Smart Shopping
Eating out in Japan can get expensive quickly. Cooking your own meals at home is one of the easiest ways to make your paycheck stretch further.
Cooking, of course, means buying ingredients. Most ALTs end up at the supermarket several times a week.
At first, Japanese supermarkets can feel overwhelming. Labels may not match what you’re used to, and staff will often speak polite but very fast Japanese. Self-checkout machines are becoming more common, but many stores still rely on traditional registers.
Don’t worry. You don’t need to understand every kanji on every label. What you really need is the ability to recognize common sections, everyday food words, and a few cashier patterns.
Once you know those, navigating a Japanese supermarket becomes much easier.
Core Supermarket Vocabulary
These are your survival nouns.
Shopping Basics
スーパー (sūpā) – supermarket
かご (kago) – basket
カート (kāto) – cart
消費期限（しょうひきげん, shōhi kigen）– expiration date
賞味期限（しょうみきげん, shōmi kigen）– “best before” date
レジ (reji) – register
セルフレジ (serufu reji) – self-checkout
袋（ふくろ, fukuro）– bag
(Note: usually a plastic bag in this context)
エコバッグ (eko baggu) – reusable shopping bag
(Note: Eko as in “ecologically friendly”)
Money & Payment
現金（げんきん, genkin）– cash
〜円 (えん, en) – ~ yen
クレジットカード（kurejitto kādo）– credit card
(Note: you will sometimes also hear just カード, kādo)
ポイントカード（pointo kādo）– point card
レシート（reshīto）– receipt
(Note: You will occasionally still hear 領収書, ryōshūsho)
合計（ごうけい, gōkei）– total
税込（ぜいこみ, zeikomi）– tax included
税抜（ぜいぬき, zeinuki）– tax excluded
半額（はんがく, hangaku）– half price
割引（わりびき, waribiki）– discount
本日中（ほんじつちゅう, honjitsu-chū）– today only
Supermarket Sections
野菜（やさい, yasai）– vegetables
果物（くだもの, kudamono）– fruit
精肉（せいにく, seiniku）– fresh meat
(Note: Meaning raw, unprocessed meat without additives)
加工肉（かこうにく, kakōniku）– processed meat
(Note: Processed meat includes smoked, flavored, precooked, and other forms of meat)
鮮魚（せんぎょ, sengyo）– fresh fish
酒コーナー（さけコーナー, sake kōnā）– alcohol section
飲料（いんりょう, inryō）– beverages
米（こめ, kome）– rice
パスタ (pasuta) – pasta
パン – bread
牛乳（ぎゅうにゅう, gyūnyū）– milk
卵（たまご, tamago）– eggs
冷凍食品（れいとうしょくひん, reitō shokuhin）– frozen foods
冷蔵食品（れいぞうしょくひん, reizō shokuhin）– refrigerated foods
お弁当（おべんとう, obentō）– boxed meal
惣菜（そうざい, sōzai）– prepared side dishes
Finding What You Need
If you can’t find something on your own, you can always ask for help!
Asking Where Something Is
「~はどこですか？」
~ wa doko desu ka?
Where is ~?
Examples
「牛乳はどこですか?」
Gyūnyū wa doko desu ka?
Where is the milk?
「レジはどこですか?」
Reji wa doko desu ka?
Where is the register?
Asking If They Have Something
「~はありますか?」
~ wa arimasu ka?
Do you have ~?
Example
「豆腐はありますか?」
Tōfu wa arimasu ka?
Do you have tofu?
These simple patterns will solve most navigation problems inside a supermarket.
At the Register
For many learners, the checkout counter is where things suddenly feel stressful. Cashiers often speak quickly and use polite patterns.
Fortunately, the phrases themselves are very predictable.
Common Cashier Questions
「ポイントカードはお持ちですか?」
Pointo kādo wa omochi desu ka?
Do you have a point card?
「袋はいりますか?」
Fukuro wa irimasu ka?
Do you need a bag?
「お支払いは現金ですか、カードですか?」
Oshiharai wa genkin desu ka, kādo desu ka?
Cash or card?
「温めますか?」
Atatamemasu ka?
Would you like this heated?
「お箸はご利用ですか?」
Ohashi wa go-riyō desu ka?
Do you need chopsticks?
Your Responses
「はい、持っています。」
Hai, motte imasu.
Yes, I have one.
「袋はいりません。」
Fukuro wa irimasen.
I don’t need a bag.
「袋はいりません。エコバッグがあります。」
Fukuro wa irimasen. Eko baggu ga arimasu.
I don’t need a bag. I have a reusable bag.
「カードでお願いします。」
Kādo de onegaishimasu.
Card, please.
「はい、お願いします。」
Hai, onegaishimasu.
Yes, please.
「~でお願いします。」
~ de onegaishimasu.
~, please.
When Something Goes Wrong
Hopefully you won’t slip on any banana peels, but there are plenty of other things that can go wrong in a supermarket.
Useful Phrases
「すみません、間違えました。」
Sumimasen, machigaemashita.
Sorry, I made a mistake.
「これを返品できますか。」
Kore o henpin dekimasu ka?
Can I return this?
「レシートをなくしました。」
Reshīto o nakushimashita.
I lost the receipt.
Common Staff Responses
「少々お待ちください。」
Shōshō omachi kudasai.
Please wait a moment.
「確認します。」
Kakunin shimasu.
I will check.
Swappable Patterns
「~を返品できますか。」
~ o henpin dekimasu ka?
Can I return ~?
「~を間違えました。」
~ o machigaemashita.
I made a mistake with ~.
Common ALT Situations
You forgot your wallet
Cashier: 「合計は二千円です。」
ALT: 「すみません、財布を忘れました。」
Cashier: 「大丈夫です。」
Cashier: Gōkei wa nisen en desu.
ALT: Sumimasen, saifu o wasuremashita.
Cashier: Daijōbu desu.
Cashier: The total is 2,000 yen.
ALT: Sorry, I forgot my wallet.
Cashier: That’s okay.
You need something heated
Cashier: 「温めますか?」
ALT:「はい、お願いします。」
Cashier: Atatamemasu ka?
ALT: Hai, onegaishimasu.
Cashier: Would you like this heated?
ALT: Yes, please.
You need help finding something
ALT: 「すみません、豆腐はどこですか。」
Staff: 「あちらの冷蔵コーナーです。」
ALT: Sumimasen, tōfu wa doko desu ka?
Staff: Achira no reizō kōnā desu.
ALT: Excuse me, where is the tofu?
Staff: It’s in the refrigerated section over there.
Cultural Notes
- Plastic bags are no longer free in most supermarkets. You will usually be asked whether you want one.
- Cashiers move quickly. Have your payment ready when you reach the register.
- Many supermarkets have a separate area for bagging groceries. After paying, you’ll move to that counter to pack your own items.
- Discount stickers often appear later in the evening, especially on prepared food and fresh items.
- Silence at checkout is normal. Don’t feel pressured to make small talk.
What to Read Next
Japanese for ALTs: At the Bank
Learn how to set up an account, withdraw cash, and everything else needed to fund your trip to the supermarket.
Japanese for ALTs: At the Bar
While eating at home saves money, drinking alone isn’t much fun.
Thinking about becoming an ALT? Get the full guide on everything from applying to arriving in So You Want to Be an ALT.
ALT Roadmap 