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When it comes to U.S. and Japanese military facilities in Japan, Yokosuka Navy Base is pretty unique in that it is located right next to a thriving/busy downtown commercial area. There are lots of shops, eateries, pubs, and other businesses located only a short walking distance from the Base. Train stations, bus stops, and taxi stands are also nearby. In previous articles, we introduced the More's City Department Store and the Mikasa Shopping Street (see the links at the bottom for more details). Both of these places offer all kinds of options for shopping and dining. But there is another interesting characteristic of the Japanese retail experience called: DEPA-CHIKA (デパ地下) ... デパ/DEPA is short for "department store", and 地下/CHIKA means underground or basement floor. So, the DEPA-CHIKA basement floors in Japanese department stores are full of numerous specialty stores mainly selling food. Of note, a super-large DEPA-CHIKA is located in the bottom of the huge Sogo Department Store up in Yokohama (located next to Yokohama Station, only a 30-minute train ride away from Yokosuka). Although smaller in scale, the DEPA CHIKA in Yokosuka More's City is very nice and has a French bakery, various cakes & pastry shops, "Kaldi" imported foods and wines, fresh fruit & vegetable sellers, salads & bento lunches, fresh meat and fish shops, a cafe, and a medium-sized supermarket, etc. There is also another large general store in the downtown area called "Saikaya" which has a DEPA CHIKA. We hope you will have the chance to visit and enjoy shopping at the DEPA CHIKAs in Yokosuka!

written by Goodfield

Links:

More's City Department Store : https://us.iino.cc/blog/blog.html?eid=00093

Mikasa Shopping Street : https://us.iino.cc/blog/blog.html?eid=00035