Introducing all the Taiwanese food stores in Ikebukuro where you can buy Taiwanese food!
台湾食品・ドリンク
Did you know that you can buy Taiwanese food in Ikebukuro?
The north exit of Ikebukuro is known as “Ikebukuro Chinatown,” and there are many stores where you can buy authentic foodstuffs from Asian countries that you can’t buy in Japan.
So let’s take a look at all the Taiwanese stores in Ikebukuro where you can buy Taiwanese food!
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Are you looking for Taiwanese food products in Tokyo or nearby Saitama? ]
Ikebukuro is located in Toshima-ku, Tokyo, and is one of Tokyo’s most popular shopping areas along with Shinjuku and Shibuya.
The number of daily passengers is the third largest in the world after Shinjuku and Shibuya!
There are a total of eight train lines that can be used: JR (Yamanote Line, Shonan Shinjuku Line, Saikyo Line), Tokyo Metro (Marunouchi Line, Yurakucho Line, Fukutoshin Line), Tobu Tojo Line, and Seibu Ikebukuro Line.
It is no wonder that the station is ranked third in the world in terms of the number of daily passengers, making it a huge terminal station.
The area around Ikebukuro Station is lined with large commercial facilities, offering a wide variety of shopping options. There are also Rikkyo University, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, and small theaters a short distance away. There is also a wide range of people who use Ikebukuro, including anime enthusiasts, and it can be said that Ikebukuro is a town where various cultures are mixed together.
What is Ikebukuro Chinatown?
When you exit the west exit (north) of Ikebukuro Station, you may be surprised to find yourself in a foreign land where Chinese language is flying around. However, even though it is called “Chinatown,” you won’t find the gates of Pairou or the brightly colored signs typical of Chinatown.
So how did it come to be called “Ikebukuro Chinatown”?
In the past, the west exit (north) was not very safe, and the number of vacant tenants increased. I thought it would be a shame to leave the tenants empty, so I started renting them out to foreigners, which I had never done before.
Since Ikebukuro has convenient transportation and cheap rent, Chinese people began to live there and it became their base of life.
As a result, “Ikebukuro Chinatown” became a town not for tourists like Yokohama Chinatown, but for Chinese people.
There are not only Chinese restaurants, but also stores that sell foodstuffs and sundries for daily life. There are also real estate agencies, beauty salons, nursery schools, and a variety of other stores and facilities, making the city a place where Chinese people can live as they normally do.
As a result, the restaurants do not cater to Japanese tastes, but to the authentic Chinese cuisine.
Of course, you can pay in Japanese yen, but there are some restaurants that are written in Chinese instead of Japanese, and the staff cannot speak Japanese.
Where can I buy Taiwanese food in Ikebukuro?
“Ikebukuro Chinatown is not just about Chinese food.
There are many Asian foodstuffs from Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam.
Not only foodstuffs, but also miscellaneous goods are sold in some stores.
The product names are all written in Chinese characters, which can be difficult to read.
If you want a particular product, it is a good idea to find out how it is written in Chinese characters before you go.
The best places to buy Taiwanese food in Ikebukuro
Youyi Shoten (Friendship Store)
It is located on the fourth floor of the building on your left as you exit the west exit (north) of Ikebukuro Station.
Even from the outside, you can easily see the name “Yugi Shouten” written on the window of the building.
It is open until late at night, from 10:00 to 0:00, and is open all year round!
(*Hours may change due to the declaration of a state of emergency for the new coronavirus infection, priority measures to prevent the spread of the disease, or store availability.
(*Hours may vary due to the emergency declaration of the new coronavirus infection and other important measures to prevent its spread.
There are also many kinds of Taiwanese sweets and dried noodles, and we sell fresh foods as well as processed foods. The store also sells a wide range of books and DVDs as well as foodstuffs.
Some of the staff can speak Japanese.
In addition to cash, they also accept PayPay, transportation IC cards, and credit cards.
In addition to the Ikebukuro store, there are other stores in Kamata, Shin-Koiwa, Tachikawa, the southern Yokohama market, and not only in the Kanto area, but also in Osaka and Fukuoka.
On the same floor, there is also a food court called “Yuyi Shokufu” where you can taste the real food.
The ordering process here is a little different, and all orders are made with a special prepaid card.
You have to charge the prepaid card, which can be issued for free, and then order your food.
If you might only come once, or if you don’t want to make a card, they have loaner cards. In that case, you can borrow the card from the restaurant you want to order from and charge only the amount of food you want to eat.
The staff is very friendly and speaks Japanese. Some stores will even call out to you if they know you are Japanese.
Located a minute walk from the west exit (north) of Ikebukuro Station, this street-level store features a prominent sign.
It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week! It is truly a Chinese food convenience store.
(*Hours may change due to the declaration of a state of emergency for the new coronavirus infection, priority measures to prevent the spread of the disease, or store convenience.
The store sells not only spices and seasonings, but also many processed and frozen foods. In front of the store, there are many Chinese and Taiwanese ingredients piled up and placed in a small space.
The signage is of course in Chinese. There seems to be a lot of staff who don’t speak Japanese.
A one-minute walk from the west exit (north) of Ikebukuro Station, this street store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Kaiba Nikko
A 3-minute walk from the north west exit of Ikebukuro Station. It is located in the alleyway just after entering Romance Street. The store is on the second through fourth floors, and the entrance is on the side stairs.
It is open until late at night from 11:00 to 22:00, and is open all year round!
(*Hours may change due to the declaration of a state of emergency for the new coronavirus infection, priority measures to prevent the spread of the disease, or other reasons.
The second floor sells spices, seasonings, and liquor, the third floor sells frozen and refrigerated foods, and the fourth floor sells meat, fish, and other items.
The third floor sells frozen and refrigerated foods, and the fourth floor sells meat, fish, etc. You can find a wide variety of foods and seasonings that you have never seen before, and you can get them at a reasonable price.
Located on the second and fourth floors of a building three minutes walk from the west exit (north) of Ikebukuro Station. A store with a wide variety of foodstuffs.
“Recommended Taiwanese food ingredients and foods that can be bought in Japan (by genre)
Here are some of the recommended foodstuffs that you should definitely try when you go to Ikebukuro to buy Taiwanese foodstuffs!
(If you get to know the store, you can ask the staff for their recommendations!
Seasonings
I also recommend “Sui Gyoza Juice,” a sauce specially made for dumplings, and sesame oil from “Sesame Fragrant Oil,” which makes the dish instantly Chinese.
Beef noodle
The most famous brand of beef noodle in Taiwan, “Hsinchu City” is recommended.
Taiwan is so rich in noodles that it is known as the noodle kingdom, so why not look for other noodle dishes such as beef noodles as well as “mazesoba”?
For example, I recommend you to try Taiwan’s sword-cutting noodles, which have a great texture.
Taiwan’s national snack, “kale kueh” is a snack made from peas and comes in a variety of flavors, and is highly recommended.
Dried fruits
Mangoes and pineapples are also recommended, but jujubes are especially good for preventing anemia and for beauty effects, and are said to be a superfood that “three jujubes a day will keep you from aging. Natsume” and “dates” are not the same thing.
Dried Tapioca
If you want to enjoy tapioca milk tea at home, please!
Summary
I have introduced three stores where you can buy Taiwanese food in Ikebukuro.
There are also stores that sell a wide range of fresh food and even miscellaneous goods.
All three stores are located near the west exit of Ikebukuro station (north), and open long hours, all three stores are open seven days a week.
All three stores are open seven days a week. (*Hours are subject to change due to the declaration of a state of emergency for the new coronavirus infection, priority measures to prevent the spread of the disease, and other factors.
It may take some courage to enter a store, but some stores speak Japanese, so you can shop without hesitation.
Online shopping can be expensive because of the time and shipping costs involved from the time you place your order to the time it arrives at your home.
On the other hand, if you actually go to a Taiwanese product exhibition, you can get the ingredients on the same day, and the shipping cost is only the cost of transportation. Also, if you are not sure whether you want to buy something or not, you can actually hold it in your hands and make a decision.
Even if you don’t intend to eat or buy anything, it’s interesting just to look at the various Asian food products on sale at Ikebukuro China Town.
