[trunker]

about the perishables,.... japanese shoppers standards are so high that a slight blemish on a banana will consign it to the discount bin. in many cases you'll find stuff there just because it arrived at the shop the day before, or in the case of fish/meat it was put out during the day, but has been perfectly packed and chilled.

so alot of the stuff in the discount bins are incredibly fresh for anyone without the ridiculous standards of the japanese.

i just picked up 8 bananas for Y100, and that wasnt even in the discount bin, but they werent as pretty as the Y200 per banana ones.

the worst thing for your wallet is to start shopping like them and be suspicious of the discount bin. the old ladies know whats what.

and on another note, no way is it cheaper to eat out in tokyo than to cook yourself. if you shop like a moron then maybe yes.

but an average relatively cheap meal will cost you atleast 600-700 yen, and sometimes closer to or above the Y1000 range at a sit down joint. this is fast food ramen, where you get your own water.

conbini food is cheaper but not by that much,... youre talking 400-800 per obento plus a drink. but you could go the onigiri route for 90-150 per piece. it is incredibly good food though, and could be compared to japanese restaurant quality outside japan, but at a fraction of the cost.

one last shopping tip,... dont get everything from one place, thats how they get you. most decent sized cities are basically one big village, and theres bound to be a little market in every area, sometimes 5 minutes away from each other,.... certain things you can find much cheaper at those places.

check out the way the local housewives work here,... you'll find that they dont normally do a big shop once a week, but rather, you'll find that they shop and plan meals daily depending on whats fresh and cheap.