Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
want to meet at fmd_good The Spot
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
How do supermarket point card work in Tokyo? Is there any advantage to having one? Any suggestion which supermarket loyalty/point card is the best?
You can also just use a d-card if you shop at Daiei or Lawson. It gives you points that work at both, and they run these 5x point campaigns pretty often. I get about 300 yen back a month just from my usual grocery trips at Daiei in Kichijoji.
The trick is to not overthink it. Pick whichever card the supermarket you actually go to supports, because carrying a card you never use is pointless. The real advantage is the bonus point days, not the base 1%.
honestly the most underrated one is the Aeon card, especially if you're near an Aeon or a MaxValu. the WAON points are basically a mini-currency and they have these "WAON Day" events where you get double points on the 15th and 30th of every month. i've racked up like 2000 yen in points just from my weekly shopping at the Aeon in Shinonome.
one thing nobody mentions is that some cards let you use points for parking too. the Tokyu Store card gives you points that can go toward parking at their shopping centers, which is clutch if you ever drive. but for pure grocery value, i'd say just get the app for whichever store is closest to your place and check their bonus point calendar.
Most supermarkets in Tokyo run their own point cards, but the real value comes from linking them to a broader system like T-Point or Rakuten. If you shop at FamilyMart's affiliated supermarkets or Tsuruha Drug, the T-Point card is useful. For general grocery stores like Seiyu or My Basket, the Rakuten Point Card works well and those points can be used across a ton of online and in-store places.
The advantage is straightforward: you accumulate points worth about 1% back on your spending, which adds up if you do regular grocery runs. Some stores have bonus point days on specific weekdays, like 5x points on Tuesdays at certain chains. I'd suggest starting with a Rakuten Point Card since it's accepted at more places in Tokyo than most others, and you can also use the app to track everything without carrying a physical card.
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.
load 2 more replies