Tokyo can be a foodie’s heaven on earth when it comes to restaurant selection. So while it might be hard at first not to follow your nose into the multitude of establishments seeping out smells of grilled, fried or bubbling goodness, after awhile you might just want some home-cooked meal—for either nostalgic,  health or budgetary objectives. Whatever your reason may be, we recently stumbled across a Tokyo supermarket to support the ultimate cheapo lifestyle: A-Colle Discount Supermarket. It’s an Aeon-brand chain of discounted grocery stores spread across the greater Tokyo area. There are 100 stores in Tokyo, Saitama and Chiba—check the store listings page to find the closest one to you (use Google Translate if you can’t read Japanese).

a-colle discount market
Photo by Adriana Mazza

And while not everything in the store is dirt cheap, much of it is. The trick is to choose the “Aeon” brand items over the brand name items that are sold alongside. Below is a list of staple grocery and kitchen items and their prices (including tax) to compare with your local supermarket.

ITEM PRICE* (TAX INCLUDED)
Drinks
Bottle of water (500 mL)48 yen
Bottle of tea (500 mL)48 yen
Canned “vending machine” coffee30 yen to 78 yen (depends on brand)
Asahi “Dry” (6 short cans)1070 yen
Asahi “Dry” (500 mL)255 yen
Kirin (500 mL)255 yen
Aeon Beer (tall can)135 yen
Guiness (short can)258 yen
Heineken (short can)218 yen
Lowenbrau (short can)218 yen
Meat/Fish/Protein
Chicken (100 g)90 yen
Chicken (3 small cutlets)144 yen
Beef (100 g)98 yen
Pork (100 gm)128 yen
Maguro tuna (150 g)298 yen
Frozen shrimp (140 g)278 yen
10 eggs white204 yen
10 eggs brown218 yen
Soft tofu (400 g)30-50 yen
Firm tofu (400 g)98 yen
“Spongy” tofu (5 slices)88 yen
Dry/Shelf Goods
Instant noodles bowl (large)58 yen
Instant ramen (5 pack)158 yen
Instant soba (5 pack)298 yen
Aeon brand soy sauce (540 mL)98 yen
Bread (8 thin slices or 6 thick slices)78 yen
Refrigerated
Bio Yogurt (4 pack)198 yen
Tropicana orange juice (1 L carton)198 yen
Lemon tea (1 L carton)198 yen
Frozen fries (1 kg)198 yen
Aeon milk  (1 L carton)105 yen
Produce
3 medium-sized onions98 yen
4 potatoes98 yen
4 bananas198 yen
Enokitake mushrooms38 yen
Bunashimeji mushrooms80 yen
Edamame276 yen
Watermelon (large/small)980/598 yen
Kitchen Supplies 
30 plastic cups131 yen
4 paper towel rolls150 yen
Swiffer-type sheets78 yen
Dish soap (600 mL)68 yen
Saran wrap, aluminum foil, etc. (Aeon brand)58 yen
Bleach78 yen
Snacks
Small popcorn bag (50 g)68 yen
Small chips (58 g)68 yen
Bag of mini Kit Kats235 yen
Prepared/Ready-to-eat Foods
Bento with meat and rice198 to 298 yen
Yakisoba bento398 yen
Onigiri (rice ball)68 yen

*Prices are listed at the time of writing (Ikebukuro location) and are not guaranteed. 

Suggested Activity
Mount Fuji Day Trip with Private Driver
Spend a day exploring Mount Fuji and the area around it with this private, fully customizable tour - from all around Kawaguchiko Lake and up to the Mount Fuji Fifth Station.

A few observations to keep in mind:

1) They lack in the veggie department and some are not any cheaper than a regular grocery store. Try Hanamasa, another cheapo-friendly supermarket, for a larger selection.

2) The meat isn’t too pricey, but they only offer the standard chicken, beef and pork. Again, try the above-mentioned Hanamasa for a diverse selection of meats like duck, lamb, etc.

3) Many kitchen items are way cheaper than purchasing them at our beloved 100-yen shops.

4) Watermelons (when in season) do not cost upwards of 100 dollars as proclaimed by Western media. A large one is 980 yen.

Locations:

Asaka, Chiba City, Chuo, Edogawa, Fujimino, Funabashi, Ichikawa, Itabashi, Kawaguchi, Koshigaya, Matsudo, Musashino, Narashino, Nerima, Saitama City, Toda, Tokorozawa, Warabi

Written by:
Adriana's Tokyo favorites are: Mizumoto Park, Gokokuji Temple Tokyo
Filed under: Eating & Drinking | Living
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