I finally bumped into a Tesco last week and if you want to find one too you’d better do so quickly before they sell the chain off or close the rest of the stores, which will probably be fairly soon. It’s mainly like any of that fairly recent Japanese supermarkets-that-look-like-convenience-stores (Lawson 100, QQ shop, My Basket, etc) in both appearance and stock, but it did have a good selection of Tesco teas, custard creams, bourbons, Nice biscuits, Madras curry sauce (300 yen), Tesco baked beans (200 yen), wholemeal pasta, plus for some odd reason Tesco olives (that famous British delicacy!) As those prices illustrate, it was cheaper than almost any import shops, including Yamaya. Tea wasn’t particularly cheap (700 yen for Fairtrade, about 400 yen for the cheapest Tesco teabags), but I still haven’t actually found cheaper anywhere.
They do have a site in English, but it doesn’t even link to maps yet alone have English language ones. I’ll try to give directions to branches I go to in future posts, or if you put ”Tesco in Tokyo” into English language Google they all come up on Google Maps in English automatically.
Store guide in English (including the Tsurukame chain they own, which strangely have more Tesco food than the Tesco-branded shops)
Tesco store guide in Japanese (with links to the maps on the right hand side of each one)
My guide for how to get to the Kasuga branch from Iidabashi station and to the Mejiro branch.
Full list of British foods and food of interest to Brits during my last visit
Hot drinks
PG tips 599 yen
Tesco Finest tea 499 yen
Tesco quality tea 249 yen
Tesco ground coffee 399 yen
Tesco cafe blend 399 yen
Tesco Fairtrade freeze dried coffee
Sweet stuff
Tesco Orange and Lemon jelly slices 249 yen
very small Tesco finest Christmas pudding with cognac 299 yen
ginger nuts 99 yen
chocolate chip cookies 199 yen
Nice biscuits 129 yen or less for a smaller packet
jam from 299 yen, including greengage
white plain and fruit and nut chocolate chocolate from 199 yen
fig rolls 179 yen
Savoury
baked beans 199 yen
hot salsa dip 289 yen
Bolognese pasta sauce 299 yen
Madras curry sauce 299 yen
Tesco finest dressing
Tesco fruity brown sauce 139 yen
