A Look at the Lively Underground Department Store!

This video, released by "ANNnewsCH" is titled "New Year's [Underground Department Store] Bustling With Customers Returning Home for the Holidays!" It's a news video introducing the liveliness of Japan's department stores at the end of 2018.

The video, which is crowded with people shopping for end-of-the-year ingredients and gifts for returning home, shows the Daimaru Tokyo store in Chiyoda, Tokyo.
Why are so many customers visiting the basement floors of Japan's department stores? Read on to learn the secrets behind their popularity and get some awesome food recommendations!

The Basement Level in Japan's Department Stores

Photo：Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi

Depa-basement (デパ地下, "Depa-chika," short for Department store basement level) refers to the basement floor of a department store where foodstuffs are usually sold. There are many stores in Japan, including the Keio Department Store in Shinjuku, Matsuzakaya in Nagoya, Takashimaya in Kyoto, and Seibu in Ikebukuro, Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, "Tokyu Food Show" in Tokyu Department, and more.

The video shows the department store basement connected to Tokyo Station, which is home to many famous stores.
The basement food store is close to the train and bullet train platforms and has a direct connection to the underground parking lot, making it easy to access.

In addition, water and gas facilities can be installed at low cost, and the "fountain effect" is said to be one of the merits of the Depa-basement, as having a full range of stores in the basement increases sales upstairs.

Delicious Food and Popular Recipes

Source :YouTube screenshot

The most popular item at the Tokyo Daimaru store's deli corner is the Mero Teriyaki, shown at 0:56 in the video.
The "Meat Path" corner, which can be seen at 1:27 in the video, sells a deluxe beef tongue steak bento boxes with beef tenderloin steak from "Gyutanka Nezaki."
Other popular items include deli items such as dried bonito and vegetable salads, as well as sweets such as whole cakes, chocolates and macaroons, candy, and alcoholic beverages.

In addition to sales by permanent tenants, the basements of department stores also host events such as local product fairs featuring local products from Hokkaido and Okinawa, and ekiben (boxed lunches sold at train stations across Japan), attracting many customers.

Summary of Japan's Department Store's Basements

Source :YouTube screenshot

In this article, we introduced a news video that shows the basement of one of Japan's department stores as it's flooded with customers at the end of the year.
There are many tenants in the basement of a department store, and as shown in the video, the store is filled with delicious food.

Most of the department stores in Japan are directly connected to train stations, so if you're looking to buy some delicious ingredients, be sure to drop by for a visit!

【Official Website】Daimaru Tokyo store
https://www.daimaru.co.jp.e.md.hp.transer.com/tokyo/?_ga=2.195670380.1999862128.1591598074-89102328.1591598074