In London UK we have a Japan week but in Singapore Japanese goods are all around all year.
Isetan
Branches of the big store, Isetan, are right in the centre, diagonally across from Orchard MRT station and ION, also in Nex shopping mall linked to Serangoon MRT railway station on the circle line.
Big branches of Daiso, one branch in ION, offer everything at two dollars. You could spend ages in there.
But a smaller store, Japan Home, just a little corner shop, is all over Singapore, forty five or sixty five branches, what does it matter, the important thing to note is that the shops are everywhere. If you want to check for your nearest, look on their website. You are likely to just stumble across them.
They pack a lot into a small space. Racks piled high and close together, scarcely room for two people to pass each other..
I bought a folding pink hat, never seen anything like it elsewhere. A shame it was available only in the pink as I also have orange and red clothes and I think a man would also find it useful.
As I walked around I heard a recorded announcement in English and either Chinese or Japanese about their current offer, which was two items for eleven Singapore dollars. When I went to pay I asked the shop assistant about the special offer.
She spoke both English to me and another language to another customer. She showed me the items being promoted which were at the front of the shop. She seemed unsure about the special offer.. She thought it applied to just one or two items. Basically, an item selling for 8 or 9 dollars was 11 dollars for two.
The sign was in front of the the item being promoted which was a cute neck pillow with a cover which turned it into an animal face with ears. Who would like this? Children. Maybe teenage girls who like cuddly items. (I later saw a teenage girl on the train with a teddy bear. No child in sight. From the way she was hugging it and grinning at her boyfriend, I concluded that the toy was for her and he had bought it for her and she liked cuddly soft toys.)
Hawker Centres
I could not make a decision. I needed to eat and drink. Upstairs in the mall was a food court (known locally as a hawker centre, since the time when hawkers had kiosks selling food. To clean up Singapore and make eating out safer, Lee Kwan Yew gor one of his departments to bring togther all the small outlets in one place in shopping centres, with central water and electricity, permanent counters, inspections. \\
You can buy sushi from specialised sushi shops as well as the major supermarkets (the cheapest usually being Fairprice). The Sushi shops are likely to be what the British call ground floor (in Singapore called level 1).
Sushi in Supermarkets
You also find sushi in the supermarkets are usually found in the basement, near the car parking, bus and train stations.The hawker centres are sometimes in the bargain basement but also often on the third or fourth floor at the top or two thirds of the way up so you pass the expensive jewellery, silver and gold and stainless steel. Promotion kiosks are on the ground floor or basement level(s), popular items being tee shirt and shoes, pillows and bedding sets, toys.
You might find that the sushi in supermarkets is cheaper. On the other hand, we found that the speciality shops often have more moist sushi, maybe made freshly. Supermarkets, I imagine, get deliveries twice a day (I know the Tesco Express in Hatch End in London does - when you try to park the huge delivery van is there). The speciality shops often have items sold out.
Also look for the Japanese restaurants with the snacks sailing past the tables on a huge circular conveyor belt. You find those in London, UK, and in Singapore.
Isetan Hours, Delivery and alterations
Isetan has a supermarket and a delivery service but does not deliver sushi. Their branches are at Scotts Mall.
Japanese Food
bento (box with divided compartments for packed lunch, can refer the box, contents, or both)
suchi
sashimi
Useful websites
daisosingapore.com
Japanhome.com.sg
www.isetan.com.sg
Author
.svg.png)
.svg.png)