Costco, a multinational corporation based in the United States, is known for its membership-based large retail chain stores. With nearly 134 million members worldwide, Costco has stores located across the globe, each offering its own unique products tailored to the local market. A nutritionist from Japan who currently resides in the United States recently had the opportunity to shop at the Costco Yawata store in Kyoto, and discovered both similarities and differences between American and Japanese Costco stores.
On July 26, Michiko Tomioka, a registered nutritionist and MBA, shared her experience on CNBC’s financial website after using her American Costco membership card at a Costco store in Japan. She found that while the layout and many products of Japanese Costco are similar to those in the United States, the variety of Japanese food products available was truly astonishing. The store featured local specialties, seasonal ingredients, and healthy snacks that she rarely came across in Japan.
Costco ensures that their product selection caters to the tastes and preferences of local consumers. On average, about 65% of products in Costco stores are locally sourced. Tomioka listed six food items she hoped American Costco stores would offer, all of which are available at Japanese Costco stores.
Seaweed plays a significant role in Japanese cuisine, being rich in minerals, vitamins, and polyphenols, making it one of the most nutritious plant-based foods.
Japanese Costco sells a variety of seaweed products including wakame, nori, aosa, kombu, and hijiki.
Japanese Costco supermarkets offer a wide range of soy-based products, many of which are vacuum-packed to maintain freshness and extend shelf life. Options include freeze-dried yuba tofu, fried tofu, tofu skin powder, and frozen tofu.
Tomioka emphasizes the importance of incorporating a variety of vegetables, root vegetables, and herbs into every meal. The more diverse the plant types, the more dietary fiber, antioxidants, and essential nutrients are obtained, which are crucial for longevity.
She discovered some Japanese agricultural products sold in Japanese Costco that are not available in American Costco. These include Japanese eggplant and cucumber, mushrooms such as enoki and shiitake, leafy greens like mizuna, komatsuna, and napa cabbage, as well as Japanese sweet potatoes and Hokkaido potatoes.
Japanese Costco offers a diverse range of ready-to-eat foods, including microwaveable mixed grain rice, pickles, instant miso soup, pre-cooked Japanese fish, and a variety of unique seasonings.
Tomioka also pointed out that similar products can be found in American stores such as Whole Foods, but at higher prices.
She writes that rice crackers (crispy soy-flavored rice) are one of her favorite snacks.
At the Japanese Costco store, she came across Kameda’s Persimmon Seed Rice Crackers. This popular Japanese snack is made from whole soybeans roasted and seasoned, offering a crunchy texture and delicious flavor, making it a tasty choice for snacking or pairing with favorite drinks.
Tomioka introduces other rice cracker ingredients including sesame, seaweed, soy flour, nuts, and even some herbs.
In Japan, green tea is not just a beverage; it is a daily lifestyle habit that can be found in vending machines, restaurants, and various places.
Tomioka noted that at Japanese Costco, she saw bottled green tea, tea bags, loose-leaf tea, and family-sized tea powder. Nearly every customer’s shopping cart contained green tea products.
Numerous studies have shown the association of green tea with heart health and longevity.
Reportedly, Japanese Costco stores operate with a unique business concept – open all year round, closing only on January 1st, in stark contrast to American stores that typically close on major holidays.
As of August 2024, Costco has a total of 890 warehouse stores worldwide. This includes 614 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, 108 stores in Canada, 40 stores in Mexico, 35 stores in Japan, 29 stores in the United Kingdom, 19 stores in South Korea, 15 stores in Australia, 14 stores in Taiwan, 7 stores in mainland China, 4 stores in Spain, 2 stores in France, and single stores in Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden.