I go into the Japancentre to pick up the sushi which is reasonably priced with interesting options including chirorashi which is now one of my faves. The grocery store is worth a look as the packaging is cute but it's hard to decipher what the products contain. The hot food is not bad as three chicken gyozas can be picked up for just £1.80. I prefer to takeout due to limited and crowded seating. The shop is the closest a Londoner can get to Japan without getting on a plane! read more

(Review is for the to-go food only) Came here this afternoon for the first time with a friend who's been before. I had no idea such a treasure trove of Japanese food and products was here next to bustling Piccadilly all this time. The 3 stars is for the food...and a perplexing ordering system. I ordered the double heat beef soup with Udon noodles, and my friend had something else. You get a large to-go bowl, and for the quantity £6.40 was definitely reasonable...I just wish it tasted better than it did. It wasn't awful by any means, it just wasn't great. My friend ate a rice-based dish and wasn't wowed either, but our disappointment didn't linger too long thanks to the good price-points. I hardly cook, so I'd have no business visiting to buy food products/groceries there (otherwise I'd give it 4)...but if you want authentic Japanese groceries & products, this will be your heaven! read more

Based in the centre of London, right near Piccadilly Circus underground station, is the best place I've been to for Japanese food, drinks, and treats. The immediate entrance does not have much, but you very quickly go up the escalator to the main store. This is when you find out that while it's not the largest store, it's very reasonably sized for the location. The chilled food section immediately in front of you contains so many food options that it would take quite awhile to get bored. They also have a deli, frozen food section, a meat counter, and a well sized collection of booze and snacks. That may all sound a bit dull but it can be challenging to find many of these items. It's simple. If you want Japanese goods, you go to Japan Centre. They even have a hot food stand outside. And for those like me who aren't normally based in London, their website delivers. read more

This is your one stop shop for all things Japanese. They have everything you need to make a Japanese meal from scratch or with a little help. Their stock ranges from instant noodles, instant sauces and mixes & all manners of Japanese junkfood (biscuit sticks covered in chocolate to name a favourite), to miso paste, yakitori sauce & sake. They also have fridged stuff with fresh sashimi, thinly cut meats and fresh vegetables that you may not see at a normal supermarket. Towards the front of the shop they also sell sushi (made daily, and can sometime run out before 6pm), little Japanese breads & pastries and a hot food and noodle counter that is only open at lunchtime. Add to that their freezer selection including Japanese icecreams (Yuzu icecream is definitely a recommendation if you're looking for something citrusy and refreshing) and little recipe cards if you're looking for inspiration. The main downside is the price... not the cheapest, but then again, considering most things are imported and specialist, you can't really complain too much! read more

I love it here I love it here I love it here! The only reason for my 4 stars not 5 is because I just wish it was bigger.... and I wish it was just a little less busy. The Japan Centre stocks all the essentials including Japanese books, fresh vegetables, lots of packaged ramen, Japanese sweets, tea, dumplings, bento boxes, toys, frozen food, kitchen gadgets, sushi and more! They also have lots of gadgets and cute things from Daiso (at a HUGE, HUGE markup but still!) I wish it was nearer to where I live. The sushi is my favourite thing though, miles better (and cheaper) than the hard, tasteless supermarket stuff. Go here. read more

I'll admit straight off that I've given this a 5 simply due to this fact that they make manapua (hawaiian for pork buns), which you are hard-pressed to find anywhere outside of hawaii. So straight away I loved this place. I initially stumbled across it online and have religiously ordered all my Japanese food staples through their website (because Japanese food is virtually impossible to find in the northeastern part of the country). The website is fantastic and packaging and delivery efficient and speedy. The store itself is small, but still stocks all of the essentials including sweet ceramics like sake bottles, rice bowls and tea cups. The food area is heaven! All the favourites and more-- from cooked noodles, meats and more to fresh sushi, of course-- you can find something for every palate. My favorite (aside from the manapua) is the little sushi triangles with pickled plums-- sooo hard to find ume in this country, and so delicious! This is a definitely find. read more

Expensive? Yes. Also, you can't take pictures inside. However, at 8pm, their takeaway food becomes 50% off! Everything besides sashimi becomes affordable. This place is also great, because despite its small size, it sells a wide variety of things. From hot food to snacks to frozen goods. It even has a section with cooking gadgets and whatnot. There's also a small bookstore, and a deli thing. I haven't been able to meet any girls here, so 4 stars instead of 5. There are a lot of cute ones, but I just haven't managed to meet any. read more

My go-to for great sushi in Soho, and worth the extra bit of a walk. Mind-boggling array of sushi, both as separates, and trays - hot, cold and salads. Also has a HUGE 'hot' bar with curries, soups and tempura. PLUS a lovely little 'cafe' at the back, with a bar area serving teas, baked good and more. I heart the Japan Centre. It's a bargain too (get the loyalty card! They randomly give away five stamps at a time sometimes :) ) read more

Great little Japanese market with a little quick food section in the front where you can grab a bite to eat (all sorts of fresh sushi, dumplings, bento boxes, etc). Stocked up on all my cupboard goods like brown sushi rice, panko, curry, furikake, green tea, sauces. If you like to cook your own Japanese food (or want to try), definitely come here to find what you need. Vegi and meat section are a bit small, but they have all the basics. Nice selection of tasty japanese breads and baked goods including my fav pancake & red bean :D And you know the place is legit cause the staff all speak Japanese -- although, I'm one of those 'banana' 3rd gen Japanese so I don't understand anything they say *eep, such a disgrace huh?* Oh well, I just acted like a shy asian girl and nodded my head and smiled a lot when the staff talked to me at the check out pretending to understand :P read more

A Japanese supermarket with hot food options, they're a little expensive (both on the supermarket and hot food sides) but the food is quick, hot and good. They discontinued my favourite item a while ago (double heat beef with udon noodles) but at least they still do beef sukiyaki. It's not made fresh to order but it is topped up on a regular basis. The sushi looks good but I've never tried it, normally going for the hot options. I generally prefer to buy my sushi freshly made instead of prepackaged, no matter how recently it was prepared. I normally buy my curry base from here and the price is comparable to elsewhere but there are items here that are way more expensive than buying in Chinatown just a short walk away, for me this is the place for Japanese essentials, not general Asian food shopping. read more

Japan Center has moved to Panton Street. The place is clean and tidy now, but that's it. The Sushi-fridges are empty on a saturday on 5.30 pm and the place is jammed with the queue for the till point. The food will still be excellent, if you get the chance to grab some. Bye, bye Japan Center!! read more

Lovely Japanese market with all the basics and a cafe area serving various hot foods. They also have prepackaged sushi rolls and sashimi! I tried the gzyoza ramen and it hit the spot for a quick bite! I went with the regular pork gyoza but the other option was cheese and pork?! Interesting and odd all in one. read more

This is a great place to get a variety of Japanese groceries in central London. The selection of dry goods is greater than the selection of fresh things like fruit and veg, which is quite limited, but there is a decent selection of meat and also freshly prepared food available. If you're looking for rice crackers, ramen, udon noodles, or frozen gyoza, do give this place a shot! read more

Making a Japanese dish for an event this weekend and the ingredients called for ponzu sauce and wasabi paste. Ponzu sauce, I don't even know what that is. Sure I could try Waitrose again - the ethnic food mecca for white middle class people of Islington. But I wanted to check out the Japan Centre. It's pretty cool and their take-out sushi range looks pretty decent. I wasn't blown away by the store though, it doesn't seem half as authentic as any of the Chinese supermarkets on Gerrard Street. This seems more catered for the Hello Kitty crowd. I quickly sourced my ingredients, thank god for the English label translations on some of them, and left. There could definitely be a bit more help for the English language speakers but eh, just learn Japanese, you lazy bum. read more

Ok, if you have a Japanese emergency, i.e. you need something Japanese and fast, you will usually find it here. It will not be the cheapest place to get it, but you should be able to find it. They have magazines in Japanese, Japanese groceries, freezers with matcha and green tea ice creams, high end teas such as Gyokuro and the cheaper teas, a lot of sake and other alcoholic selection, and fridges filled with sushi and other Japanese snacks. There is a hot counter also and a small area for eating. Currently they are giving out free green teas with purchase (be careful though, the water is boiling and will burn your mouth!) There is a small problem with access as you need to go up an escalator to reach the store and sometimes one of the escalator does not work. If you have more time, I would pick and choose what products you buy here, a lot of Chinese grocery stores in China Town will sell Japanese items for cheaper (for example, the green tea ice cream is cheaper elsewhere). Even Japanese products may be cheaper at other Japanese grocery stores in Soho. And sushi / other fresh food products get discounted down 75%, then 50% as the store heads towards closing time. This is when you should come and grab bargain goodies! read more

The second of two JC's in central London. Although, this branch is not as big as the one located in Piccadilly, it manages to offer a great amount of deals. read more

Really surprising in a very busy area but somehow not extremely crowded inside; guess it's well hidden. Crazy Japanese snacks and drinks! The sushi is delicious and really not too pricy. Perfect spot to go and buy ingredients for Japanese cooking at home. read more

Japan Centre - International Grocery Near Me - London, XGL

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As a major Japanophile, I had a huge smile on my face during my entire visit. Takoyaki stands! Manga! Pocky! 40+ varieties of soy sauce! And more noodle types than you can imagine (ume soba?!?!) Sadly I arrived too late in the evening to get any of their takeaway food but made up for it with a whole shopping bag full of Japanese snacks and random speciality food. read more

One of my favourite things to do when I'm on holiday is to go into foreign grocery stores and marvel at the weird & wonderful products (yes, I'm a total dork). So it's no wonder that I'm enamoured with Japan Centre. Yes, it's crowded. Yes, I'm entirely too large to slip through the store - I'm a bit more like a bull in a china shop, to be fair. Yes, it's pricey. But you know what? I don't really care. I can't imagine there's anything someone would need for Japanese cooking that you couldn't find here. Plus there's a selection of cookbooks and kawaii dishes. We left with just a handful of things - the fruity gummy candies which I love, a pack of Pocky, and a couple bottles of ramune. I'm interested to try the hot food range too! By 8pm when we were there, the sushi and hot food was all done. read more

The Japan Centre is conveniently located near Picadilly Circus and they are a mish-mash of sushi take-out store, grocery and convenience store and bookstore. It's always bustling and busy in here - and with good reason! Their takeaway sushi is some of the best you'll find in London, for very reasonable prices. They sell cute bento boxes and onigiri holders for a couple quid each. There are Japanese housewares and accessories on the upper level that are reasonably priced - if you take into account that they are imported goods from DAISO and are only worth about ¥100 each (approx. £0.50) - but this is London and not Tokyo and I've stopped converting currency because it just makes my wallet ache. Their tea paraphernalia, cups, spoons and chopsticks selection are quite nice. I was happy to be able to buy miso and some Glico Japanese curry blocks to make Japanese curry for dinner at my flat. In the basement they sell an assortment of books and magazines. I came in about 3 weeks after being in Tokyo so the 300% markup on the magazines made me choke a bit, but since this is one of the few places you can find these items in London they do have a monopoly on this market niche. If you happen to be in the vicinity of Picadilly, pop into the Japan Centre - I guarantee you won't leave empty handed! read more

You can find a lot of Japanese things there! It's perfect for authentic porcelain, chopstick, sake , rise vinegar and so on. You can also buy they sushi and sashimi set which looks delicious :) and the price is alright read more

The Japan Centre is your one-stop-shop for all things Japanese. Whether it be food, books, stationary or household goods, the Japan Centre has it all. Walking in is like stepping into another world, with an all Japanese staff, and a range of unrecognizable products, from the mundane to the bizarre. My favorite section of the shop is the household goods section, as this is the most telling in terms of quite how different Japanese and British culture really are. There you can buy 100 different products just for rice; shapers, strainers, spoons etc., more than you would imagine anyone ever needing. The other thing you will notice, is that all of the products seem to have some cute charter on them. These can also be pretty interesting, with bread shaped dogs and sushi with a face being particularly memorable. The shop has a pretty good selection of foods, both packaged and freshly prepared, and does a range of books, music and magazines for those of you who are interested in the language. The one problem you will find with this place is that it can be expensive, for certain products, but this is only because everything is imported from Japan, where things are pretty pricey anyway. Great for specialist products (if you can read the labels) not so good for everyday shopping. Either way it is a great fun place to visit. read more

Review summary... oh how I love this place! (There, that was easy... wasn't it?) I've been lucky enough to work near here off and on for the past few months, and almost always pop into here for a healthy lunch... it's miles better than Yo Sushi and Wasabi, not that those places are bad, they simply have more varied options here that come across more authentic. (Don't even get me started and the gyozas, glorious gyozas!) A testament to the wonder of this place is that I always go in for the standard lunch items, but walk out with something else all to often... whether it be Green Tea Kit Kats, some type of dessert I've never seen before, a random condiment, or even bowl adorned with something random, I can't help but pick a treasure when popping in. My last trip in I actually purchased some "very hot" something a rather, in a salt and shake type container, and let me tell you... whoa! I'm always surprised when something that is advertised as hot actually is so... I split a container with a friend and he couldn't finish his, and while I did... it was definitely a scorcher, I couldn't even pretend otherwise... a bit of a surprise given wasabi is the only other thing I associate Japan with when it comes to spice. I digress. The place itself is well organised, and almost always bustling... the staff are still friendly however. One of the things I really like about this place is that while it's very "Japanese", it's not over the top... while that in and of itself is an amazing thing to be immersed in and definitely reminds me of certain parts of Tokyo, it's nice to be able to go here and just browse through what they have sans distraction... this is especially nice given the area in the midst of a heavily touristed area. If you like sushi, Japanese food and/or groceries, or just a bit of random, then you simply must pop in here if in the area. read more

Trying to avoid flocks of tourist groups? Head here early. Given that it's right off Piccadilly Circus you can expect this place to be heaving with people from nationality that decide to visit London. But I think that speaks volumes for how great this Japanese supermarket come cafe this is. Sushi is a steal, all freshly made with a huge variety to choose from. You're not looking at paying out the nose here, everything is cheap as chips without the actual quality suffering for it. If you're more inclined to favor anything adorable, if you manage to beat the other cute hunters, you can pick up Hello Kitty/Totoro shaped sweet custard buns for around £1 fresh from their bakery. There's a great selection of mochi, red bean pancakes and all kinds of wonderful baked goods to pick up too. If you're looking for a taste of Japan without having to pay the actual plane fare, then this really is the place to visit. Want to whip up some great Japanese meal at home? Got you covered with everything from frozen dim sum to pink noodles to sauces and even sweets. Need something to eat your noodles out of? Again, Japan Centre have your back! Home ware, kitchen ware, cat shaped soy sauce holders for your pack lunch boxes? Yep, they have that too! read more

One of my fave places in London, though the prices are a little high, it is made up for by the large selection of imported Japanese products. The food there is also great, very authentic, and fairly cheap for London. The staff are friendly and always ready to help, and the selection of Japanese goods and food is uncontested as the largest in central London. If you Love Japanese food, I would absolutely recommend visiting here! read more

The Japan Centre is just amazing. They got anything on offer that you can imagine belonging to Japan. It ranges from sushi to go (which is fresh, lovely and so low priced), strange ingredients for cooking at home to loads of beverages, sweets and kitsch from Nippon. Even if you are not hungry or looking for something special it's worth it to browse the racks - or simply to observe the busy clients and staff. I'd say it's a tip for Japan lovers! read more

Only one phrase to describe it: The mecca of all foods Japanese in London. They've now expanded their supermarket to the shop next door, and opened a new sake cellar at the basement below their restaurant. You can find virtually anything Japanese in this shop, from soba to sushi rice, soy sauce to seaweed. They also do an extensive sushi takeaway counter, and if you go around 6-7pm (approx) everything is at half price, making it a very good value sushi dinner at home. One of their highlights is that they sell fresh matcha powder, ground from tea leaves right on the spot. Be aware though that for transactions less than £10, they charge a 30p card handling fee. Reviewed by The London Insider http://www.london-insider.co.uk/2011/11/half-price-sushi-deal-japan-centre-foodhall-piccadilly-circus read more

Four stars because I am in love with this space. It's centrally located near Piccadilly and is a great decent sized one stop shop for all Japanese stuff, especially sushi/sashimi/chiriashi, and it's located in the center of town! I wish they had something in this size and awesomeness in NYC but they don't - you'd have to drive out somewhere inconvenient and it would be in a shopping center (Mitsuwa Market, located in Edgewater, NJ!); or go to a dingy little place. This is a definitely must drop in if you are wanting to stock up on Japanese goods and food: there is a supermarket in the back, at the front there's a large variety of Japanese foods. Perhaps it's a good thing they don't have this store in city where I live (Zurich), because I'd be so addicted to it... read more

Not sure how I missed this place for so long (perhaps due to the semi-hidden entrance) but I'm glad I found it now. Upon entering and reaching the end of the escalator up, you're suddenly surrounded by a vast selection of Japanese food (both hot and cold), cooking ingredients, sweets and snacks, as well as some household cookery items and other miscellany. I've only been a couple of times, and picked up a few interesting snacks. Everything's (usually) labelled with English so it's not too scary when deciding whether or not to buy the brightly-coloured packet of food staring at you from the shelf. However, it should be noted that (presumably due to the import process) everything is fairly expensive here. It also seems to be very very busy (possibly to the layout of the shelves, which doesn't particularly help - aisles seem very narrow). But if you're looking for something authentically Japanese I would wager they have it here somewhere. read more

cute. feels a little empty, and i can't believe I'm complaining about too much space! you can get a bite to eat here, I believe they had seats for you to dine. towards the back of the store, you can get japanese food, snacks, things to cook with, and various other miscellany like stationary, books, and housewares. I wish they had more stationary! Did I miss the section where they keep all the various japanese writing utensils? Anyways - cute little shop. They even had totoro-shaped pastries! will try to stop by next time around 8:30 to get the half off goods! read more

Japan Centre - International Grocery Near Me - London, XGL

Japan Center is a Japanese grocery/take away heaven on St. James. Also a wonderful hideout when trying to look less touristy than one really is. Japan center is an airfare saving place when you want tastes of Japan, and they do offer lots of it, but can't afford the ticket to the real thing nor the language barrier. Being starch/carb - deprived for the past couple of months a fellow yelper friend of mine Cynthia L's love of Mochi finally got to me when I recently visited London. But it did not only stop there for which I am holding C.L. responsible! I just had to try little of this and little of that among the pretty huge selection of Japanese grocery at Japan Center. This led to a wonderful starchy, salty, sour or sweet culinary exploration journey sometimes pleasantly suppressing and sometimes culinary shocking. And this journey did not break the bank! It's truly amazing how unusual tastes and textures that are a "maybe" or "hell no" can become tastes you long for (not feeling it however in regards of seafood flavoured snacks). It is then really convenient this store offers global delivery meaning I for one need not to live without Mochi in all shapes and tastes, Azuki cakes, wasabi peas and spicy potato/peanut/rice rings or crackers! read more

The Japan centre hosts a food department downstairs. Here you can find probably London's best value sushi. Customers are mostly Japanese. Turnover is fast which guarantees freshness. But also if you are looking for ingredients for Japanese home cooking: go here. read more

Japan Centre - International Grocery Near Me - London, XGL

As a sushi lover this place is absolutely fantastic. There is always a huge variety of sushi on offer which makes it a tough time deciding what to eat at lunchtime! California rolls at less than £3 for eight pieces is a steal compared to eating in at various Japanese restaurants in the area. There's also a good selection of drinks and desserts available too. Definitely recommend if you're looking for cheap and cheerful Japanese food to takeaway. read more

I've been here a few times now and have even collected a few stamps on their loyalty card (one day I might qualify for a free green tea!). There are proper sushi chefs beavering away at the sushi bar, where you can sit and watch them. Or take a seat at one of the tables in the restaurant. Someone told me it's cheaper if you sit near the door! I don't know if that's true, but it's certainly draughtier so I wouldn't recommend it! Last time I went, we sat towards the back of the restaurant. I ordered an old favourite tuna in a wasabi sauce with rice. But I was very disappointed by the tuna as it was really gristly and chewy (it was raw, but it's not normally like that). So I complained and sent it back. They came back and said that occasionally you get it like that (caused by a layer of muscle in the tuna apparently), but I can't believe that a top-notch sushi chef would knowingly serve you a piece of muscle?! Anyway, they didn't charge me for it, but I am a little bit wary of ordering it again. The miso soup that came with it was fab though. The takeaway sushi is apparently very good value and worth taking to nearby Green Park for a picnic in summer. read more

As a Japanese, this place saves my food life! I like the supermarket there to get ingredents. In terms of price, since I know the actual price in Japan, this is headache. But in UK, I still have to appreciate that I can get Japanese foods without asking mum to send. I think this is good place for non- Japanese poeple to introduce the culture and foods though most of Japanese foods look over-priced read more

This place is A-MAzing . . since there isn't a main japanese area in London, like LA - Little Tokyo, I would have to dub this place the little tokyo of London. You can buy anything Japanese here - from rice to books to cutlery to baked goods. They also have sushi take away section - a good vast amount of sushi to choose from, they have a few strange mixes, but most are good . . The restaurant is right next door, but I believe that this place also delivers, so that is a plus! Happy shoppings!! read more

I've gone to the old location quite a bit and I have to say, this was a fantastic move to make. the new location is great!! the layout is fun, the sushi is right at the front so if you're in a rush you can take the escalator up and get your lunch and out within a few minutes. I love that it's right in Soho now too instead of down on Regent street. This is also one of the only places in London that sells my favourite weird snack- Tobiko. It's flying fish roe that usually used as a garnish or on the outside of sushi and rolls, but I could eat it by the spoonful. They sell a variety of containers and it's not super expensive!! If you want a good Japanese supermarket (try their sushi and the ramen packs) then this is one the best places in the city, along with Arigato on Brewer. read more

As you expect, high quality products at high prices.The store is pretty small hence pretty crowded. You can find everything from octopus to noodles, from sauces to Ghana chocolates...now this is something funny why would they have that?I tasted some of the stuff, those in the photos. The rest...I leave with you to explore and taste flavors of this far away culture. read more

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We went to the restaurant at the Japan Centre for the first time last night (normally I just go to the shop downstairs) and I must say it was some of the best sushi I've had in London. Their take California Roll (futomaki) was phenomenal - a regular California roll wrapped in a complete sushi assortment: tuna, salmon, octopus, snapper, mmmm. And the miso soup was also head and shoulders above any other I've had here. Of course, it didn't come cheap - expect to pay £30 apiece if you have a full meal of sushi and sashimi. There are also noodle and teriyaki dishes at completely reasonable prices, though, so don't let that put you off. It may not be the cheapest sushi in town, but it certainly is delicious. Which only makes the takeaway prices downstairs all the more remarkable. read more

If you need to find some Japanese ingredient that you can't seem to find in other asian groceries, the downstairs part of The Japan Centre will no doubt have it. Be prepared to push past all the people though lining up for the freshly prepared foods, all at reasonable prices. I prefer to eat upstairs where you might have to wait for a table, but you get even more freshly made foods. More suitable for a lunch with the hordes of people that are constantly walking back and forth, it's probably not the best place if you want a meal in a more relaxed or intimate environment. read more