Local Life in Japan: The Supermarket

When people ask me what it’s like to live in Japan, kinda feels like they expect me to talk about temples & shrines, bullet trains, super cool tech (lol yeah I’ll send you a fax about that tech stuff) or ramen shops tucked down narrow alleys.

But my life here looks a lot like anyone else’s. 

I commute to work (these days from bedroom to home office).

I go to the gym (where you need a separate pair of gym shoes that have never touched street nor sidewalk) and walk regularly around my city.

And I shop for groceries.

Well, it was in those fluorescent aisles (and not on temple grounds) that I learned some of the most useful lessons about everyday Japan.

I first came to Japan when I was 15. Back then, I didn’t know the difference between a temple and a shrine. But I knew supermarkets felt different.

Perfectly stacked produce. Apples wrapped like they were getting a visit from the Pope. Packaging that made me hesitate before opening it.

That stuck with me.

Since then, supermarkets have become a ritual for me anywhere I travel. Mexico, France, Thailand… you can tell a lot about people by how they shop.

Japan is no different. The supermarket (aka “super” or “suupaa”) is a venerable part of the Japanese food scene.

But it isn’t the same everywhere.

In Kansai (Osaka & environs), customers might get a little chatty. Women in their 60s will peek into your basket and ask what you’re cooking. They’ll tell you how they make miso soup, or point out a better brand of tofu. This doesn’t usually happen in Tokyo, though.

Practical advice: most supermarkets in Japan don’t open early. If you want breakfast supplies, shop the night before.

That’s when you’ll also catch a very Japanese moment. Around 7 or 8pm, staff start slapping yellow discount stickers on bentos, sushi trays and fried foods. The quiet but determined race begins. Locals hover near the shelves, waiting for half-price sushi to drop. It’s a show worth watching, and sometimes joining.

Prices at supermarkets (even before the discounts) are lower than Japan’s loved-by-tourists convenience stores (aka “konbini”). Selection is better. And the experience feels more local.

Speaking of konbini? They’re… not bad. But supermarkets do it better. Cheaper. More variety. Sushi trays, bentos, fresh sandwiches. All lined up, ready to go.

Brands matter. AEON is the nationwide giant. Many are attached to AEON Malls, which give you another slice of daily life. Multiple levels of shops for clothing, books (yup that’s still a thing in Japan), 100 yen stores, even clinics or salons. Plus they’ve got food courts with surprisingly good options. And entire restaurant floors stacked on top.

At the other end of the spectrum are wholesale and discount markets like Gyomu Super. Bulk deals. Frozen food mountains. The place people go when they’re provisioning like they won’t shop again for a month. There’s Costco in Japan, too, if you’re near one or can get there (or buy online).

In the middle, you’ve got stalwarts Seiyu and its ilk. Mainstream, solid, reliable.

Want upscale? Try Seijo Ishii or Kinokuniya. Imported cheeses, boutique wines, jars of artisanal miso with labels that make you feel underdressed.

And then there are the department store food halls. Basements of Umeda Hankyu and Hanshin in Osaka, or Isetan and Tobu in Tokyo. Think takeout elevated to art. Croquettes, sushi platters, wagyu bentos. Locals line up right alongside tourists.

Supermarkets (like a lot of life in Japan) also change with the seasons. 

Winter means steaming oden tubs near the checkout, whole sections filled with mikan oranges, even sweet potatoes baked right in the store. 

Summer in Japan’s food scene brings giant watermelons, cold barley tea and piles of shaved-ice syrup. Fall sees Halloween displays, while spring celebrates sakura.

Everyday life in Japan, shifting with the weather.

Plus every store has its soundtrack. Chirpy jingles looping endlessly, cheerful announcements about fresh specials, sometimes a familiar pop song turned into background music.

And yeah, there’s a lot of stuff that’s probably going to make you think, ‘hmmm that’s different.”

Live eels. Whole fish. Beautifully marbled beef.

Aisles full of pickled vegetables, tofu, miso, and seaweed.

Packaged “retort” curry sections that look like books neatly arranged in a library!).

Potato chips in flavors that sound like dares: consommé punch, wasabi beef, squid mayo.

Then there’s the fruit. Some of it looks like… normal, stacked up high and ready for you to grab. But also they’ve got this immaculately packaged fruit, the good stuff, looking more like a gift…and in fact a lot of that you’d only buy if you were giving it as a gift.

Seasonal treats appear and vanish without warning. Sakura KitKats. Roasted sweet potato ice cream. If you see them, buy them, as they might not be there tomorrow.

So if you want to travel Japan like a local, skip the tourist “markets” with inflated prices and staged stalls.

Say “see ya” to the konbini.

Get yourself to a supermarket instead.

Buy something you’ve never heard of. Watch the people around you. Notice the Kansai chatter, the Tokyo silence.

That’s where you’ll find the real Japan.

Not a snapshot or story for the feed. Not a curated or staged experience.

But rather, a place where millions of people live their everyday lives.