Japan's Famous Food Basements

Sogo Department Store Depachika at Yokohama Station

Richard Kirchner Mar 28, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>The dessert display here is so beautiful. But it's just one of many</p>

<p>The Japanese love crackers of all shapes and flavors. This entire stand is dedicated to them</p>

<p>Transforming food is taken to new levels in Japan. Here is a gourmet marshmallow shop</p>

<p>Pierre Herme is here. You must try their macarons. Yuzu macarons if they have them.  Depachika's are made up of hundreds of individual vendors. Many of them offer free samples. So you may want to find the liquor section, where you can usually try out some wine or sake</p>

<p>The "artwork" in a depachika extends to the salads as well. All of the salads are extremely fresh and very creative. They are sold by the 100g. Try to go to a food basement on an empty stomach if possible. You'll want to walk around and snack or eat your lunch there if you can</p>

<p>All depachika's have a fresh vegetable shop where the prices are fairly reasonable for most items</p>

<p>Most depachika will have a seafood section. If you're a tourist walking around, perhaps you won't purchase any, but it's very interesting seeing the incredible variety of fresh seafood</p>

<p>Sushi of course, and this is quality. This could be your lunch</p>

<p>The meat counter. Probably no samples here. But walk by and see how it compares to the meat department in your home country</p>

<p>If you'd like some authentic kimchi, you can usually always find a vendor. Samples are available most of the time here</p>

<p>Here we have a lot of chicken. Fried chicken in various flavors, chicken wings, and yakitori of course</p>

<p>No food basement trip would be complete without checking out the high end fruit. The Japanese like to give these as gifts. Two mango for 4800 Yen, and a cantaloupe for 5800 Yen in a nice box</p>

If you're a foodie then a visit to one of Japan's food basements, or depachikas as they are called, is a must. This particular one was at Yokohama Station. At Yokohama Station you can find both the Sogo and Takashimaya depachikas. Both are wonderful places to walk around to view the products of a multitude of vendors. They are usually always busy and full of positive energy. The food looks and tastes amazing. The only drawback is that seating is extremely limited. Nonetheless, go there hungry and enjoy! You'll find them in all major cities in Japan.

Richard Kirchner @richard.kirchner

I'm an American living in Yokosuka Japan. Getting around independently in Japan and having access to the same food and menu options that the Japanese people do has been a goal of mine. So since arriving in Japan nearly four years ago I've been visiting restaurants, translating menus, and learning...