Grocery Shopping around Plume IS

Plume IS, the Keio university school dormitory which I have been living in, is located in a somewhat inconvenient location for grocery shopping.  The Lawson 100 round the block, which I mentioned previously, is good only for a last-minute run for the odd packet of spaghetti sauce, the bag of tamanegi, or in the worst-case scenario, a cup noodle dinner.  It however deserves credit for keeping generations of Plumions alive, and for satisfying my sweet tooth with its mitarashi dango.

Being an inveterate cheapo and determined cook, I have spent a good chunk of my free time exploring grocery shopping options in a rather wide radius, in the process scraping a good 5mm off the soles of my 1500 yen sandals.

Shin-Kawasaki Station, which is a main node of transport for Plumions, is conveniently located between two large supermarkets. It is great, until you realise you have to drag your groceries back for a 20min walk back to the dorm. In Spring it was pleasurable enough, but during Summer this option should be quickly forgotten.

1) Maruetsu (ground floor of shin-kawasaki square)

Maruetsu at Shin-Kawasaki Square, next to the station

Address: Japan, 〒212-0058 Kanagawa Prefecture, Kawasaki 幸区鹿島田１丁目１−３

Opening hours: 9am - 1am

Good for: Ready-made bentos, meat, vegetables, fresh foods, household necessities 

Maruetsu is large is the main place I buy my fresh ingredients from. Larger variety than Keikyu. Great place to get discounted fresh meat if you go late at night near closing time. 

2) Keikyu Store

Placeholder till I take a proper picture

Address: 〒212-0032 神奈川県川崎市幸区新川崎５－２

Opening hours: 10am - midnight

Good for: being on the same side of the station as Plume 

Can't really say much for this place since things here are rather expensive. Most of us rather walk the extra 3 min to get to Maruetsu. 

There are also options around the dorm that are not near the station, but also require some walking to get to: 

3) Inageya

Address: 〒212-0055神奈川県川崎市幸区南加瀬4-14-30
Opening hours: 9am - 10:45pm

Good for: Being the nearest proper supermarket from Plume - 10min walk. Just walk past Lawson 100 and continue walking straight down, passing a second-hand goods shop on the way.   

I have only shopped here once. Variety isn't as good as Maruetsu but check out what is currently on sale. 

4) Gyomu Super

A cheapo's dream

Address: 〒212-0055 神奈川県川崎市幸区南加瀬5丁目4−10

Opening hours: 9am - 8pm

Good for: Super cheap fresh vegetables, dried udon, soba, spaghetti, ready-made tsukemono, frozen meat, fish, vegetables, and ice cream!!!

Hands down the cheapest place for ice cream. I was never able to buy a 108 yen ice cream from Lawson 100 again after discovering 78 yen ice creams here. Yes that 30 yen is worth the 20 min walk. Just walk past Lawson 100, and walk straight down all the way, past Inageya. At the fork, take the left path and continue walking straight down and Gyomu's green sign will catch your eye on the right. Also, a 2kg frozen bag of chicken for 698 yen here fed me for 2 weeks easily. Gyomu is an industrial supermarket so most things are sold in bulk. 

5) Summit

Just opposite Gyomu

Address: 神奈川県川崎市幸区南加瀬3-40-3 

Opening hours: 9am - midnight

Good for: Ready-made bentos, meat, vegetables, fresh foods, household necessities 

This is the most similar to Maruetsu in terms of variety. There's a Daiso and Mcdonald's within the same building while Gyomu Super is just across the road. The fact that I get to grocery shop at both Gyomu and Summit makes the 20 min walk worth it. 

If you are up for an even longer walk...

6) Don Quijote Hiyoshi

Pic from google

Address: 〒223-0051 神奈川県横浜市港北区箕輪町２丁目４−３７

Opening hours: 9am - 3am

Good for: Snacks, really cheap milk and yogurt, bread, rice, granola, tea, coffee, bottled drinks, canned drinks, alcohol, instant ramen, toiletries 

I go to Donki every week even though it is a 20min walk straight down from Hiyoshi station, which is itself a 20min walk from Plume. Donki is the cheapest place for bottled drinks, snacks and a whole random assortment of goods other than food items. The food section does not stock fresh ingredients, but stocks almost everything else at extremely competitive prices. I love this place!!