Koshigaya Laketown

Hi there, I understand that Koshigaya Laketown has a Jusco/Aeon supermarket? Would like to confirm if the information is true? Is there also a Fancl outlet over there?

samsherlyn,

Yes, it's true. There's a largish Jusco supermarket there. (I think all Aeon shopping malls have one.)
According to the Fancl website, there is no outlet there. The nearest ones are in Omiya and Kawaguchi

Hi thanks..

Besides Jusco/Aeon, what other shops are over there?

Are there similar supermarkets in Tokyo itself rather than travellig a fairly long distance to Laketown?

I am actually looking for this snack, it's preserved hotate vacuum packed individually. I bought this at Narita's Aeon at 1600yen so i suppose that all Aeon/Jusco would have it too, I saw it at the airport but it was at 2500yen. Any idea where else has it?

Ameyoko might be worth a try - there is a supermarket there that has a lot of packaged foods that are good for souvenirs.
There is an entrance to it on either side of the temple that you can see from the trainline.


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gX0fBh3DVSw/S5oxklRGt-I/AAAAAAAACeI/gIpykVgQ...

It would be the best part of 1200Y return to get to Koshigaya lakeside from Tokyo station.

There's a Jusco at Aeon Shinagawa Seaside but it's puny and the selection of snacks (okashi and otsumami) is pretty limited. No comparison to the Jusco at Koshigaya-Laketown.

I would also like to find a really large supermarket closer to Tokyo and easily accessible on public transit, but I have yet to do so. The question has been raised on this forum, but all that seems to come up is small and medium-size places, so I guess maybe there just aren't any. It's easy to understand why. The last time I was in Tokyo I just gave up and went out to Laketown. Because the transit is at least efficient, and because it has not one but two large supermarkets and they have good prices, it ended up being worth the time and the transit fare for me. But I was buying a lot more than scallops!

I agree that Ameyokocho might be a good place to find that your hotate. I believe I've seen them there, and at a good price.

Thanks! I will be going to Ueno to take a look and also to Koshigaya Laketown to find other goodies and stock up some food for my 11 days stay in Japan. I will be using a JR pass so no issues with the train fare.

Well, if you just need "some food" it's probably not worth the trip out to Aeon Laketown, but if you like to shop (even just a little), you will likely get a kick out of it. Allow ample time, and I suggest going on a weekday if you can.

Here's their web site address, in case you don't have it. Japanese only, I'm afraid:
http://www.aeon-laketown.jp/

Any idea besides a supermarket, what is there over there?

For the most part it's standard mall chain stores. In a sense it's like Aeon Narita except much, much bigger.

If you go to the link I gave you and click on either Kaze or Mori in the upper right corner, and then click on Shop Guide in the resulting page, you will get floor maps that have at least some of the store names in English. It will give you an idea, at least.

I actually hate fashion and accessory and cosmetics and shoe stores, which in total occupy the lion's share of the mall. But there are enough other shops that do interest me (household goods; toys; gifts; stationery; imported foods; travel goods) that I could spend hours there. There's a big Vivre store that I like, and a Daiso 100-yen shop (not the best but okay), and a large sporting goods store, plus some others. Unfortunately, no Muji.

If you're interested in buying food, don't miss the fact that there is a Maruetsu in addition to a Jusco. (The mall is divided into two large sections, and each has a supermarket.) Both are good stores.

If you do end up going out there, I recommend thinking ahead of time how you will get stuff back to your hotel, especially if you plan to buy a lot of groceries. I actually brought a duffle bag with me the last time. Negotiating public transit with a bunch of grocery store bags can be difficult, plus it's considered tacky and people will stare at you.

Two? stops from Koshigaya Laketown is Shin Misato which has a Muji, H&M & a Kaldi that is a little less claustrophobic than most Kaldi. There is not a whole lot else of interest there - there is a supermarket but not any bigger than you would find in suburban Tokyo.

You don't have to go anything like that far out of Tokyo just to buy some food for your stay there! Where do you think Tokyo locals buy their food? While supermarkets can be hard to find in areas like Shinjuku or Shibuya, you only have to go one station out on local train lines from those big hubs and you will find residential suburbs, complete with supermarkets. They are not huge ones like Jusco, but you can certainly stock up on basics.

Sira,
I have to admit that for me, it's the superior okashi selection in the big supermarkets that makes it worth the longer trip out to Saitama. I have probably been to at least two dozen ordinary supermarkets in Tokyo--all of the major chains--as well as some big discount stores like Donki and various shops specializing in okashi, both western and Japanese. And I've been to Ameyokocho and Asakusa and Tsukiji and nearly every major depachika in Tokyo. I love exploring new stores every time I go to Japan. But for a certain class of hopeless Japanese snack food junkies like me, there is just no substitute for a really big supermarket.

I know that there are other people out there who share my affliction. Hopefully, the original poster isn't one of them, but Aeon Laketown is actually a pretty trippy place to go for people who happen to like, um, shopping malls!

Okay- I can't really imagine what kind of snack selection would make it worth going all the way up to central Saitama (I used to live in Koshigaya, so I know there's nothing else to do there) just to buy that kind of thing, but if it's your hobby, then sure! If people are thinking that they need to go all the way out there just to find an ordinary supermarket though, that is not the case- it would be a waste of money on train fare for one thing.

Just out of interest, have you been to any of the Okashi no Machioka branches?

Sira,
This thread is starting to veer off course and we should probably let it fade so as not to encourage addicts like myself, but in answer to your question, I've been to at least one Machioka (a smallish one in Akabane; the only place where I saw jasmine tea Kit Kats on that trip!) along with a few other stores in the same genre (I'm not yet hard core enough to keep track of their names). But if I could only go to one store on my next trip to Japan, I'd still probably pick a huge supermarket over an okashiya. (Fortunately, I don't have such a restriction.) Partly this is because of all the other things available in a big supermarket. This is one reason I like Aeon Laketown--besides hitting the food stores I can get a large portion of my other shopping (mainly small gifts for friends and relatives and also personal items for myself) done in one place in one day. I certainly wish it were a little closer to central Tokyo, but when you consider that JR goes right up to the doorstep and that it is a very comfortable place to shop (I love all the places to sit down, the excellent bathrooms, and the abundant free lockers so you don't have to schlep your purchases all over the place), I haven't found a better place yet (for me). I'm still looking!

You are always so considerate in your postings, and I agree that it is irresponsible to send hapless tourists all the way out to Saitama just to buy ordinary groceries. In truth, Aeon Laketown is nothing more than a humongous Western-style shopping mall, kind of like a Disney Resort of shopping venues. Hopefully the original poster has enough information now to make an informed decision of the value of heading out there. I wish she had gotten some more useful information about the specific locations of closer supermarkets (it actually isn't terribly common to just happen across a Seiyu or an Ito Yokado, on a typical tourist itinerary), but of course it all depends on where she is staying. It's impossible to list them all.

I first learned about Aeon Laketown on a forum like this, and I really appreciated hearing about it, which is one reason why I sometimes share information about the place. It surely isn't for everyone, though!

Hi all, I thank you for all your comments. I've wanted to visit Aeon at Koshigaya as some items that I want are either not available or more expensive. I'm not there just for the preserved hotates. There are some other snacks I'm particularly for and cooking items as well.

I've been to the Aeon at Narita and it has the items I need and went to Narita as a friend was staying over there. However, I'm heading to Koshigaya as it's nearer for me and more convenient.

I'm not worried about the cost of traveling either as I've got a JR Pass where it will not be utilized for that day.

What time does Aeon Laketown Supermarker close in Winter (mid Jan)? Will I be in time for some grocery shopping if I reach at 8pm?