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International Food Markets, Bakeries and Natural Food Stores
There are a few things that you won’t be able to find (that's when you call the Foreign Buyers Club), but for the most part you can improvise and cook almost anything with the availability of foreign foods in Toyama. As time goes by, more and more foreign products are hitting the shelves here and I expect the situation to continue to improve, but there is a bias towards North American products - you won’t be finding baked beans for cheap anywhere, I’m afraid! Prices for the same products can vary considerably so if you have time, shop around.
Yamaya (やまや)
Yamaya sells cheap alcohol, snacks, cheese and sauces, and is well worth a visit if you have a car or bike (it is about 20 minutes by bike from the main exit of Toyama station.)
Getting there: From Toyama station, go straight (past CIC on the right) and stay on this road a good while. Go past the museum on your left, then there will be a Ford dealership on the left corner of the intersection with Route 359, make a right at that intersection. You’ll turn right at the corner with the Green Bank building. Yamaya is about 200 yards down on the right, near to Homemart Piazza. There is also a Yamaya in Takaoka on the way to AEON.
Marushin
Very convenient for all you guys that live in Sunshine, Marushin is great! The prices are reasonable, especially on meat products, and they have a wide variety of international foods, including some pretty weird stuff like preserved duck eggs from China...lots of pastas, Mexican foods, baking supplies, frozen foods and canned goods. The cheese selection is lacking but improving. It is well worth picking up a discount card that will give you 5-10% off on selected days.
Getting there: It's a little tricky to find. From the north exit of Toyama station, walk one block down the main street (past Aubade Hall) and turn right. Walk for 15-20 minutes (past the Intec building to the right and a Lawsons to the left) and turn left when you reach Ace Video, which is on the corner of an intersection. Walk down another 15-20 minutes and Marushin will be on the left. It is opposite a baseball stadium. There is another location in Takaoka as well.
Cibo
This Italian restaurant also has a deli and bakery on the first floor. They have a limited supply of Italian pastas, sauces, breadsticks, etc. They have an extensive cheese selection; if you're looking for something and don't see it in the case, ask; they might have it in the refrigerator for use in the restaurant and will sell you a chunk. The bakery could be the best in Toyama City. They have whole grain variation and best of all they have yummy BAGELS!! (around 140 yen) They also sell desserts by the slice, deli salads and nice sandwiches for picnics.
Nano
This bakery is actually located in Kosugi, about a 10-15 minute walk from the station but the bread is so good it needs to be included. The shop is really small and the walls are lined with wooden cabinets and drawers where the bread is kept. When you open up one of the cabinet drawers the scent wafts out and you just have to buy some! They have the heaviest, densest bread in Toyama here plus a few bottles of good wine for sale. Try to get there early in the day as the selection is really limited by evening.
Getting There: Exit Kosugi Station from the south and walk straight past Coco's and continue down the main street toward Taikoyama Land. Go through two traffic signals. At the third signal take a left (there will be an Akiyoshi's yakitori restaurant on the right at this signal). Nano is located in a little shopping center on your right.
Anew
Tel: 433-5897 or 493-5798 Minami Toyama
Hours: until 7p.m. (Closed Sundays)
There are several of these in Toyama. You can count on the food here to be organic or at least free of pesticide residue at the time of purchase. They sell only things without preservatives and food coloring, etc. You can also find eco-friendly household items. They specialize in macrobiotic food also.
Getting there: The one located in central Toyama is between the station and Sunshine 88. From the station, go left, past the Golden Bowl, over the bridge and to the big intersection after the bridge. Take this right. Go for about 3 minutes by bike and ANEW is a small cozy place on the right, just before the big supermarket called Osaka-ya.
Sanpian
Tel: 445-3122
This is located on the first floor of APA next to Sunshine 88. From the main entrance, go straight and you will see a food store at the very back. They stock many natural food items with more selection than ANEW (but not as reliable in their naturalness). Still a great spot.