Japanese
Korean
Supermarket and street stalls
❃ Supermarket and street stalls
-
買い物かごはどこですか。
[ Kaimonokago wa doko desu ka. ] -
Where are the shopping baskets?
-
醤油はどこにありますか。
[ Shouyu wa doko ni arimasu ka. ] -
Where is the soy sauce?
-
三番の通路にあります。
[ Sanban no tsuuro ni arimasu. ] -
It's in aisle 3.
-
これは国産ですか、輸入品ですか。
[ Kore wa kokusan desu ka, yunyuuhin desu ka. ] -
Is this domestic or imported?
-
これは半額です。
[ Kore wa hangaku desu. ] -
This is half price.
-
割引シールが貼ってあります。
[ Waribiki shiiru ga hatte arimasu. ] -
There's a discount sticker on it.
-
試食してもいいですか。
[ Shishoku shite mo ii desu ka. ] -
May I taste this?
-
これを二百グラムください。
[ Kore o nihyakuguramu kudasai. ] -
Please give me 200 grams of this.
-
とても新鮮ですね。
[ Totemo shinsen desu ne. ] -
It's very fresh.
-
この野菜は何ですか。
[ Kono yasai wa nan desu ka. ] -
What is this vegetable?
-
袋は有料ですか。
[ Fukuro wa yuuryou desu ka. ] -
Do I need to pay for the bag?
-
セルフレジはあちらです。
[ Serufureji wa achira desu. ] -
The self-checkout is over there.
-
夜店（屋台）に行きましょう。
[ Yomise (Yatai) ni ikimashou. ] -
Let's go to the night stalls (food stands).
-
たこ焼きを一つください。
[ Takoyaki o hitotsu kudasai. ] -
One order of takoyaki, please.
-
食べ歩きしてもいいですか。
[ Tabearuki shite mo ii desu ka. ] -
Is it okay to eat while walking?
Exploring Japanese supermarkets and local street markets offers a fascinating glimpse into the culinary rhythms of the nation. In supermarkets, an essential cultural tip for budget-conscious travelers is to shop in the early evening. Around 7:00 PM, staff begin applying discount stickers to fresh items like bento boxes, sushi, and baked goods that must be sold that day. You will see stickers saying "Waribiki" (割引 - Discount) or the highly coveted "Hangaku" (半額 - Half price). Snatching up a half-price premium sushi box is a thrilling local experience. When navigating markets like Tsukiji in Tokyo or Kuromon in Osaka, you might be offered a free sample. To politely ask to try something, you can say "Shishoku shite mo ii desu ka?" (試食してもいいですか - May I taste this?). However, a strict cultural rule comes into play when buying street food from food stalls, known as "Yatai" (屋台): walking while eating, known as "Tabearuki" (食べ歩き), is generally considered extremely bad manners in Japan. It is viewed as messy and disrespectful to both the food and the people around you. When you buy a skewer of yakitori or a stick of candied strawberries, you are expected to step to the side, stand directly next to the stall, and finish your food there. This also solves a major problem for tourists: the shocking lack of public trash cans in Japan. By eating at the stall, you can hand your empty wrappers and bamboo skewers directly back to the vendor for them to throw away. Understanding this unspoken rule of eating stationary keeps the crowded, narrow market streets clean and ensures you remain a polite, respectful visitor in the eyes of the locals.
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