Most foreign visitors stick to the well known tourist sites and seldom leave the worn paths leading to them. If you do that, you’ll certainly have an enjoyable time in Japan, however, you’ll also be missing out on so much more. You don’t have to venture far into the countryside to experience places and things that are “off the beaten path”. Some of these places are right under your nose as you walk around Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and other cities. What I’m talking about is the food basement of any major department store.
In the U.S., department stores were in their prime 50 to 60 years ago, but that changed with the modern day shopping mall in the suburbs. Although there are a few such malls in Japan, most of the big retail shopping is still done in the central business districts of the cities. The result is a dymanic experience unlike anything else you’re likely to find.
Just locate the nearest Daimaru, Takashimaya, Hankyu, Sogo or Meitetsu department store and prepare to be amazed. Most of these are ten to twelve stories tall, capped on the upper floors with numerous restaurants and sometimes outdoor gardens. But its the basement level that so often attracts us.
Most department stores have two basement levels that you may not know exist. One is typically that of a grocery store offering just what you might imagine for one’s pantry. That floor will also very often include dozens of individual stands offering freshly prepared pre-packaged foods from handheld fried fish on a stick to chicken wings, or from sushi to salads or complete meals of tonkatsu or soba. This floor tends to get very busy late in the afternoon as people stop in on their way home to grab a meal to take with them. As the hours pass, the vendors begin calling out their special discounts as they attempt to clear out their inventory for the day. You can get some really good deals starting around 6 PM. But wait, there’s more!
One of the two basement levels will often feature pastries and bakeries unlike anything you’ll find in the U.S. Again, the floor is covered with dozens of displays and kiosks offering the most incredible desserts. Some of the desserts are that of traditional Japanese sweets such as wagashi, nerikiri or yokan, made of sweetened rice dough and bean past. They are packaged beautifully and are a feast for the eye. Many others are of a western bent, featuring French, Belgian and German pastries that boggle the mind in their appearance.
We very often visit these basement levels late in the afternoon or after dinner to pick up a dessert to take back to our room. Or if we’re in Tokyo, we’ll take the treat to the Yaesu Terrace or if in Nagoya we’ll go to the Skye Terrace across from the main station. These desserts are both delicious and amazing to look at. So when in Japan, step out of the concrete jungle of the streets, and venture down into the basement food halls of the department stores for an experience not too many foreigners enjoy. Just another part of Uncharted Japan!
