Delicious Japan: Visiting Costco!

I love love love love LOVE love Costco.

My parents have had a Costco membership for as long as I can remember, and as a kid I would beg them to take me on their shopping trips. I would excitedly call up my friend who lived down the street and ask her if she wanted to come with us. Free samples, the food court that never disappoints, the aisle of office chairs that we used to stage races -- it was a magical place.

Although my days of armchair racing are over, it remains equally as magical because I can save money on things that I buy regularly. Until I studied abroad, I didn't know that Costco was an international chain.

How the conversation came up completely escapes me now, but I was lucky enough to be invited on a trip to Costco by a dorm mate who shared a membership with another student. Just like the trips I would make with my mom and dad, we went on a Saturday afternoon.

Getting there from our Tokyo suburb of Mitaka was something of an ordeal. It was a 15 minute bus ride from campus to the station, an hour and half train ride to Kawasaki Station, and then a loooooong walk to our destination...

...but the walk was so, so worth it.

Here's a short photo tour of my trip to Costco!

The Food Court

Almost the exact same setup as home. Some of the products were swapped out for more "localized" dining options... for example, the chicken bake was swapped out with a bulgogi (Korean beef) bake and the berry smoothie was replaced with a pineapple smoothie. I was surprised to see clam chowder on the menu as well, along with hot coffee and iced mochas... mmm!

I decided on just a regular slice of pizza. It was the exact same oversized, deliciously cheesy slice that you could get back in the US. Score!

The Food Aisles

Dorayaki (どら焼き) secretly disguised as pancakes --  maple & margarine flavor

In the refrigerator section: scallops, unagi (鰻) and whole octopus

Whole crabs for ~$15!

Samples of clementines. I don't think I've ever seen produce being sampled in the US...

Party tray of sushi -- only ~$25!

Smaller tray of sushi featuring sea urchin (雲丹) and salmon roe (イクラ)

Seafood pizza with whole shrimp, squid, and scallops

So much sake and shouchu (焼酎)!

Hard Goods

I didn't spend too much time browsing the non-food aisles (a.k.a a vast majority of the warehouse) because I knew it would be too hard to resist buying frivolous stuff. I couldn't help but snap a couple of pictures of these Japan-only items.

I could never use these... they are way too cute!

In case you ever need a bunch of perfectly square paper...

The Verdict

Costco in Japan is (unsurprisingly) every bit as awesome as it is in the US. It's nice to see that while they offer localized products that they still retain the same quality, quantity, and unbeatable pricing. Members in the US can use their membership in Japan with no cost, so it's definitely worth checking out if you are close to one.

The problem is that going to Costco without a vehicle was INCREDIBLY inconvenient. Since I was a study abroad student at the time I went, there was no possible way to do this. To carry my purchase back home, I purchased a jumbo-size reusable bag at the checkout line and ended up pulling a muscle in my side from carrying it back to the station. Not surprising, considering that it was filled with heavy jars, a 10 lb box of oats, frozen fruits in bulk, et cetera.

That being said, I can't wait to go back! I have already gotten my very own membership so I can go to the new location in Izumi after I get settled into my new apartment this summer! :)