Currently in Tokyo there is a run on food, its a bit scarce as people are hording for possible aftershock or nuclear problems. And of course there is like no food in Tohoku. But here is a bit about how things normally are.
Depachika are a ubiquitous service in Japanese department stores, depachika means "deparment store basement" and it refers to the food stalls and shops that populate the lower floors of Japan's many department stores.
Please just install this in my kitchen XD
These are a great place to grab a snack or meal during your lunch break or on the way home from work. Depachika include a wide variety of foods, from breads to sweets to fried foods, bentos, salads, drinks etc.
You can get a full meal or just purchase elements to add to your own cooking.
Another feature that many people love about depachika is the free sampling! Haha! Many of the shops are known to be liberal with samples as a way to entice people to buy their products. I have hear of people feeding themselves entirely on depachika samples XD
Busy with customers!
All the photos from this post are from the Takashimaya depachika, which I went through on a whim while I was in Nihonbashi trying to exchange my money. I had never had a real reason to go in one before, so I was curious about it!
I am actually really shy about free samples, because I am too easily cracked under sales pressure, and I don't like eating in public. But I still really liked seeing all the different foods, and the housewives out for the afternoon.
It's a cheap and easily accessed activity as there are depachika all around Tokyo. I'm sure they aren't as fully stocked as they used to be now, but hopefully Tokyo will be back to its normal self soon^^
