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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Gaijin Gourmet: Best Place to Buy Fresh Vegetables and Fruit in Tokyo!

By Mike in Tokyo Rogers


I've found another fantastic place that I just must introduce. It is a fresh produce and fish shop near Okachimachi station in eastern Tokyo. The shop is called, "Sakana no Yakata." It is a chain store run by a company called Yoshiike.


Sakana no Yakata - Go out South exit of Okachimachi station. Turn left. 5 seconds walk.


Folks, I went to that store for the first time ever and I was totally floored by how fresh the produce was and how incredibly cheap the prices were. It is the closet thing to a real Farmer's Market that I have ever seen in Japan.



The shop was packed with people on a weekday. They had tons of items on sale. Some items, like strawberries, I haven't seen on sale in quite a while.


Other items, like fresh bananas with five bananas in a pack sold for ¥30 yen (35 cents) a pack! My local store, which is dirt cheap (or so I thought) sells them for almost three times that price!

Look for the huge cod

Go out Okachimachi South Exit #1 and look to the left. You'll see "Sakana no Yakata" (魚の館）on the corner. Here is a map.


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15 comments:

  1. MarkAugust 28, 2010 at 12:07 PM

    Hey Mike, I am there everyday, and if you want to get it even cheaper go towards the end of the day. They want to sell out everything, so some places will literally start dumping the price and doing the omake thing. Great way of getting your food for dinner and dirt cheap.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laurier TiernanAugust 28, 2010 at 12:11 PM

    Awesome post. I love seeing these rare things that suit the vegetarian crowd.

    ReplyDelete
  3. mike in tokyo rogersAugust 28, 2010 at 12:12 PM

    Wow! Mark! You live in a very cool place! I love downtown Tokyo! Next time I go there, let's have a beer!

    ReplyDelete
  4. mike in tokyo rogersAugust 28, 2010 at 12:13 PM

    Laurier! You are a vegetarian? No wonder you look healthy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 28, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    is there a time they will close?
    intend to visit tomorrow though..probably afternoon... still have good buys? for groceries and stuff

    ReplyDelete
  6. Drunken KunoichiMay 19, 2011 at 8:11 AM

    Thanks so much for this! I just moved to Tokyo and I'm used to inaka prices!!! I eat 80% fruit and veggies and my wallet has been crying! Do you know of any others in Tokyo?

    Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousOctober 15, 2011 at 10:02 PM

    can you please tell me where this store is? i cant find it on map.

    Okachimachi stations are near UENO but this is not west tokyo.

    thankx

    ReplyDelete
  8. mike in tokyo rogersOctober 16, 2011 at 6:46 AM

    Oops! Right. Okachimachi station is eastern Tokyo. Here is the URl* http://www.yoshiike-group.co.jp/floor/fish.html

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousOctober 17, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    thankx man, i found it and went there yesterday. i live near iibashi. just a short ride to the store. lots of fish and veg/fruits. 10 bananas for 150Y, unbeaten in tokyo.do you know where to buy cheap chicken fillets and other meats?

    tahnkx

    ReplyDelete
  10. mike in tokyo rogersOctober 18, 2011 at 6:14 AM

    Dear Anonymous! Thank YOU! Anyone help with where to buy chicken, etc?

    ReplyDelete
  11. RolfJune 9, 2012 at 12:21 PM

    Any updates, eg photos of recent prices of fruit, eg bananas?
    Fish prices?
    Shopfront still the same?

    How do these Sakana no Yokata prices compare to the fruit and vegie prices etc of the suburb of Ota's/south Tokyo/west of Haneda Airport's 'Metropolitan Central Wholsale Market/Ota Market'?

    ReplyDelete
  12. mike in tokyo rogersDecember 11, 2012 at 4:35 PM

    Hey Rolf,
    I just got off the train at Kita-Sando station on the Fukutoshin Line and asked the Station master "Is Okachimachi in Eastern Tokyo?" He said, "Okachimachi is in eastern Tokyo."
    So don't argue with me about it. Argue with them. Okachimachi is in Taito-Ku, definitely Eastern Tokyo. See for yourself: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Tait%C5%8D-ku_in_Tokyo_Prefecture_Ja.svg/250px-Tait%C5%8D-ku_in_Tokyo_Prefecture_Ja.svg.png

    ReplyDelete
  13. UnknownOctober 6, 2013 at 5:36 PM

    Hello!

    I've just moved into Tokyo; the prices of fruits and vegetables here are insane! Was wondering if this place is still there?

    Thank you!

    Charlotte

    ReplyDelete
  14. mike in tokyo rogersOctober 7, 2013 at 7:44 AM

    Dear Charlotte!
    Sorry... The place isn't there anymore!

    ReplyDelete
  15. UnknownSeptember 27, 2016 at 1:20 PM

    any similar place in tokyo

    ReplyDelete

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