For international students and long-term residents living in Hakodate, as well as locals who love ethnic cuisine and local ingredients, choosing the right ‘supermarket or food store’ to enrich their daily meals is a pressing concern. Shops that cater to niche needs, such as wanting ‘authentic nam pla or pho’ or ‘to cook Vietnamese dishes from my home country,’ are extremely valuable in Hakodate.
This article will introduce carefully selected food stores and local supermarkets that support real daily life, from everyday cooking to special dinners, focusing on ‘Hakodate Asia Food Store,’ which is a leading ‘Vietnamese supermarket’ in Hakodate. Let’s take a peek behind the scenes of Hakodate’s food culture, at spots not found in tourist guides.
Hakodate Asia Food Store
📍 Address: 32-29 Honcho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0011, Japan
Located on a backstreet in the Goryokaku Koen-mae / Chuo Byoin-mae area, this store is truly an ‘oasis for the heart’ for international students and workers from Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, and other countries living in the Dōnan (Southern Hokkaido) area. It’s a Vietnamese and Asian food store.
In fact, it operates as an in-store/annexed space of the multinational dining and standing bar ‘Clement Street.’ The shelves are lined with unique ingredients sourced through special routes by an owner with over 25 years of overseas experience. You can find authentic ingredients rarely seen in regular supermarkets, such as dried pho noodles, various ethnic seasonings, and even ‘hot vit lon’ (balut), a fertilized duck egg.
Furthermore, the owner also conducts ‘mobile sales’ visiting companies and dormitories throughout the Dōnan region, strongly supporting the lives of foreign residents who cannot easily access supermarkets. On weekends (Friday-Sunday), the standing bar space is open, allowing you to enjoy fresh spring rolls (gỏi cuốn) and Vietnamese-style grilled rice paper with Vietnamese ‘333 (Ba Ba Ba) beer’ or Hanoi beer. It’s a highly vibrant local spot where you can experience a local street food vibe while shopping, and exchange information within a multicultural community.
Jujiya Food Store
📍 Address: 5-18 Suehirocho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0053, Japan
This long-established food store in Suehirocho primarily sells house-roasted coffee beans and offers takeout coffee, but it’s also a hidden gem for ‘monastery beers.’
It boasts a rich selection of high-alcohol, deeply flavored beers, such as ‘Chimay’ and ‘Rochefort,’ made by Belgian Trappist monasteries, making it very popular among long-term residents who love alcohol and locals looking for unique souvenirs. With Trappist monasteries located in Hakodate and the neighboring Hokuto City, visiting this store with that context adds a unique layer of enjoyment.
Their takeout coffee is a reasonable 400 yen flat, where you can choose your favorite beans from those sold in-store, and they’ll meticulously hand-drip it for you on the spot. Watching the beans bloom while chatting with the master about local topics is a unique charm of this shop. Due to its past as a liquor store, it also carries Japanese sake and rare teas. It’s a renowned establishment, shining with the warm hospitality of a family-owned business and a carefully curated selection.
Green Market MOA Hakodate
📍 Address: 1-1-1 Yamanote, Hakodate, Hokkaido 041-0836, Japan
Tucked away in a quiet residential area of Yamanote, this organic supermarket enjoys immense support from nature-conscious individuals and health-aware long-term residents. Its slightly set-back location from the road gives it a hidden gem feel, but parking is easy, and access is good.
Inside, you’ll find a wide array of highly safe items rarely available at typical mass retailers, including fresh naturally grown/pesticide-free vegetables and fruits, free-range eggs, and environmentally friendly detergents and cosmetics. Their selection of seasonings is particularly outstanding, making it a savior for ‘seasoning refugees’ looking for delicious additive-free soy sauce and miso in Hakodate.
The polite and warm service from the staff is also highly praised, creating an inviting atmosphere where you can feel free to ask about product origins or usage. Next to the store is a beautifully maintained flower garden, offering a moment of peace during your shopping. It’s a highly recommended place of safety and trust for local parents and international students who prioritize food safety in Japan.
Super ARCS Chiyodai Store
📍 Address: 10-7 Chiyodai-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0013, Japan
Located in Chiyodai-cho, close to Nakajima Renbai market, this is a large, community-oriented supermarket. With a massive parking lot accommodating 266 cars, it serves as the most reliable ‘giant refrigerator’ for international students who cook their own meals and long-term residents wanting to experience Hakodate’s authentic food culture.
The spacious interior boasts a well-stocked fresh fish corner unique to Hakodate. Beyond fresh seafood, you’ll find an array of local specialties and ingredients at affordable prices, indispensable to local dining tables, such as ‘Surume Ika Shiokara’ (salted squid guts), ‘Nuka Sanma’ (sardines pickled in rice bran), ‘Hokke Fry’ (fried Atka mackerel), and even ‘Sushi with raw Hokki clams’ and ‘Morimachi Marumo Foods’ Ika Meshi’ (squid stuffed with rice). The selection is so extensive that just looking for dinner side dishes can make you feel like you’re in a local izakaya.
The bakery section offers freshly baked bread at reasonable prices, and with a 100-yen shop (Daiso) and a dry cleaner also located inside, it offers the convenience of one-stop shopping for daily necessities. It’s an excellent, life-centric supermarket where you can enjoy everyday shopping while feeling the local energy, with fewer tourists around.
MaxValu Wakamatsu Store
📍 Address: 25-1 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0063, Japan
Boasting an excellent location just a 7-minute walk from JR Hakodate Station, this large supermarket caters to a wide range of needs, from daily shopping for locals to grocery runs for long-term residents staying in nearby hotels and guesthouses.
The 1st-floor food section is packed with Hokkaido-produced meats, seafood directly from the city, and local vegetables, making it perfect for home cooking. Furthermore, there’s a well-stocked Hokkaido souvenir corner, and chilled items can be sent via cool delivery, making it ideal for a stop before heading home or to the ferry/airport. On weekends, limited-edition ‘Numa no Ie’s Numadango’ (marsh dumplings), a specialty of Ōnuma Park, are sold, making it a hidden gem for local delicacies known to those in the know.
What’s particularly noteworthy is the well-equipped ‘Relaxation Plaza’ (eat-in space) on the 2nd floor. With free Wi-Fi, microwaves, and hot water available, you can enjoy purchased deli items or instant noodles right there. Additionally, there’s a cup vending machine from Hakodate’s long-established ‘Misuzu Coffee,’ allowing you to enjoy authentic coffee at a low price, making it a perfectly equipped oasis for international students and digital nomads (*When using the eat-in space, please declare it at the register to adjust the tax rate).
[Column] Mastering Shopping in Hakodate! Tips for Utilizing Local Supermarkets
If you’re living a long-term stay or student life in Hakodate, smartly differentiating and utilizing each supermarket’s ‘specialty’ is key to improving your quality of life.
For example, on days you want to cook authentic ethnic dishes at home, you can procure nam pla, rice paper, and various spices from ‘Hakodate Asia Food Store,’ then head to ‘Super ARCS’ to buy fresh Hakodate-sourced squid, scallops, and local vegetables. The combination of authentic Southeast Asian seasonings and Hokkaido’s proud fresh seafood is the ultimate luxury only available to those living in Hakodate.
And when you want to stock up on daily necessities and body-friendly seasonings, carefully select them at ‘Green Market MOA.’ For a small weekend treat, buy some monastery beer from ‘Jujiya Food Store.’ By visiting stores according to your purpose in this way, simple ‘grocery shopping’ transforms into an ‘experience of Hakodate’s local culture.’ Be sure to find your favorite ‘my supermarket’ and fully enjoy a deep Hakodate life.
