Hell on Earth

For most Americans, hell on earth is at a little place called Chuck E. Cheese. For my non-American friends, imagine a place where they lock you in with 150 screaming, unattended to children, with games that beep and flash while requiring expensive tokens, mediocre pizza and a big fat mouse that dances and sings in an obnoxious manner.  Well move over Chuck E... I have found something worse -- Costco Japan.

Costco is really a money saver for expats. It is where we do the bulk of our shopping as it costs less than a 1/4 of the cost of buying everything in the regular grocery store. Plus it has a few imported items that we cannot get anywhere else. The best things to buy there are meat, cheese and wine.  However the downside of this little expat goldmine is the adoration the Japanese seem to have for this place. Imagine black Friday shopping (the biggest shopping day in the United States) everyday. 

Costco is set up similar to the ones we have back in the states. And what would be a visit to Costco without free samples?  These ladies were lined up for 20 minutes to taste some new maple syrup served on a piece of white bread. Yuck.  Yummy!

When I go, I always head for the meat and cheese section first. It is the area that always seems to get crowded first, so I try and beat the rush.  This is a typical day in the meat section of Costco.

The bakery section isn't any better.

The aisles are packed. People stand in the aisles and sections seeming to contimplate every item they put in their cart.  

 The only section containing a minimal crowd carries this interesting cooking item.

The most intriguing part of the whole Costco experience is what the Japanese actually purchase each visit. You will see the expats pushing overflowing carts and sometimes even two carts at a time (we typically go every 3 weeks or so) and as you can see here, the Japanese will have only a few items in their carts.

We almost always treat ourselves to a slice of pizza at the eatery at the end of the trip. By the time I am done I am begging for a date with the big furry mouse named Chuck E.

Walk through the grocery store

Grocery stores in Japan are pretty similar to the ones in America, with one difference –– the food.

The deli consists of ready made foods, such as fried rice, yakisoba, tempura and yakitori, rather than any type of lunch meat or sliced cheese. (In fact, it doesn't exist here)

 

The produce section is beautiful. You will never find a bruised or ugly piece of produce on the normal shelf of a grocery store. The saleclerks pick through sections by hand making sure there is nothing less than perfect for sale. And while sometimes the produce can be expensive, the size and taste more than makes up for it. 

 

  

 Where we would typically find things like packaged lunch meat, sausage, bacon and hot dogs, we find things like tofu (soft, hard, silk, fried) and noodles (soba, ramen, lo mein). 

There are sections of beef, pork and chicken, but typically the section of seafood is bigger. In fact, one day I will have to just blog about the sea creatures people eat in Japan.

 

  

 In the regular aisles you will typical items like cleaning supplies, chips, salad dressings, sugars, breads, and frosted flakes cereals, however these items tend to be different than what we are used to. Then there are items like nori, miso and just about any seasoning to be thrown into rice. 

  

 

  

There are also sections of milk, juices, yogurts, limited cheeses, butters, ice cream, tea (lots and lots of tea) and coffee.  All of that combined is usually the size of the alcohol section.   While you can buy beer by the 6-pack, 12-pack or case, it is much more common to just buy by the can, and mix and match what you want. There is many times a small (and I mean small) selection of imports and then many different Japanese choices of beer and Chu-His. 

 

 

 

Items vary from store to store. But you can always count on one thing –– it will be crowded. 

Sticker Shock

Overall, Japan is a very expensive country. When people ask me what is cheap here I always say chicken breast and alcohol. I get some strange looks, but other than some seasonal fruits and vegetables, this is typically the case.

Let's take milk for example. If you shop at the local grocery store a liter of milk will cost anywhere from ¥180 - ¥240, depending on the type and brand. It would take 4 liters to make a gallon (technically 3.79 liters, but you have to round up), so if you buy the cheapest milk it would run you about ¥720 ($7.50) for a gallon of milk. Juice would run you about the same, sometimes cheaper if you find it on sale. On a regular day an apple will run you ¥128 each, but to Japan's defense, the apples are almost the size of a newborn's head. A steak will run you at least $10 each. Everything is sold in smaller sizes so you pay a whole lot more in comparison to the United States.

Luckily we have a Costco about 30 minutes from us. It really is a life saver. While in the United States we only bought a few items at a place like Costco, here we buy almost everything. That gallon of milk costs me ¥476. I can get four nice steaks for about $26 USD. Fruit, produce, household items, all much much cheaper. And Costco does carry a few United States products as well, although you do pay a premium price for them. Diet Dr. Pepper will cost you $10 for a 24-pack and a box of 48 Crunchy Granola bars (one flavor and the only granola bar to buy here) will run you $19.

If you live here and switch to Japanese items and products (cereal, flour, sugar, cleaning, health and beauty items, etc) you can save money. However there are some things just not carried here or there are some items that we are "brand married" and we have to order from the United States or go to an International Food store to get. Those items have a large price attached to it. For example, I can get Gold Medal flour at Foreign Buyers Club. A 5 lb bag will cost me ¥920 ($9.50). A box of mac and cheese is ¥274 ($2.90). Those items that just can't be found here, such as any cereal but frosted flakes, I can order from the United States. That cereal will run me a cheap $8.00 and up per box.

Now that chicken breast and alcohol. Almost 6 lbs of fresh chicken breast will run me less than $6.00 per bag. A bottle of Absolute Vodka will cost me $13.50 ($22 in the states) and today I bought Cointreau for $18.00 (this is almost $40 in the states). Needless to say we have a very well stocked freezer and liquor cabinet.

I have been here long enough that I have lost all sense of the concept of price. And unless you have some quick weight loss tips for cooking with lots of tofu and weird fish, we don't have many options or alternatives here, so we just have to buy and pay the price. After not being back to the states for almost a year, I think it will be very interesting to go back to the grocery store this summer and shop. And when I move back for good, I may just die at the checkout counter from shock at how much I bought for less than what a small basket will run me here.