A humble store so generous it makes us want to cry. The recent wave of price hikes in Japan shows no signs of slowing down – in fact, many would say it’s only getting worse. These days, it feels like we’re constantly checking prices and lamenting over how things that were once affordable just aren’t […]

Ordinarily cheap Matsuya opens a high-priced Matsuya inside another upscale Matsuya. Japanese department stores have food departments on their basement levels, and naturally the fancier department stores offer fancier foods. So it might surprise some shoppers at the Matsuya department store in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza neighborhood to find that one of Japan’s cheapest restaurant chains […]

A tale of four Matsuyas, and a whole lot of gourmet wagyu beef. As one of the country’s big-three gyudon/beef bowl chains, Matsuya is among the top choices for those looking for a cheap but hearty meal in Japan. But maybe it doesn’t always need to be quite so cheap, and so Matsuya has made […]

Lawson opens its first “mini supermarket” in Tokyo. Lawson is one of Japan’s big-three convenience stores (the others being 7-Eleven and Family Mart), but Lawson itself has multiple sub-brands. For example, there’s also the budget-minded Lawson Store 100, with most items priced at 100 yen, and on May 28, the Lawson family expanded once again […]

Inside Chiba Station, Manyoken is a piece of edible history. The name of bento boxed lunch shop Manyoken translates loosely as “House of 10,000 Leaves.” That count isn’t necessarily meant to be taken literally, though. Yes, in Japanese man does mean 10,000, but in non-scientific contexts it can also be used just to mean “many.” […]

You won’t find food in Japan much cheaper than this. “Freshly fried! Croquettes for 20 yen.” That was the sign that made us do a double-take when we were strolling the streets of Sagamihara City in Tokyo’s neighbouring Kanagawa Prefecture the other day. In this era of ever-rising prices, a croquette for 20 yen (US$0.13) […]

New item seeks to put four food categories in your hand all at once. In 1987, Japanese fast food chain Mos Burger debuted the rice burger, swapping out the classic hamburger bun for a pair of lightly grilled discs of rice. By combining the joys of hamburgers and rice, Mos made something doubly pleasing to […]

The Yukifuri Wagyu Obanazawa Sirloin and Rib Loin Steak Rice Box has a long name, a high price, and our stomach’s interest. With Tokyo Station being part of both the Tokaido and Tohoku Shinkansen lines, it’s the starting point for many journeys across Japan. But even before you step aboard the bullet train, your taste […]

Yes, fugu can kill you with its poison, but this one might kill us with cuteness. Feline lovers in Japan are getting set to celebrate the quasi-holiday of Cat Day later this month, but that’s not the only February day for animal lovers to circle on their calendars, as February 9 is a day to […]