If you are visiting Japan for a short time, you may never need to enter one of Japan’s giant department stores such as Takashimaya, Sogo, Matsuzakaya, Hankyu, Daimaru, Mitsukoshi, Seibu, and many others. These giant shops often include nice restaurants on the top floors, various clothing brand shops, and places you can buy kimonos or other traditional Japanese items. They are expensive but offer great service and products.

For travelers who have not come to Japan to overpay for brand name clothing, the giant department stores become giant landmarks. Many of them are built around major train and subway stations. Most of them are very tall and noticeable with the name of the building shown as a billboard on the top.

For travelers on a budget, these giant department stores, called “hyakkaten” in Japanese can be a great source of inexpensive snacks, and a chance to try some of Japan’s delicacies without having to pay for a whole box.

Also, if the day ever comes that you find yourself wandering around in a city in Japan wanting to eat, but still sore in the wallet from that $50 sushi dinner the night before, you can hop into McDonald's or Mos Burger for a quick meal, or you can try some traditional Japanese delicacies for free.

The basements or “chika” of these department stores are usually packed with tiny kiosks offering different types of Japanese, Chinese, Indian, European food and more. If you decided to buy these foods they could cost you a lot of money, however thankfully most of these shops allow you to try before you buy.

Most of the shops will have baskets of samples on the counter, or even someone out in the aisle cooking with a hibachi. The first thing to do is plan your trip through the department store basement, shortened to “depachika” in Japanese. You may want to start with some Chinese food, or whet your appetite with a bit of bread. Make your way through the aisles with Chinese and Japanese side dishes and croquettes. If you get thirsty along the way, you can take a detour to where the fruit juices are being sold. If you are lucky, maybe a soft drink company will be introducing a new flavor or there will be some milk available for tasting. You can also ask a question about the food you are eating (English would probably be fine, and might even be a nice, entertaining break for the sample giver). Asking a question is also a good way to be offered seconds!

At the end of your trip through the depachika maze, you can find your way to where the traditional cakes and other sweets are being sold and satisfy your sweet tooth before heading over to the girl by the gourmet coffees holding a tray of little white paper coffee cup samples.

If you feel a little embarrassed methodically working your way through all of the sample trays in a Japanese department store, and you are in a big city, you can probably walk across the street and continue your “meal” at a completely different department store. I know of young businessmen for whom this is how they save money and eat lunch every day, ending their lunchtime journey with a 100 yen rice ball (onigiri) at a convenience store before heading back to work.

If you eat something particularly fabulous, then it might even be a good idea to buy some as a gift for friends back home, or as something to bring to a Japanese friend’s home. Most people would be overjoyed if their foreign guests walked in with a delicacy from a depachika in the Ginza district.

I would lastly, like to say that even if you aren’t on a tight budget, the sample trays in department store basements in Japan are a wonderful way to try a lot of different kinds of food and sweets without spending a lot of money. If you are not sure whether you really like “anko” (sweet red bean paste made from azuki beans), or if you don’t want to buy “fresh water eel pie” “unagi pai” without trying it first, this is your chance.