost every depachika cuts prices on prepared food in the last hour before closing, which is the only cheap way to eat there.

Pantry staples that justify the suitcase space

Mentsuyu is noodle soup base, concentrated. Dilute it for soba and udon or use it straight as a dipping sauce. It is the single most useful bottle to bring home because it covers a whole category of meals, and supermarket own-brand versions are good.

Ponzu is citrus-and-soy, lighter, used on grilled fish, steamed vegetables and as a dressing. Goma dare is the sesame sauce that arrives with shabu-shabu; buy it as a jar and it becomes a dressing for cold noodles and blanched greens.

Dashi in its easiest form is a granulated or teabag-style stock. The teabags are the practical version — one bag in a litre of water, then discard.

Kewpie mayonnaise is in every supermarket and tastes different from the western version: richer, with more egg yolk. Furikake — dried seasoning for rice — comes in dozens of flavours and is light and unbreakable.

Japanese curry roux is sold as a block of squares. House Vermont and Java Curry are the two brands you will see most; the difference is mostly spice level. One box makes a large pot and packs flat.

What is actually in season, month by month

Spring is takenoko (bamboo shoot) and sakura mochi, and strawberry season peaks alongside it.

Summer brings edamame and cold somen, and supermarkets push anything that can be eaten chilled.

Autumn is the strongest season for food: sanma (Pacific saury), matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts (kuri) and new rice.

Winter is oden, mikan (mandarins), crab and fugu. Convenience stores ride this hardest — the oden pot and the steamed bun case both appear in late autumn.

If you are shopping in a specific month, our season tracker plots the months we actually photographed each city in, and what to eat in Japan covers the dishes themselves.

The practical bits nobody mentions

Plastic bags are no longer free. Since 2020 shops charge for them. Bring a tote; nobody will look at you strangely, and every shop sells a cheap reusable bag at the till.

Cash still matters, though less than it did. Cards are fine at supermarkets and konbini in cities. Smaller shops, many restaurants and some market stalls are cash-only.

There is no tipping, and staff will chase you down the street to hand back change you have left.

Tax-free shopping is a separate procedure with its own rules and a minimum spend. We cover it in Japan tax-free shopping — note that food you consume in Japan no longer qualifies.

You bag it yourself at the counter after paying, at a separate bagging table, which is why nobody is standing at the till doing it for you.

What not to bother with

Fresh fruit is sold in ways that surprise visitors — sometimes single pieces in protective foam. It is excellent and it is priced as a gift, not as a snack.

Anything sold as a souvenir box at a tourist attraction costs more than the same thing in a supermarket one street away.

Liquid-heavy items (sauces, drinks) are usually cheaper and easier to buy at a shop near the airport on the way out than to carry for two weeks.

Frequently asked questions