Sushi from the grocery store gets an extra touch of class thanks to one tiny tweak.
If you’re in Tokyo, the obvious places to try sushi are at a restaurant or one of the city’s seafood markets (yes, the city has more than one). But there’s another place where you can get your hands on tasty morsels of Japan’s brightest culinary star, and that’s at the supermarket.
Japanese supermarkets are stocked with packs of sushi and sashimi that’re sliced and ready-to-be-eaten. They come with little packets of wasabi, and you can also ask the staff for soy sauce packets and disposable chopsticks. The quality of the fish is remarkably high, and the value is unbelievable, especially if you go at night when many supermarkets discount their sushi to half price.
▼ This beautiful buri (yellowtail) cost me just 225 yen (US$2) at the grocery store a block away from my apartment.
If you’re living in Japan, supermarket sushi can be a great way to stretch your food budget, and even if you’re a tourist, it’s an amazingly cheap meal that’s great for when you don’t have time for a sit-down meal but still want to experience part of what makes Japan awesome.
There is one thing that keeps supermarket sushi from being the ultimate quick, self-contained meal, though. While you can eat off the tray, it takes something away from the experience when you don’t have a dish to hold the mixture of soy sauce and wasabi into which you dip the sushi. Thankfully, one supermarket chain has solved this problem, as shown in this photo from Japanese Twitter user @chibannf.
スーパーの寿司のパックが進化してる!!!これだよこれ、これこそが求めてたもんだよ! pic.twitter.com/3zQr0dxMRQ
— chiba@最近沼にin (@chibannf) April 8, 2017
After picking up a pack of sushi from supermarket chain Summit, @chibannf flipped the lid over and discovered an indentation in the plastic, positioned specifically to create a soy sauce dipping section!
Granted, you could pour the soy sauce into an upturned, non-indented tray too. Speaking from experience, though, that makes it difficult to properly mix in your preferred amount of wasabi, and even if you’re passing on the spicy green condiment altogether, a tray with no indention spreads the soy so thin across its surface area that you end up having to smear the soy onto the sushi instead of dipping the piece and eating it like sushi is meant to be. Squirting the soy sauce directly onto the sushi causes its own set of problems, as it tends to make a mess and it’s difficult to regulate just how much soy you’re squirting out.
“THIS! This is what I’ve been wanting for so long,” @chibannf tweeted excitedly, and if you’d like to experience this Japanese innovation for yourself, a list of Summit’s central Tokyo locations can be found here.
Source: Togech, Twitter/@chibannf
Insert image ©RocketNews24
Follow Casey on Twitter, where he’s tempted to run off to the grocery store sushi corner right now.


Spritz soy on your sushi with handy and delicious Sushi Spray
Supermarket sushi becomes a hot topic with foreigners on Reddit, but is it any good?
Hong Kong supermarket’s new offering may take crown as “murderer of sushi”
Manga shows a revolutionary way to eat sushi that makes it more delicious than ever
Do you really know how to eat sushi? Probably not!
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
7-Eleven Japan releases a crazy new viral sandwich: Chocolate Sprinkles and Whipped Cream
Japan’s ministry of economy reminds us to “use sound judgment” before buying toilet paper
Ramen restaurant in top Tokyo tourist neighborhood skips price gouging, but how does it taste?
“Online streamer” tops dream job poll for young Japanese kids, older kids not so interested
Studio Ghibli releases the My Neighbour Totoro tea caddy, with a magical self-closing lid
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Japan now has a “for foreign tourists only” Mt. Fuji sightseeing train[Video]
Deer are appearing in Osaka City, may have wandered there from Nara[Video]
Can you make butter by running with a pouch filled with cream? Let’s find out[Taste test]
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Tokyo government organizes food truck event to clear out delinquent/homeless teen gathering area
Cherry blossoms begin blooming in Japan with record-early starts for sakura season
Nine amazing off-the-beaten-path cherry blossom spots in Japan for yaezakura and shidarezakura
Stunning central Japan wisteria festival is like a purple fantasy straight out of a Ghibli movie
Create a tiny Ghibli anime world on your bookshelf with new miniature papercraft art kits
When will the cherry blossoms reach full bloom in Japan this year?[Forecast]
Starbucks Japan unveils new sakura cherry blossom collection for hanami season 2026
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Nine great places to see spring flowers in Japan, as chosen by travelers (with almost no sakura)
Starbucks Japan releases first-ever Hinamatsuri Girls’ Day Frappuccino
Studio Ghibli adds new Mother’s Day gift sets to its anime collection in Japan
Virtual idol Hatsune Miku redesigned with look that adds new elements and brings back old ones
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
How should you add wasabi to sushi at a conveyor belt restaurant?
Should you add wasabi to your soy sauce at a sushi restaurant?
Seven reasons to eat sushi (other than because it tastes great)
Liquid wasabi from Shizuoka is our new favorite form of awesome sauce
How to eat sushi like a sensei 【Video】
Sushi-flavored potato chips?!? Could our world really be so beautiful? 【Taste test】
Preserve your sushi’s form and your dignity with this one easy sushi-eating life hack【Pics】
Put down the soy sauce! We try a new “expert” way to season your sushi【Taste test】
How to have a great meal at conveyer belt sushi chain Kura Sushi even if you hate raw fish
New rotating sushi pens from Japan bring the fun of a restaurant to your desktop
Kura Sushi opens new high-end revolving bar restaurant in Tokyo
Carb-free sushi? Japanese sushi restaurant ditches the rice in its new menu items
Wasabi and sashimi bagels on sale now in Japan! We buy some and invent the Japanese dip sandwich
Japan’s sushi that’s actually cake fools the eyes, blows the mind, pleases the stomach【Photos】
Here’s the reason why your expensive ikura sushi often comes with some cheap cucumber slices
Funky food-themed swaddling cloths let you wrap your baby up like sushi, egg rolls, or tortillas
Should you dip your egg sushi in soy sauce before you eat it? Survey asks Japanese diners