The five supermarkets I actually use in Japan (and what each one is for)

Shopping in Japan doesn’t work like it does in most other countries. There’s no two or three dominant chains covering the whole market: there are dozens of options, each with its own logic, and which one makes sense depends on what you’re after at any given moment. After fifteen years doing my weekly shop here, I have five chains I use regularly. Here they are, and what each one is actually for. Groceries are one of the few genuinely controllable line items in the cost of living equation, so it’s worth getting this right.

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Gyomu Super (業務スーパー)

The name translates literally as “business supermarket” because it started out as a catering supplier. It’s now open to the general public and is one of the most interesting shops in Japan if you know what to look for.

Gyomu Super’s strength is the large format: tins, bags and packs in sizes that are unusual for Japan: litres of tomato sauce, kilos of flour, 500g packs of gyoza. Prices are extremely low. And the imported section is surprisingly wide: products from Eastern Europe, Korea, Latin America and China that aren’t easy to find elsewhere.

What doesn’t work as well: fresh fruit and vegetables are the weakest part, with limited selection and variable turnover.

When I go: to restock the freezer (gyoza, edamame, croquettes), for condiments in quantity (soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil), and for imported ingredients when I’m cooking something non-Japanese.

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Lopia (ロピア)

Lopia started out as a butcher. That explains everything else.

Meat at Lopia is between 20% and 50% cheaper than at comparable supermarkets, with a range that goes far beyond what you find elsewhere: different cuts, wagyu at prices that make sense, pork from different breeds. Fish is also well priced. For animal protein, it’s hard to find better value for money in Japan.

The expansion has been fast: from its base in Kanagawa to 139 stores nationwide by the end of 2025, with accelerated growth in Kyushu and other regions. The store model is large and no-frills. More warehouse than boutique. Worth noting that queues are common, especially on weekends and at the meat counter.

When I go: when I need meat or fish and don’t want to pay the standard price at other chains. Or when I’m doing a big weekly shop.

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My Basket (まいばすけっと)

My Basket is Aeon’s answer to a very specific question: what if there were a small supermarket, with prices below the convenience store, just around the corner from home?

The format is deliberately compact: stores of 100-200 m² in dense urban locations, often a 3-minute walk away. The range is limited but covers the basics: fresh produce, drinks, Aeon’s Topvalu own brand, cleaning products. Opens 7:00 to midnight. Accepts virtually every payment method that exists in Japan, useful once you’ve opened a bank account in Japan and linked an IC card or app to it.

What makes My Basket useful isn’t price or variety. It’s availability. When you need milk at 22:00 or fresh fruit on a Tuesday night and the big supermarket is closed, My Basket is the answer. It’s noticeably cheaper than any convenience store on the products they share.

When I go: for urgent top-ups between big shops, on days when I don’t have time to go anywhere else, and for daily basics when I’m passing by.

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Sotetsu Rosen (相鉄ローゼン)

Sotetsu Rosen is a regional chain tied to the Sotetsu railway line, with most of its 47 stores in Yokohama and the rest of Kanagawa. If you don’t live in this area, you probably don’t have one nearby.

What I like about Sotetsu Rosen is that it works well as a neighbourhood supermarket: good fresh produce selection, a prepared food (souzai) counter above average, freshly baked bread in many locations. Prices in the middle band: cheaper than Seijo Ishii, pricier than Lopia. It’s the supermarket where I do my standard weekly shop when I don’t have a specific reason to go somewhere else.

The Sotetsu Rosen app has weekly offers well laid out and is worth checking before you go.

When I go: for the standard weekly shop. Fresh produce, vegetables, the week’s tofu and eggs, rice.

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Seijo Ishii (成城石井)

Seijo Ishii is the expensive one. There’s no point disguising it: prices are noticeably higher than at any other chain on this list. But it has things you don’t find anywhere else at that level of accessibility.

The imported selection is the best in Japan in its category: European cheeses (brie, camembert, aged varieties), charcuterie, wines at reasonable prices given the selection, single-origin chocolates, specialist condiments. Around 40% of its products are own-brand, with consistent quality. And the deli section (salads, roast chicken, Western-style prepared foods) is well above what any conventional chain offers.

About 120 stores, mainly in Tokyo and Kansai, with a strong presence in railway stations. Easy to find if you live in an urban area.

When I go: for cheese or wine when the Gyomu stock has run out or doesn’t have what I need, for a specific European condiment, or for the deli when I want something good without having to cook.

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General tips I apply at all of them

Last-minute discount stickers (半額シール, han-gaku seal): Around 19:00-20:00, in almost every Japanese supermarket, staff put discount stickers of 30%, 50% or even 70% on fresh products, bento boxes and prepared foods that expire that day. If your schedule allows it, this is one of the best ways to eat well while spending less. The evening sushi at 50% off at Sotetsu Rosen is perfectly fresh.

Expiry labels: two kanji pairs worth memorising even if you don’t speak Japanese (more on getting by in our guide to eating in Japan without speaking Japanese):

• 賞味期限 (shōmikigen): “best before”. For non-perishables. Past this date the product isn’t dangerous but may have lost some quality.
• 消費期限 (shōhikigen): “use by”. For fresh perishables. This one should be respected.

Home delivery: Aeon (and by extension My Basket), Seijo Ishii and some Sotetsu Rosen stores offer delivery. For busy weeks, it’s worth knowing what service the nearest store has.

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My usual pattern

• Gyomu Super: once every two weeks, to restock the freezer and condiments in bulk.
• Lopia: when it’s time to buy meat or fish for the week.
• My Basket: two or three times a week for day-to-day basics.
• Sotetsu Rosen: the main weekly shop, fresh produce and whatever else is needed.
• Seijo Ishii: cheese, wine, something from the deli. Not every week, but it can’t disappear from the rotation entirely.

The key is not trying to get one place to cover everything. Each chain does one thing well.

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Reference data for 2026. Each chain’s store network changes with new openings. Check the app or website of each chain for the nearest location.