When shopping in Japan, you grow accustomed to not recognizing brands and having a difficult time understanding package labeling. Costco is refreshing, in that it's more-or-less just like its American equivalent, right down to the American brands and English labels. The biggest differences we spotted were that the largest package of "bulk flour" is a 3kg box, and the sushi selection is slightly improved:
There is a bit more emphasis on fish in the meat department, and a few other "ethnic" items sprinkled throughout, but on the whole, the Tokyo Costco might have been plopped down in Kirkland, San Francisco, or just about anywhere else in the US and the average shopper might not notice the differences.
Interestingly, and I can not remember if I've already blogged about this so please indulge me if I have, the only rice available is Japanese domestically produced, the largest bag available is 5 or 10 kg, and the cost is probably 4x what an equivalent quantity of rice would cost in the US (current global rice prices notwithstanding). It seems strange to me that for a people who consume as much rice per capita as the Japanese, rice would be so dear. However, I have it on good authority that this anomoly is due to there being no demand for rice in Japan that is not domestically produced. People here prefer to purchase domestically produced rice over imported rice, no matter the price.
At any rate, the biggest difference US and Japanese Costcos became clear shortly after check-out when we stopped for snacks:
Yes, this is an unattended shopping cart parking lot for newly purchased groceries, and the photo does not do justice to its scale. Details like these are what I enjoy the most about Japan.
And no post would be complete without a picture of Robert to keep the grandparents (and the rest of us) happy, so without further ado, here he is, sporting a sweater knitted by Sarah's mother:
3 comments:
Is it just the picture or is Robert's hair already getting darker? -Cammy
Hey When you guys going to use some airmiles and come visit us in Singapore?!
-Marika
I found the bit about the unattended shopping carts very interesting...Ireland generally is much safer in that respect than the States. One of our residents recently left her purse in a busy department store, and someone had actually taken it to lost and found, and I hear stories like this all the time. Although, another big grocery/department store has trolley lockers outside its cafe...
And the most unbelievable thing happened while I was visiting a botanical garden in Oslo: I asked a woman with a baby in a pram where the toilets were, and she said she was headed there, so we walked together.
She showed me where they were, and said she had to park her baby in the shade. There was enough room for her to take him into the restrooms, but she left him unattended outside!!!
Anyway, take care!!
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