5 Convenient and Well-Stocked Tokyo Health Food Stores

Looking for organic, vegan and macrobiotic goodies but don’t know where to start? Here is a guide to Tokyo’s brick-and-mortar health food stores.

As in much of the world, the health food scene in Tokyo is rapidly expanding. Though the dairy-free, fair-trade chocolate here may not be quite as cheap and the almond milk selection not as extensive as it is in the West, this guide will help you navigate some affordable, accessible and well-stocked Tokyo health food stores so that you can find those nutritious groceries you’ve been searching for.

1. Shizen Shokuhin F&F (Hiroo)

Directly across the road from Hiroo station, F&F Hiroo takes the cake for accessibility. The newly built store — with its shiny, black fixtures and scattered downlights — is also the most aesthetically pleasing on this list. F&F Hiroo can be described as medium-sized, with a decent selection of organic, natural and vegan products. It has reasonable baked goods and bento selection, and a small range of cosmetics. In terms of affordability, a 300-gram jar of organic extra virgin coconut oil here comes in at ¥1,944. With another 20 locations around Tokyo, F&F is certainly the most accessible on this list.

• Where: Shizen Shokuhin F&F, 5-15-20 Minami Azabu, Minato-ku
• Business hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Website: www.shizensyoku-ff.com

2. Gaia Yoyogi Uehara (Shibuya)

Gaia falls into the category of “cramped but cozy.” A short walk from Yoyogi-Uehara station, this store offers a small range of organic and macrobiotic foods. For its size, Gaia’s fresh produce section is impressive. However, without a doubt, also the most expensive store on the list, with a 360-gram jar of organic virgin coconut oil priced at ¥2,592. Gaia also suits those looking to support smaller, local businesses.

• Address: Gaia Yoyogi Uehara, 3-23-6 Nishihara, Shibuya-ku
• Business hours: 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
• Website: www.gaia-ochanomizu.co.jp

3. Natural House (Aoyama)

Located less than 100 meters from Omotesando station, Natural House Aoyama is the mecca of healthy and organic food stores. It’s home to an enormous selection of fresh produce and packaged food. The store has a delicatessen section with reasonably priced bento (lunch boxes) ranging from ¥500 to ¥1,500, as well as a range of vegan and dairy-free desserts, cosmetics, clothes and books. Some of its products are quite cost-effective: a 425-gram jar of extra virgin coconut oil can be found for only ¥1,383—remarkably cheaper than other stores on this list. With ten additional locations around Tokyo, Natural House wins out in terms of affordability and selection.

• Where: Natural House, 3-6-18 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku
• Business hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
• Website: www.naturalhouse.co.jp

4. Ohsawa Japan (Meguro)

© Photo by Ohsawa

Ohsawa Japan is a medium-sized health food store, just a two-minute walk from Ikejiri-ohashi Station. The store has a well-stocked range of fresh produce and organic foods, as well as an excellent selection of vegan snacks, milk and ice-cream. Ohsawa also has a range of healthy, organic and vegan bento choices as well as onigiri (rice balls). Unlike the other health food stores on this list, Ohsawa is attached to a fully-fledged vegetarian café that is open until 7 p.m. As the second most affordable store, a 460-gram bag of organic premium coconut oil costs just ¥1,080.

• Where: Ohsawa Japan, CI building 3-1-6 Higashiyama, Meguro-ku
• Business hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Website: www.new.ohsawa-japan.co.jp/

5. Waseda Natural (Shinjuku)

A five-minute walk from Waseda station, Waseda Natural is a medium to large-sized health food store that has been around since the 1960s. It sells a wide range of organic, fresh produce and has a large selection of cooking accessories, such as crockery and utensils. While the store isn’t as suited to vegans — only having a small vegan selection — it does specialize in natural medicines, plus traditional and organic teas. Waseda Natural is, though, the second most expensive store on the list, with a 408-gram jar of organic extra virgin coconut oil costing ¥2,592.

• Address: Waseda Natural, 51 Kikuicho, Shinjuku-ku
• Business hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. (closed Sundays)
• Website: www.waseda-natural.com

Where do you shop for your organic and vegan groceries? We’d love to hear about your Tokyo health food store recommendations in our comments!