In part one of this series, I wrote about the souzai (prepared-food) corner in Japanese supermarkets. Right next to it sits a section that surprised me just as much: the bread aisle. In most countries, bread is something you buy to go with a meal. In a Japanese supermarket, a huge share of the bread on the shelf is designed to be the meal.
Alongside familiar sandwich bread and baguettes, you’ll find rows of what’s called “prepared-food bread” and “confectionery bread” — a genuinely Japanese bread category that goes back to the 1870s and grew into its own distinct food culture, filled with everything from sweetened red bean paste to curry to fried noodles.
Japan’s standalone bakeries are absolutely worth their own visit, but the supermarket version is worth a look too — it’s where the everyday, individually wrapped versions of these breads show up at a noticeably lower price, right next to the milk.
Want to know exactly which bread was invented when, which shop actually gets credit for inventing it, and what to actually pick up off the shelf? Read the complete guide on [ Medium → ]
Recommended gear for this:
Compact foldable tote bag for a bakery-and-park stroll
reusable insulated water bottle
small crossbody bag for hands-free snacking on the go
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