Food/Groceries in Japan

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by MMM

They probably were, Samurai. I saved by working a part-time job at night, but that didn't allow me to learn to cook. I am not saying cooking for yourself is wrong in any way...I just wasn't smart or motivated enough to do it.

Yeah, a night job would mean less time to prepare a meal. But I should add that moving to Japan was also my 1st time moving out of my parents' house, and my 1st time cooking for myself. That's why I stuck to relatively simple things like scrambled eggs, pan-fried pork chops or chicken, and 3 ingredient super-easy stir fry, and I learned through trial and error what to do and what not to do.

[MMM]

It was my first time living alone, too. That's also part of the reason I got the baito, because hanging out alone wasn't something I wanted to do.

[cridgit001]

What is baito?

[MMM]

Originally Posted by cridgit001

What is baito?

part-time job.

[cridgit001]

Ah, thanks, I did actually google that before I asked but came up dry.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by cridgit001

Ah, thanks, I did actually google that before I asked but came up dry.

It's short for "arubaito" which came from the German "arbeit" meaning "part time job"

[Firebird]

Originally Posted by MMM

It's short for "arubaito" which came from the German "arbeit" meaning "part time job"

"Arbeit" actually just means work, not part time work, but anyway, back to the topic:
Ive had alot of trouble in the first days to find anything in the supermarket so here´s my tip:
Start with eating out (its not sooo expensive), but also try to slowly get some easy things, like cupramen, spaghetti, etc... you cant make mistakes.
After you got used to the Japanese signs and layout (that doesnt mean that you can read them!) you will get around a Super quicker, so you can try to cook more fancy things. Also if you can speak a little bit Japanese and know the word for the stuff you need, than you can always ask the Staff.
I found Food in Japan not so expensive as at home, so you can also do a trial and error. If its a 100yen and your not sure if it is what you need, just get it and see, gets fun after a while.
Like Nyororin said, cooking for yourself is off course cheaper, but i felt the difference between precooked food and homemade stuff is not so big like in Europe. I also find it alot easier to cook for 2 or more people than only for myself, but maybe thats just me.

Well, im sure youll get around after some time

[Hatredcopter]

I find cooking for myself in Japan to be pretty cheap and easy, even when I was a student here a couple years ago. Lots of produce is pretty inexpensive, and soba noodles are dirt cheap. I can throw together a nice sized stir fry (with beef!) for a mere 340 yen, and that takes about 5 minutes to cook in just in a frying pan with very little mess.

A lot of baked goods are also quite cheap in Japan, too.

One thing I can recommend is to go to the grocery store after about 8:30 (might differ depending on the store) and a lot of items will be marked down (bentos, bakery items, sometimes meat/produce).

[TalnSG]

What you probably should focus on is small portions and buying fresh ingredients daily, or every other day. At first that will seem like a hassle, but eventually it will become habit and you will appreciate the fresh quality, despite the more frequent buying trips. This will cut down on the need for storage and space to cook.

Soups and rice prepared with multiple portions will probably be ok. Rice gets used up quickly. Soup can be kept at room temp for a while as long as it can be brought to a boil before eating it, but be careful about the ingredients. Meats in soups spoil faster than vegetables and broth at room temp. If you want a thick soup, puree veggies. Don't be tempted to add any form of milk. Creamed soups do not keep well without refrigeration and they can't be boiled without lots of practice.

I haven't lived in Japan, but I went through this when I remodeled my kitchen. Doing it myself meant I was living with only a hot plate & microwave for several months, so I had the same issues MMM mentioned with it just being easier to eat out. But that got old and sometimes expensive.

[bELyVIS]

I used rice alot. Curry roux added to fried ground beef or chicken with vegatables. Ground beef with green pepper and garlic with tomato sauce and hot sauce with rice is good. soup is always easy. But you will need to eat out once in awhile since you will get bored. But cooking yourself is always cheaper.