While there are plenty of Japanese online grocery stores in Singapore, sometimes, you’ll want to head down to a brick-and-mortar store to check out the range of imported goods in person. From a wagyu beef butcher to one of Singapore’s most popular Japanese grocery shop, scroll down for the full list.

RECOMMENDATION: Best Japanese restaurants in Singapore and Japanese restaurants for takeaway and delivery

1. Ginkakuji Onishi

Wagyu is more often than not, the star of the show in any Japanese meal – it’s as premium as meat gets. With Japanese butcher Ginkakuji Onishi having been around in Kyoto since 1969, its Singapore outpost is managed by a brand that’s familiar to us all: Aston Soon – the same name behind affordable steakhouse Astons Specialities. They offer both A5 and A3 wagyu, with prices starting from $15 or so for 300g of wagyu stirfry and $40 for a ribeye steak.

You’ll also be able to discover a range of other essential items such as soba noodles, soba sauce, wasabi, and an assortment of Japanese groceries to suit your culinary needs.

This boutique specialty sake shop in Tanglin’s Tudor Court is a diamond in the rough. No overpriced loot nor snooty alcohol connoisseurs here, but what you’ve got is a ready supply of Japanese liquors – imported, rare sake that don’t necessarily make an appearance in our regular supermarkets. Beside their sake stash, they do also offer quaint household items and decor.

Hailing all the way from Japan, the famous Japanese discount store Don Quijote made its way into Singapore in the year 2017. Renamed as Don Don Donki, this two-storey megastore is stocked to the brim with fresh produce straight out of the motherland.

For bargain hunters, this could very well be your mecca for Japanese goods. It’s where you’re checking out basketfuls of snacks, drinks, and even fresh sashimi – think ikura, fatty tuna, and slabs of salmon all temptingly lined up for you. And that’s not the only thing you’ll be bringing home with you – yes, we’re referring to the earworm of a jingle that we guarantee will stick with you for longer than it should. Don Don Don, Donki…

Kuriya Fish Market prides itself on fresh and seasonal Japanese produce, chief being the sashimi which they offer in a variety of sushi and rice bowls. Its sushi feast bundles ($50) and platters can comfortably feed a whole family without breaking the bank. If you’re looking for a Singaporean twist, we recommend the chilli salmon don – what appears to be a regular salmon don is given a local lift with the help of crunchy spring onions and a zing of chilli padi, moulded together with some sesame oil. At only $8.50, you’ll get a truly original (and tasty) dish.

If you love Japanese snacks and food produce a little too much, then the name Meidi-Ya would be familiar to you. The Japanese supermarket is well-established in Singapore. For a while, the sole outlet at Liang Court has been a key spot for groceries imported from Japan. Now, more than 15 years later, Meidi-Ya opens its second outlet at the revamped Great World City.

If you’re craving for that one specific Japanese snack, Iroha Mart probably has it. As authentic as it can get, Iroha has a wide selection of Japanese products that you probably will not be able to find at your regular supermarket. Think uniquely flavoured snacks, sweets in anime illustrated packagings, traditional pastries, shokupan, and all sorts of sake. All products are specially imported from across 47 regions in Japan. So if you’re looking for a quick dose of Japan, make a trip down to Iroha Mart located at Plaza Singapura.