Supermarket in Tokyo

Hi everyone !! I'm living in Tokyo, Shibuya near Ikejiri Ohashi. DO you know some cheapest supermarket/ hypermarket near here ? Cause kombini it's expensive and rice it's expensive too....?! Are you kidding me ?? HERE ?! Rice ???
In US is 98 cents, c'mon !!!

Thank you guys : )

Please take a look at the at the other question:

Cheapest groceries in Tokyo

It may help you too.

Regarding rice price you may get the best prices about 1450 Y per 5kg. or a little better if you buy 10 kg.

The only country I founded cheap rice was Thailand 25-30% than Japan price, in Europe good rice is 60-75% than Japan price.

Rice as well flour are the most common overpriced foods for market issues.

Vegetables are another expensive stuffs, but if you want to eat only cabbages, horse-carrots, and some traditional vegetables that easily grows here are not expensive.
I can tell for experience that this is not at all friendly country to grow westerns vegetables; therefore if items are only imported like bananas you easy find 1,5 kg 100yen (that is a good price for apes), pineapple may be cheap too.

But vegetables and fruit in general are really hard to grow for several reasons. A regular size tomato is all year long 100 yen there is not summer or winter price, as well for paprika, eggplants and other.

Then you can also get 1 melon, or 1 grapefruit grasp, or any special cared fruit for 10.000 yen to make a friend gift. (Actually if I take to my Italian friend a melon or grape, and he/she know I paid it 100 euro, he/she will think I am weird or mentally sick person, or will ask to have the receipt to return it at the shop and have the money instead.)

I know it sound strange, often is out of our foreigners mind, but this is Japan.

What we can do is to find where the food has the better price, and believe to me there are many places. The problem is that, each shop has only some good priced items. Therefore is a matter to learn and go in different places to get the best price of the selection we need.

Simple and effective.

Cause kombini it's expensive and rice it's expensive too....?!

Don't do your grocery shopping at conbini. The small sizes and convenience means that everything will cost relatively more there than at a regular supermarket.

Are you kidding me ?? HERE ?! Rice ???
In US is 98 cents, c'mon !!!

Yes, rice in Japan is relatively expensive (I estimate about $1.75-2.00 per pound on the low end), but what type of rice are you comparing against?

High grade Japanese rice in the US (roughly equivalent to average grade rice in Japan) costs about $40 for 20 pounds, or more if you buy from specialty outlets. You can find similar quality rice at supermarkets in Japan for around 3000 yen for 10 kg, which is roughly the same price as in the US.

If you are trying to save money try shopping at Seiyu which carries Chinese grown Japanese rice. It costs about 1300 yen per 5kg.

Then you can also get 1 melon, or 1 grapefruit grasp, or any special cared fruit for 10.000 yen to make a friend gift. (Actually if I take to my Italian friend a melon or grape, and he/she know I paid it 100 euro, he/she will think I am weird or mentally sick person, or will ask to have the receipt to return it at the shop and have the money instead.)

Think of the expensive fruit like bottles of wine. The 10000 yen bottles/fruit are rare and for special occasions or gifts, while the 1000 yen bottles/fruit, though maybe just as tasty, are common and more suited for everyday eating.

I do not understand the previous answer seems to want to add something not needed.

I was talking japanese rice prices not China.

About over-prices stuffs in japan there is no real control over selling prices, in other words, you may found out you silly to buy extremely high priced, but cheap stuffs.
As well you may find gasoline 35% overpriced, when your gasoline thank is low in an you are in isolated area (i was really astonished about this, therefore now on when I go long travel I take my extra gasoline thank 20 liters. I do not like to say thanks those places overprice you because you cannot get gasoline around 100km.

About the wine... Wine is wine, most of fruit taste wine are cheap, no reason to pay 10.000 yen for bottle. But unknown stuffs here may be dramatically overpriced since the seller is looking for silly buyers.

Sauvignon may remind peach test, but does not mean peach wine which is light wine not good ageing storing, it mean is a short life wine.
The main difference between Japanese and westerns is the basic prices know how about know the price, (thought is not easy to define.) In Japan it works out much by the end market and other factors and against foreigners companies direct sell.

Anyway gasoline, and basic stuffs cost all alike worldwide depend if you find the way to buy them.

Free overpricing in Japan is the real issue.

But you can find the good shop (sometime joust to buy one stuff) one by one, since this is Japan...

I do not understand the previous answer seems to want to add something not needed.
I was talking japanese rice prices not China.

Read the thread again and you will understand that we are talking about Japanese rice prices. I mentioned imported chinese rice for comparison as it is just starting to be sold as a lower cost alternative to more expensive domestic rice.

About over-prices stuffs in japan there is no real control over selling prices, in other words, you may found out you silly to buy extremely high priced, but cheap stuffs.

Yes, there is control. Its how a free market economy works, and is exercised when consumers shop around to find low prices. And remember, just because something is advertised at a high price does not mean it will sell at that high price.

As well you may find gasoline 35% overpriced

Compared to what? If you are talking urban vs rural gas stations in Japan then your numbers are way off. Average gas prices only vary about 10 yen per liter, or about 7% compared to today's average of 135 yen/L. You can look up nationwide gas prices here:

http://gogo.gs/

About the wine... Wine is wine, most of fruit taste wine are cheap, no reason to pay 10.000 yen for bottle. But unknown stuffs here may be dramatically overpriced since the seller is looking for silly buyers.

You are missing the point. People pay a lot for expensive fruit as they would pay a lot for expensive wine. It is not an everyday thing, and "silly buyers" do not buy it. No one buys expensive fruit unless you specifically want to buy expensive fruit. Cheap fruit is far more plentiful and common.

The main difference between Japanese and westerns is the basic prices know how about know the price, (thought is not easy to define.) In Japan it works out much by the end market and other factors and against foreigners companies direct sell.

So you are saying that the difference is that westerners know prices better and therefore will not pay the higher prices that Japanese naively pay? Thats simply wrong.

I think the problem is that you are making unrealistic comparisons that don't take into consideration that different countries have different economies and different cultural values that affect prices. Something costing more in one place than another doesn't necessarily mean its overpriced.

Anyway gasoline, and basic stuffs cost all alike worldwide depend if you find the way to buy them.

Free overpricing in Japan is the real issue.

No, basic items and especially gasoline vary wildly in price around the world. Japan is high in comparison to most places and yes there is protectionism built into system (domestic rice for example), but you'll have to do a better job convincing me that Japan is so drastically overpriced and the stores just prey on naive shoppers.

Anytime one writes clear about Japan there is someone writing the opposite, just to paint it of a different color.
I do not know your driving experience in Japan, but I can tell that in rural areas you can find gasoline that cost 35% more than the city, and highway price range, just because you cannot find it, then you want me to look at something which does not show unlisted selling prices...
"You'll have to do a better job convincing me that Japan is so drastically overpriced and the stores just prey on naive shoppers."

I am sorry, but I am not here to convince you I am telling what I see.
"I think the problem is that you are making unrealistic comparisons that don't take into consideration that different countries have different economies and different cultural values that affect prices. Something costing more in one place than another doesn't necessarily mean its overpriced."
N
ice writing, but it makes not much sense, everywhere you can see that most of things are overpriced, but if you are able to see it, and if you know the real value, no matter different culture. Please, I was not writing to convince you, but why you got mad to convince me?
You got the point, of naive shoppers, as well are some foreigners here. Many Japanese go abroad to enjoy shopping, do you know?
Overpriced to me is any imported stuff that goes 4 to 8 time the original price, and for domestic items is to give a "special value." Going back to a melon, could you let me know how many in Europe will pay 100-150 euro for a special melon or grapes? Probably if I believe is a work of art... But, you can find it on sell in thousands shops around Japan. Well I do not want to finger at Japanese saying naive shoppers, let say different, as I am too.

Anytime one writes clear about Japan there is someone writing the opposite, just to paint it of a different color.

If you post questionable or wrong answers then you should fully expect someone else to correct you.

I do not know your driving experience in Japan

Shall we compare driving experience? I live in a semi-rural area and drive daily, visiting both extremely urban and extremely rural areas. I have driven in every prefecture except Kochi, Ehime, Ibaraki, Yamaguchi and Yamagata. How about you?

but I can tell that in rural areas you can find gasoline that cost 35% more than the city, and highway price range, just because you cannot find it, then you want me to look at something which does not show unlisted selling prices...

Let me be more blunt. A 35% difference is a ridiculous. In today's prices that means gas is about 40 yen higher in the countryside! In reality, average city gas prices tend to be HIGHER than gas in the countryside. But don't take my word for it, various Japanese industry associations, such as the Japan Oil Information Center, publish similar data that shows these trends:

http://oil-info.ieej.or.jp/

Then again, you obviously have no basis for your argument since you are relying on "unlisted selling prices". Show us some published proof, but if it doesn't exist then it doesn't exist.

I am sorry, but I am not here to convince you I am telling what I see.

Like I said earlier, you do not have to convince anyone here, but expect to those of us that live in and know Japan to point out when your observations are not normal.

Nice writing, but it makes not much sense, everywhere you can see that most of things are overpriced, but if you are able to see it, and if you know the real value, no matter different culture.

What do you think determines the real value of something? The price of it in its country of origin? The lowest worldwide price? The cost of production? The price people are willing to pay at the point of sale? How does that differ between luxury goods and commodities? How do you set the "real price" of a carrot? A Toyota car? An iPad?

You got the point, of naive shoppers, as well are some foreigners here. Many Japanese go abroad to enjoy shopping, do you know?

No, you have failed to prove your point. They are not naive shoppers, just regular shoppers. You also fail to realize that going abroad to shop actually increases your cost to acquire those goods?

Overpriced to me is any imported stuff that goes 4 to 8 time the original price, and for domestic items is to give a "special value."

4 to 8 times the amount sounds high, but its impossible to determine if its overpriced unless we know specifically what you are talking about. You also seem to disregard the fact that the cost of import and/or the rarity of an item will naturally increase its selling price.

You are also are incorrect to assume that the expensive fruit are just repackaged regular fruit sold at inflated prices to increase their value. They are in most cases different fruit altogether from the regular fruit on the shelves, or in some cases you are paying for value added by the actual packaging.

Going back to a melon, could you let me know how many in Europe will pay 100-150 euro for a special melon or grapes?

It doesn't matter because it is culturally irrelevant.

Italman,

The Europeans DO buy expensive fruits, wines etc. haven't you heard about the food sold in Harrods store in London, Fauchon, Hediard and the Bon Marche in Paris?

http://www.harrods.com/gifts/fine-wine
they sell one bottle of Chateau Petrus St Emilion (France)for 4.995 UK pounds... it is a normal size bottle too (3/4 of a litre)

Fauchon sell wedding cakes for 500 Euros, a basket of fruits for 120 Euros (plus 35 Euros delivery charge), chocolate for a few euros each bite-size piece...

Porthault is a store in Paris selling bed linen and table cloths, towels etc. a few years ago they had a table cloth (embroidered by hand) that was on sale for just over 1000 Euros. A basic bed set (2 sheets, pillow cases, bedspread) cost several thousands Euros...

Then there are the leather bags made by Hermes, Lanvin etc. that cost from 5000 to 40 000 euros..

All these stores have lots of customers...

Goods from great Italian designers aren't that cheap either...Before raving and rating about Japanese prices DO learn about the world..

Both, previous answers are generalizing.
The first, about gasoline, yes you got the point i funded in rural area more than 30 yen difference! At that time instead of refill the tank I asked only 10 liters,joust to go to the next gas station. About the rice, is quite meaningless to talk because there are a lot of considerations.

The second stating that in Europe, to find and buy such high priced, items is common as it is in Japan, and this is dramatically meaningless to talk.

You are right guys! I do not know anything about prices, I only travel in my country and Japan, as well at the end to paint it with another color, now for both of you all the world it is all alike.

I said Europe because you might be from there..but both high prices and low prices are found everywhere.

Including Japan..I don't spend that much on food when in Japan yet eat healthy food. But then my buddy is Japanese and know where to go.

Your problems are two fold.
One: you will say anything to win the debate, and can't accept that 2 people can have a different opinion yet be BOTH right. Expensive or cheap depends on personal circumstances, not on the actual price of a good.

Two: your English is quite confusing and this sort of changes the meaning of what you are trying to say..

Is this forum for debate? Why can't people express their own experience? Do you always have to debate with the person who explained his or her view? I wonder if these people who try to debate are the ones from the owner of this website. I do feel very offensive to say your English is confusing. If I said, "You have a poor command of the English language as well. ", would you like that?

hie,

A forum, by definition, is a venue for expressing ideas. You are free to say whatever you want, but realize that if your experiences are atypical, blatant stereotyping, or simply wrong then people WILL refute you. That is naturally how a forum works, and is how we collectively get to the "best" answer.

So the answer to your question is, yes, responsible forum members SHOULD post counter arguments when someone else experiences do not accurately represent reality. If this debate isn't happening, then the forum is broken and becomes useless.