29/3/2025 Sayurann
The JR Chūō Line, which connects the heart of Tokyo with the suburbs, stops at various stations ranging from office districts to residential areas. Among the stations along the Chūō Line in Suginami Ward, there are four that have Akidai stores, excluding Nishi-Ogikubo Station. These stations are Ogikubo, Asagaya, and Kōenji, and each of them has an Akidai store.
Akidai is a popular supermarket that offers everything you need for home cooking, from fresh vegetables and seafood to meat and seasonings. All their stores are within a 5-minute walk from their respective stations, making them very convenient. Thanks to this, it’s easy to pick up ingredients on your way home from school or work and enjoy a healthy, home-cooked meal. They also sell ready-made bento and side dishes at prices more reasonable than convenience stores.
At this point, you might be thinking, “Isn’t this just like supermarkets anywhere else in the world?” But let me now tell you about what makes Akidai so special.
Although not in Suginami Ward, my hometown also has an Akidai store. This one happens to be the flagship store, and I’ve been a regular customer since I was a child. Back when Akidai’s president was also the store manager, they used to directly source vegetables from the market early in the morning. When there were national price hikes or shortages of vegetables in Japan, the store manager was often interviewed by the media, making him a bit of a local celebrity. I remember once, when I happened to visit the store, I got so absorbed in watching him being interviewed that I completely forgot about my shopping.
The reason he often gets interviewed, I learned, is that Akidai’s direct sourcing from the market gives them a deep understanding of the situation at the production level, the market trends, and even consumer sentiment. That’s why he represents greengrocers across Japan in these interviews.
Near the flagship store, there’s also an Akidai-owned bakery and a tavern that uses ingredients sourced from Akidai. If you ever have the chance, I highly recommend enjoying the delicious food there.
These days, I do my shopping at the Akidai in Kōenji on weekends and cook meals at home. I’m always grateful that I can make delicious dishes for under 1,000 yen. I owe it to Akidai that I learned the joy of cooking.
Especially in Kōenji, there are many restaurants, and some serve really tasty food. But why not try the Suginami-style lifestyle by buying fresh vegetables, fish, and meat at Akidai and cooking for yourself? It’s an experience unique to this area!
＜Reference URL＞