Living aboard makes you hungry by remembering a food you ate in your country. This is naturally happens.
The several special tastes your tongue remember stimulate and comfort you instantaneously more than loving someone.
However it is not such easy thing to find the way to eat it.
Restaurants are expensive, not close, besides the taste is completely different from the one you like.
When the writer was living in Europe, there was a ramen with paprika and I thought
“Oh, ramen has been arranged once it’s exported. It is like ‘Spirit away’ has been arranged into ‘Never Ending Story’ when it’s exported.”
The most certain way to enjoy mother country’s food is making it by yourself.
Fresh ingredients such as meat, fish and vegetables etc, are impossible to obtain same thing as you used in your country. However, seasonings, bread spreads, cereals are easily obtainable.
Furthermore, most questions from foreigners in Japan was asking about places they can buy items which they are looking for(n=1002, 10.2%). Food is the most popular items in the question.
So, this time I will introduce supermarkets that are selling imported foods!
KALDI
(Reference: Camel Coffee Co., Ltd)
Popular grocery selling mainly imported foods; coffee is there dominant products. You can find KALDI in local places as well as the cities.
Even though they don’t sell fresh foods; only packed foods they sell, KALDI is very popular as 349 stores have been opened throughout Japan, and 84 stores in Tokyo.
One of the reason of popularity is Free 100ml coffee is served at every KALDI’s entrance.
KALDI wants the customer to wandering around the shop which being designed like a cozy library. Customers will feel as though they are doing treasure-hunting.
KALDI has website in English, however you cannot search for closest store in English. So please refer the map below and find closest KALDI for you.
For people who live in local area, KALDI is likely to be found in the shopping centre, store area in the building of station.
Some of the products that KALDI has can find here.
overseas
(Location of KALDIs in Tokyo)
・YaMaYa
(Reference : YaMaYa CORPORATION)
Grocery stores which mainly see alcoholic drinks. Also they are dealing imported foods too. 312 stores are in Japan, 15 stores in Tokyo. Products that they sell are cereal, alcohol, teas etc.
Cereals and juices are very cheap so that YAMAYA might become something you cannot live without. (Author used to buy cereal from Egypt(150 yen), which was so good!)
(Location of YaMaYas in Tokyo)
・SEIJO ISHII
(Reference;SEIJO ISHII CO., LTD)
It is well know as a expensive super. People who live in Tokyo and quite rich, are the most biggest target for SEIJO ISHII ).
In comparison to other local supermarket, SEIJO ISHII has lots of expensive imported products naturally because the products they sell are all good taste.
Bagel, white bread are difficult to find in this country but they have it. They have fresh vegetables and meat that you can buy there.
(Location of SEIJO ISIS in Tokyo)
Amazon
You can buy quite everything by the amazon. If you are not in hurry, I recommend to buy it on the internet. It is the most certain way.
I have being introducing 3 grocery stores which dealing with foods that were exported. However there are more stores online which will deliver purchased products to you place- BUT IN JAPANESE -.
So, when you find a website in Japanese but having item that you want to buy, please ask us. We can help you buying it.
