International Supermarkets & Grocery Shopping
Find your favorite foods from home — Tokyo has a surprising variety of international grocery options.
Major International Supermarkets
These stores stock imported foods, western brands, and specialty ingredients.
National Azabu
Premium import supermarket in the Hiroo/Azabu area. Excellent selection of Western foods, cheeses, meats, and baked goods. Popular with the expat community.
Nissin World Delicatessen
One of Tokyo's largest import supermarkets. Stocks foods from dozens of countries across multiple floors. Located in Higashi-Azabu, near Tokyo Tower.
Kaldi Coffee Farm
Chain store specializing in imported coffee, seasonings, pasta, sauces, and international snacks. Found in most major malls and station buildings.
Jupiter
Import food chain with great cheese, wine, and European goods. More affordable than premium import stores. Multiple locations across Tokyo.
Costco
American-style warehouse club with bulk items. Great for American brands, large meat portions, and baked goods. Membership required (¥4,840/year).
Gyomu Super
Budget-friendly wholesale supermarket with surprisingly good imported frozen foods, spices, and bulk ingredients. Great value for money.
Hanamasa
Wholesale meat supermarket. Some locations are open 24 hours. Good for bulk meat purchases and imported food items at competitive prices.
Don Quijote (Donki)
Discount store with an international food section. Open late (some 24h). Stocks snacks, drinks, and basic imported ingredients alongside everything else.
Ethnic Grocery Stores by Cuisine
Find specialty ingredients for your home country's cuisine in these neighborhoods.
Korean
Shin-Okubo is Tokyo's Koreatown. Multiple Korean marts sell kimchi, gochujang, tteok, frozen dumplings, and Korean produce. The best concentration is along the main street from Shin-Okubo Station.
Chinese
Ikebukuro's north exit area has several Chinese supermarkets. For a wider selection, Yokohama's Chinatown (a short day trip) has extensive Chinese groceries, spices, and fresh produce.
Indian & South Asian
Shin-Okubo and Nishi-Kasai have Indian/Nepali grocery stores with spices, lentils, basmati rice, and frozen items. Nishi-Kasai is known as "Little India" with several specialist shops.
Southeast Asian
Shin-Okubo and Takadanobaba have Thai, Vietnamese, and Filipino grocery stores. Find fish sauce, curry paste, rice noodles, coconut milk, and frozen Asian produce.
Halal Foods
Halal grocery shops in Shin-Okubo and Otsuka carry certified halal meats, spices, and imported goods from Middle Eastern and South Asian countries.
Latin American
Specialty stores carry Brazilian and Latin American ingredients. While Oizumi-machi (Gunma) is the hub, Tokyo has a few shops stocking imported beans, spices, and meats.
Online Grocery Options
Get international ingredients delivered to your door.
Amazon Fresh
Same-day or next-day delivery of groceries including some import items. Available in central Tokyo areas. Prime membership required for best deals.
iHerb
Supplements, organic foods, snacks, and health products shipped internationally with reasonable delivery times and costs to Japan.
The Meat Guy / FlyingPig
Online shops specializing in imported meats, cheeses, and deli items. Great for BBQ supplies, sausages, and cuts you can't find at Japanese supermarkets.
Japanese Supermarket Tips
Major Chains
- OK Store — Consistently cheapest prices in Tokyo
- Life — Good quality, reasonable prices, many locations
- Maruetsu — Some locations open 24 hours
- Summit — Clean stores, good prepared foods
- Aeon — Largest chain, suburban locations with huge selection
Money-Saving Tips
- Discount stickers: 20–50% off stickers appear 1–2 hours before closing
- Half-price (hangaku): The red "半額" sticker means 50% off
- Point cards: Sign up for store point cards for 1–5% back
- Bring your bag: Plastic bags cost ¥3–¥5 each since 2020
- Tax-free: Some stores offer tax-free for purchases over ¥5,000