TORIITravel in Japan
EAT

Dinner from a Depachika: How to Shop Japan’s Department-Store Food Halls

Not every dinner needs a restaurant booking. A depachika—a department store’s basement food hall—lets you put together a meal from deli counters, rice dishes and a small dessert. It is a useful change from convenience-store food on an evening when you want to stay in.

Fried-food counters and shoppers at a Takashimaya food hall

Choose one main first, then add a side. Two people can share a rice dish and several smaller items rather than buying two substantial bento boxes. The fun is choosing your own combination, not carrying away everything that looks good.

Take a lap before making the first purchase

Locate the rice dishes, fried foods and vegetable sides before deciding. Buying a large bento at the entrance leaves little room for discoveries farther along. After a late lunch, a rice ball and a modest side may suit you better than a full dinner set.

Read the unit on the price label

A price marked per 100 grams is not the price of a whole container. Ask for the amount you want and an approximate total before ordering. Prepacked portions make the quantity and price easier to compare.

Two short phrases for the counter

  • Weighed food: “Hyaku guramu kudasai” (100グラムください) asks for 100 grams. Point to the item, then confirm the total for the portion served.
  • One bento: “Kore o hitotsu kudasai” (これを一つください) asks for one of the item you indicate.

The number refers to grams in the first request and an item in the second. Check the price label before choosing which request to use.

Different counters may have separate checkouts. Ask for chopsticks or a spoon when paying, and do not leave hot and chilled foods together in a bag for a long afternoon of sightseeing.

Strawberry sweets displayed in a Tokyo food counter

Leave space for one small sweet

The dessert counters offer a second round of browsing: fruit cakes, wagashi and baked goods. If sharing, choose something easy to divide. Fresh sweets and deli food belong to today’s meal plan, not automatically to the suitcase of gifts for home.

Use the product’s date and storage instructions to decide when to eat it. With an allergy, appearance is not enough to identify ingredients; the food-allergy guide explains how to discuss requirements at the counter.

Know where dinner will happen

A depachika is not necessarily a food court. Seating and eat-in options depend on the store. If returning to your hotel, make this the last shopping stop and follow the accommodation’s rules for eating in the room.

In Tokyo, the food floors at Nihombashi Mitsukoshi, Shinjuku Isetan and Daimaru Tokyo are possible starting points. Choose the one on your route home rather than crossing the city just to collect dinner. Buy an amount you will enjoy finishing.

Information checked: October 3, 2026.

Official sources
Photo credits

Structure and selected guidance updated: October 12, 2026.