Department store underground gourmet

In the basement floor of department stores in Japan, there’s a high probability of finding delicious food, sweets, and souvenirs. It’s not like what you find in supermarkets; rather, it offers items of significantly higher quality. The flavors closely resemble those sold in specialty shops.

At the food section, you’ll find a variety of items such as prepared foods, bento boxes, meat, fish, salads, pickles, and more. While some places offer pre-packaged items similar to supermarkets, others provide the option to purchase by weight, typically in 100-gram increments. While it may rely heavily on Japanese language assistance, pointing or indicating what you want should suffice for making purchases. Feel free to give it a try!

When it comes to sweets, you’ll find a wide range of both Western-style and traditional Japanese confections. In the Western category, there are cakes, puddings, tarts, and more, while the Japanese offerings include daifuku, dorayaki, yokan, senbei, and countless others. There are so many varieties that it’s hard to list them all. Unlike other items, sweets are typically not sold by weight, making them easier to purchase.

Souvenirs mostly consist of packaged sweets, often in cases containing 6, 12, or 24 pieces. These can also be purchased through pointing or indicating your choice.

While items sold in department stores are not exclusive to the basement floor, there’s value in shopping there due to the wide array of high-quality shops from all over Japan conveniently located in one place. However, prices are not as high as in restaurants. With around 1,000 to 3,000 yen, you can purchase items from most shops. Consequently, many Japanese people also visit department store basements for shopping. Please note that weekends are considered holidays in Japan, so basement floors tend to be crowded during midday and early evening hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Be mindful of this!