Japan Centre

I often come here to shop for Japanese products. The cook food is very reasonable. I had classic ramen soup noodles, and it was good. I do recommend come to eat early because it gets very busy with the lunch crowd with limited indoor seating. Make sure you pick up a loyalty card, and you get a free meal with 15 stamps.

A good place to have Japanese food, sashimi, sushi and groceries. They even have Japanese magazines and items of anime. Recommend anyone who loves Japanese culture to pay a visit. The bilingual signage in Japanese and English adds the vibe so hopefully the owner can do more of this, of course the best is to open more Japan Centre store in the UK.😸🍣🍤🍛🍜

One of my favourite places. I buy ramen and stock. It satisfies my cravings, and is great since I don't go out to eat ramen any more. I love all the other items they stock, like kitchenware, magazines and sashimi. I actually haven't bought any, but it's cool to look at them. If you need Japanese groceries, this is brilliant, though some items are cheaper in Chinatown. The takeaway is great too. I've had the gyoza and yakitori chicken skewers, though it was ages ago.

We had heard good things about JC, so we decided to check it out. You can find everything there—from Japanese and Korean to Chinese products. At the restaurant section, I ordered ramen with tempura. However, what I got was a soggy, waterlogged prawn half-lost in its tempura batter. That can’t be right, can it? I went back to address the issue, asking for a proper crispy tempura. The staff member said, "Okay, I’ll get you a new one." To my surprise, he grabbed a pre-cooked tempura from the display and put it in the microwave! That’s not going to make it crispy, I thought. I had no patience for this anymore, so I walked away, ate my ramen, and left the store.

For a truly authentic Japanese experience in London, I highly recommend this place. It offers a wide assortment of Japanese goods, from traditional cooking ingredients to snacks, sweets, and prepared foods. You can find almost everything you need to make your own authentic Japanese meals at home. Additionally, the restaurants within and around the building bring the tastes of Japan right to London.

I come here every time I’m in London to quickly satisfy my sushi craving (inexpensive, good quality sushi for take away) and buy some Japanese groceries. Very good selection and reasonable prices for imported food.

There are many Japanese staff, so you can easily order in Japanese. They offer a wide range of authentic Japanese ingredients and food.

You can find Japanese products in a variety, fresh food bakeries snacks and so on it's so good 😍

Amazing place to get some of my favourite Japanese foods at affordable prices. They have a great range of items and often have multiple brands of each item like matcha, noodles and seaweed. I'm not personally into sweet things but they have a great range of sweets and pocky sticks. They sell kitchenware items like chopsticks, cooking utensils and bamboo whisks. They also have cute little stationary that isn't expensive and will make great stocking stuffers closer to Christmas. We tried a couple of bakery items, including a matcha croissant and a mochi doughnut which I've always wanted to try. The doughnut was nice and lighter than a regular one. The croissant was flaky and really nice but the matcha-white chocolate type topping was too sweet for me personally. I'll definitely be back for more bamboo shoots and fermented foods!

Ordered the combo deal at Busaba. So I got some ramen and gyoza- the gyoza was really good and I loved the flavor of the broth. The reason I rated lower was because the beef in my ramen was cold. The broth was really hot though so it was a little confusing but it was not great unfortunately. The service was good, you go to the front and they give you a number and it didn't take too long. They also have a grocery store inside the store which was nice!

Great place to rest the feet and have a quick snack or Japanese lunch that's cheaper than restaurants and not too busy. A 16years+ store & eatery centrally located between Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square & Chinatown. Enter to see a small Mochi donut counter and go down the stairs to the main area. They have a sitting area where one can eat ordered or already prepared foods. Noodles & Deli Counter can order Ramen, Curry, Tempura, Sukiyaki, Takoyaki, Dumplings, Beer, Green Tea & Coffee. Students get 10% off and there is a kid meal option. Can buy low priced prepared sushi, Japanese ice creams, snacks. There is also dry groceries, mill your own rice machine & books. Opened M-Sa 10am-9:30pm Sun 11-8pm. Website: https://www.japancentre.com/en 1. Can sign up for 10% off 2. Free UK delivery for over £65+ orders 3. Can see promotions & sales Located -entrance at the NE corner of Panton St & Oxendon St (1 block south of Coventry St) -1 block south of TWG Tea -3 minute walk/3blocks SE of Piccadilly Circus/station -5 minute walk/4blocks NW of Trafalgar Square -4 minute walk/4 blocks SW if Chinatown

Can I just say how I WISH London had a Don Quixote?! Guess I have to settle for Japan Centre. Great selection of products, but DO NOT order hot food here unless you've showed up right after its freshly made. They will MICROWAVE the tempura if you ask to have it warmed up. Do they not have toaster oven or a heating lamp? Keep it crispy people! The mochi donuts are good, but the matcha cookies are PURE SUGAR! For anyone who has been to Japan you would know that they don't do their sweets ultra sweet. It always subtle and delicious, not overpowering. Long story short: good for when you need that boxed ingredient and nothing is near you, but not the place to stop at for a hot snack. DAME YO!

Japan Centre is a shoppers paradise for those Nipponese-Culture-&-Cuisine enthusiasts who need more than just a dissatisfying visit to the small "Asian Food Aisle" at your local London supermarket. Because Japan Centre is not just a bigger & better Asian food aisle, nor is it simply a nice big grocery store devoted solely to Japanese produce & ingredients. Japan Centre is an emporium of Japanese culture, products, personnel, and cuisine. As soon as I stepped through its ornate stone doorway, I felt like I had entered Japan itself. I was personally so impacted by this the experience after my first visit here that I quickly purchased half a dozen books on Japan, from a massive Sushi photo-dictionary, to a number of cookbooks & ingredient glossaries, to a comprehensive study of the boardgame GO, as well as an introduction to Sumo Wresting, Japan's favorite sport. I even got a child's guide to Kanji (Japan's writing system) and a simple illustrated language-lesson book. I was determined to educate myself on these amazing people. Japan Centre also offers many free food samplings and events at their stores, especially on weekends. Some of these tasty grazing items include famous sake brands such as Kuheiji (a very good sake) and Gekkeikan (a pretty basic sake), as well as many packed imported food items such as Ramen, Miso Soup, Fish-cake, and Seaweed snacks. The staff fills the atmosphere with Japanese music. Japan Centre also often has professional Shamisen musical performances (which are amazing), as well as fashion show-lets displaying vintage kimonos just like the locals often do in Kyoto. You can find out all of the dates and times for each event and offering on Japan Centre's website. Japan Centre has four locations in the south UK: Japan Centre Leicester Square, Japan Centre Ichiba, Westfield London, and Japan Centre Westfield Stratford City. Go there and enjoy.

A great hidden gem in the heart of London. At least for anyone who considers Japanese markets and eateries gems like me! It really felt like being back in Tokyo as the market is in the basement of a building. It's easy to walk right by! As much as I was appreciative of a Japanese market in London, I did feel the need to dock a star for the fact that both the meals that we ordered on the menu were not available. The Takoyaki was a disappointment but that apparently is very hard to prepare so ok that wasn't available. But, we ordered the beef and rice bowl and they were out of beef!! Early in a Saturday night what the heck?! So we ordered the chicken instead and it was really dry and they overdid it with the teriyaki sauce. Instead if the Takoyaki we ordered the gyoza and I have to say I've had better. After dinner we checked out their desserts and decided on the green tea cheesecake. It was half off because it was about to expire but it still tasted fine. It was good but next time I am going with their ice cream mochi!

Such a pleasant surprise in the Westfield mall in Stratford London. Late night real udon. Steaming broth. Shrimp tempura. Perfect udon noodles. All for about 8 quid. Right next to Stratford station.

Center have a few tables for dine in cooked food. Limited japanese merchandise, selection of groceries are o.k not fabulous. I've been visiting Japan over a decade, I still can't find what I need here.

I went there for dinner with friends and it was a real disappointment. I heard of Japan Center as an authentic "cheap" Japanese place. Well first, it's really expensive and not cheap at all !!! You can find better Japanese products for a better price in Chinatown or Acton I ordered a chicken katsu curry rice and well it was really expensive for a bowl of the size I was served. Also the quality didn't worth the price I paid A huge deception and for sure I will not go again for hot meals here

Japan Centre is a Japanese grocery store that also has a small food court area. The grocery store products are quite expensive, and I probably would never buy from there. Their bread is also very expensive- around double the price of the asian bakeries in Chinatown. However, their sushi and bento boxes are priced very reasonably. Even better everything is half off around an hour before they close! Their sushi tasted pretty fresh to me for sushi that was probably made in the morning. I thought it was a great deal and was really worth it! If you go when it's half off, you'll see many people grabbing multiple items, so you have to be quick! One thing that I didn't like was that ginger and wasabi cost extra. Besides that, the sushi was cheap and great!

I highly anticipated the grand opening of this location after seeing what potential the other store had. There truly is nothing else like it in London. The best place for all kinds of Japanese food. Upstairs you will be greeted by the matcha ice cream and sweets in a very small entrance but go downstairs for all the action. Deli counter to select hot items like tempura, yakitori, noodles and rice dishes. There is an ample selection of sushi, seafood and sliced meats. Then make your way around the store for frozen delights, all the pantry needs, lots of tea, and most impressive was their fresh miso selection. There is even a small area of books and magazines. The food quality itself varies. Takeaway sushi and bento is a quick lunchtime fix. Fresh enough to taste good but not great. I was disappointed that their most flavorful ramen was anything but bland and no spices available at the tables or when asked. It's nice to have the option to eat in with spacious tables. The checkouts were quick for the long queue. I think staff may need more training for the hot food items as they work out the kinks but overall this is a great place. Prices are not cheap either but given this is London, I have come to expect it. Given my love for all things Japanese, you can bet I will be back!

As long as Japan Centre use DPD, I can't recommend their delivery service to anyone. So often DPD failed to make home delivery. I ordered for home delivery and it ended up in the local collection point (the post office) which requires me to take a bus ride from my home. DPD blames Japan Centre for instructing my parcels to be delivered to the local shop for collection while I received order confirmation with delivery to my home. I am refusing to pick up my order of 10kg rice and other heavy items and carry them home since I specifically ordered them for home delivery. It's so so bad that Japan Centre customer service office is closed on Saturdays. Nowadays, if office is closed for customers on Saturdays, your business is inefficient.Very disappointed! 自宅配送でお米等食品を頼んでも、ジャパンセンターの使うDPD社はCollection Point (私の場合はバスに乗らなければ行けない郵便局)に荷物を届けます。 車が無い方は、自分で運べませんので、自宅への配達を希望する場合、他の日本食品店から購入することをお勧めします。DPD社は、ジャパンセンターからの支持で、オーダー注文者のコレクションだと主張します。ジャパンセンターのオーダー確認メールが自宅配送になっていても、自宅には届きません！皆様、注意して下さい。

Great deals! This is a huge Japanese supermarket. It ranges from prepared food to frozen food to fresh groceries. It's a tad over pricey though so I suggest hitting up a local Japanese restaurant if you are craving Japanese for a cheaper price.

Strange almost hidden location of Japan Centre but once you go in corner of Piccadilly inside and up sparkly escalators you realise there is a lovely shop of mainly food goodies awaiting. You first see bento and sushi and snacks. To the right are deli counters and some seating. The tills are straight ahead but I do wish it was all bigger and more spacious as I love Japanese products. I really enjoyed sampling their matcha cakes which I came for. I will be back to get some sushi and relax for sure.

Here's the thing that I need to clarify to anyone who is thinking of going to get food at Japan Centre, it is NOT AUTHENTIC. Now you might be wondering why I give this place five stars despite my comment. This is because I know that Japan Centre in all its Japanese goodness is the equivalent of a huge ass convenience store. Because that is exactly what it is. It is where you get snacks and quick bites to eat when you are on the go. It's NOT a place where you go for a nice dinner with friends or on a date. So if you think it is, well prepare to be disappointed. This is the place I rush to between classes for food or if I want something fast to take home and eat. This is the place where I sadly stock up on ramen as I cry trying to survive exam week. So lower your expectations and buy some pocky.

2 weeks ago I visited the Japan Centre, which is near the Piccadilly Circus station. In front of the Center they are selling some hot foods such as different buns and also Matcha ice cream and shaved ice. By stairs you can go directly into the actual part of Japan Centre. This Centre is an actual japanese supermarket! Many different sweets and snacks are sold here. Same goes for drinks, which includes Ramune. Also Mangas, J-Rock magazines, and japanese Maneki neko are sold here. I liked the fact, that they sell cute character bread such as a Totoro looking bread. Of course there is London and not Berlin which means you need to pay much money for all, that you wanna buy there. That made me buy nothing this time didn't wanna spend 4,00 € for a character bread. But if I've saved up enough I'll return next time and get various things! My next visit to London and Japan Centre will definately happen. Very great store and better than what we have in Berlin. Sadly. Thanks and keep up the good work, Japan Centre!

It was fine. We got the 50% off take out sushi at 8pm so a meal for 2 people for 10£ - can't complain. Fish is fresh but the maki were kinda dry and fell apart. Interesting story- we'd heard about the 8pm markdown but there were no signs. It was 3 minutes to 8 so I asked 2 separate staff who said they knew nothing about this. The man at the sushi counter actually said they do not do this, maybe I was thinking of somewhere else! Wonder if that was a tactic to get us to pay full price?!

With the demise of the Japan Centre on Lower Regent Street, this branch has become even more of a firm favourite for me With a street snack stall (decent takoyaki) at its entrance, you enter by riding an escalator. At the top, you'll find a medium sized supermarket selling Japanese and a few other Asian foodstuffs and a canteen style restaurant I mainly come here for some of the best value sushi and sahimi in the capital. I buy both pre=packed or I sometimes buy raw fish from the fresh fish counter to slice and eat at home If you have a recipe requiring Japanese ingredients, this is a good place to find them. Japan Centre supplied me the raw materials for a pretty good version of Nobu's black miso cod recently I haven't tried any of the restaurant food from this location yet as the seating space is minimal Well worth a visit

There's no other place in London to consider if you want to get Japanese groceries, magazines or basic goods. The guy who opened Japan Centre owns every major Japanese restaurant in London, so you're in good hands when you go up those escalators! In addition to a great hot food and bento selection, you can find just about any basic Japanese grocery in this store. Dashi stock, miso, noodles, rice, seasoning, gyoza, dressing, fresh tofu, fish and meat, even vegetables and of course a good selection of unhealthy instant ramen and snacks. It's all here. If you can't find it here, you'd better start saving for that ticket to Tokyo.

I remember the previous Japan Centre location and loved it, but boy oh boy is this a massive upgrade! The place is enormous with about every type of Japanese food/pop culture on offer. To be honest I'd be happy if the were just selling Pocky and Ramune, everything else is a bonus. Don't forget to try the really good fruit candies - the apple Ines are the best! In fact, I'm rather shocked it has taken me so long to go back again since I last visited!

Sushi is very yummy here. In fact my usual luncheon selection is the special mixed sushi and either eel roll or salmon and avocado roll. Bit upset they don't have otoko fried tofu on offer all the time coz they are the BEST! It is like having a carrot dangled in front of you gouding you to go and buy sushi in hope you can have fried tofu for dinner. Free tea or plain miso soup with orders over £4 between 12-3. Go. Go now. stuff yourself! And watch Japanese Tourists waiting for their tourist bus outside mitsukoshi. *Disclaimer. When I say "sushi is very yummy here", this is calculated regarding how much they charge for the food here. Obviously sushi is much yummier in other places. but also much more expensive.

Totoro cream buns... Totoro merchandise... If you love all things J A P A N, then yes of course this is for you! I regularly visit this emporium to stock up on Japanese mayonnaise, pickles, curry, calpis, sweets, and whatever just looks cool !

Oooh I quite like the new location for the Japan Centre. I like the sparkly walls as you go up the escalator into Japan-land. I also love that it reminds me of a small inaka supermarket in Japan. My colleague and I went in today to buy lots of instant ramen to give away at our ramen event tonight. We needed 70 cup ramen, in as many flavours as we could find. The Japan centre had sooo many in stock, that even with us removing 70, of various types, we hardly made a dent in their well-stocked shelves. They lose a star because you can buy many Japanese goods elsewhere cheaper. However I don't think anywhere else has such an impressive selection.

If you're a fan of Japan, the food, the culture, anything, then this really is your mecca! The first thing of note is... the food! There's tonnes of sushi and other fresh food on offer but wander to the back and you'll find the grocery store. This place is awesome. There are different types of udon there, fish balls, rice porridge and juices etc. I'm such a foodie so this is like heaven for me. The book shop, downstairs, is also really cool. There are books in Japanese and English. You can find anime, Japanese travel books, philosophy books and everything in between. Whether you are passing by or a London native, you need to visit The Jana Centre!

I love all things Japanese, so you can imagine my thrill when I discovered a shop that sells "all things Japanese". Stepping into this shop is an experience in itself. There are a lot of intriguing items sold here, and unless you read Japanese fluently, I challenge you to find out what in the world some of them might be. I personally like to come here for the selection of noodles that you cannot find in other shops. I also enjoy stocking up on some frozen edamame beans to snack on with salt. There are also loads of other items to enjoy from Miso soup packages to household goods. I still can't afford my plane ticket to Japan so I will settle for this place in the meantime.

Being a bit of a Japan geek I got quite excited when I first visited the Japan centre (which has recently been redecorated). It is quite smal and has a restaurant as well as a grocery, travel centre and book store. I've not been to the restaurant but the sushi in the grocery store is really good and really good value. Also, it is the only place in central London (Steve Hats in Islington is great too) where you can buy treated fish and sashimi for sushi. If you wait until the end the day you can get sushi for even cheaper prices; some friends of mine got a platter for £10. Also, before I went to Japan the Travel Centre was really useful (it's one place where you can go to get your Japan Rail Pass).

If you're a fan of Japanese culture and food, then this is your place to be. I got a few asian friends and when was in London they wanted to go in here to do a bit of shopping. Store isn't big but it is packed with so many asian products. They really used the space well to fit in everything. There is cooked food also they sell that's cooked by their chefs. My friends wanted to get some green teas and other food thet I have no idea what it was. I only recognised the sesame ball-thing lol Nice little store. I guess if you grew up in asia or used to have something from there, you will pretty much find it here.

The second of two JC's in central London. Although, this branch is not as big as the one located in Piccadilly, it manages to offer a great amount of deals.

Japan Center has moved to Panton Street. The place is clean and tidy now, but that's it. The Sushi-fridges are empty on a saturday on 5.30 pm and the place is jammed with the queue for the till point. The food will still be excellent, if you get the chance to grab some. Bye, bye Japan Center!!

One of my favourite things to do when I'm on holiday is to go into foreign grocery stores and marvel at the weird & wonderful products (yes, I'm a total dork). So it's no wonder that I'm enamoured with Japan Centre. Yes, it's crowded. Yes, I'm entirely too large to slip through the store - I'm a bit more like a bull in a china shop, to be fair. Yes, it's pricey. But you know what? I don't really care. I can't imagine there's anything someone would need for Japanese cooking that you couldn't find here. Plus there's a selection of cookbooks and kawaii dishes. We left with just a handful of things - the fruity gummy candies which I love, a pack of Pocky, and a couple bottles of ramune. I'm interested to try the hot food range too! By 8pm when we were there, the sushi and hot food was all done.

One of my fave places in London, though the prices are a little high, it is made up for by the large selection of imported Japanese products. The food there is also great, very authentic, and fairly cheap for London. The staff are friendly and always ready to help, and the selection of Japanese goods and food is uncontested as the largest in central London. If you Love Japanese food, I would absolutely recommend visiting here!

Based in the centre of London, right near Piccadilly Circus underground station, is the best place I've been to for Japanese food, drinks, and treats. The immediate entrance does not have much, but you very quickly go up the escalator to the main store. This is when you find out that while it's not the largest store, it's very reasonably sized for the location. The chilled food section immediately in front of you contains so many food options that it would take quite awhile to get bored. They also have a deli, frozen food section, a meat counter, and a well sized collection of booze and snacks. That may all sound a bit dull but it can be challenging to find many of these items. It's simple. If you want Japanese goods, you go to Japan Centre. They even have a hot food stand outside. And for those like me who aren't normally based in London, their website delivers.

A Japanese supermarket with hot food options, they're a little expensive (both on the supermarket and hot food sides) but the food is quick, hot and good. They discontinued my favourite item a while ago (double heat beef with udon noodles) but at least they still do beef sukiyaki. It's not made fresh to order but it is topped up on a regular basis. The sushi looks good but I've never tried it, normally going for the hot options. I generally prefer to buy my sushi freshly made instead of prepackaged, no matter how recently it was prepared. I normally buy my curry base from here and the price is comparable to elsewhere but there are items here that are way more expensive than buying in Chinatown just a short walk away, for me this is the place for Japanese essentials, not general Asian food shopping.

As you expect, high quality products at high prices.The store is pretty small hence pretty crowded. You can find everything from octopus to noodles, from sauces to Ghana chocolates...now this is something funny why would they have that?I tasted some of the stuff, those in the photos. The rest...I leave with you to explore and taste flavors of this far away culture.

I love Japan Centre! I've come here a few times to buy nori, rice, and fish for at-home sushi making. This place is the Mecca of Japanese food in London. The selection of products is seriously impressive, especially for a shop located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus. The staff is also really helpful and friendly! The only downside is that a lot of the prices are really marked up. I can't seem to walk out this place without spending less than £30!

I miss my Mitsuwas from living in California. That was like the Disneyland of Japanese markets. But Japan Centre is a good substitute in the meantime. Japan Centre is good in that you can get a variety of Japanese things, from salad oil to (14 quid...) Green Tea Kit Kats, Hello Kitty shaped buns, sushi, udon/ramen/soba, meat for shabu, comics. Hot food ends at 9 pm, but you can get discounted sushi if you come at night. And octopus balls by the entrance too. There isn't a lot of fresh produce if you're looking for that, you might as well go to Chinatown for that. Selection of instant noodle is awesome too, they sell green tea soba zomg!

I love good fresh food. I love that I can get pretty much anything sushi or rice buntasticy, or soba-y here. Sashimi. YES. Hearing them try to say your name. YES What I dont love is the price. But there is usually a helpful man outside just waiting to give you a discount coupon. So I come back... and I dont regret it. Because good food is worth it. And this place is GOOD food. YES.

The Japan Centre is pretty great. Not quite as great as the hype, but still pretty great. Particularly if you want to gorge yourself on takeaway sushi. You can even do it in the store, as they've got a few little tables. Lots of Japanese groceries, too. I've also found a good few Korean products here, and there's a great fresh veg selection. The downside is that it's often jammed. They've got loads of checkers so the line goes pretty quickly, but it can still be hard to navigate around in. If you're going there for the sushi, Yoshino nearby is also a good option. If you're going for the buzz, carry on.

I LOVE this place, and as I can see, I am definitely not the only one! Japanese Centre is just beetween the Japanese mall and the japanese restaurant Toku (which by the way belongs to Japanese centre) One of the biggest japanese shop in London. The products quality is great, it's japanese after all, The shop is divided in two parts, the store which sells great japanese imported products, and the little restaurant. It's very small, and there are not much seatings, but the food is good. You can just by some fresh sushis or sashimis on the stands and eat in. What's not to be missed : If you want to eat in and order some noodles at the restaurant, ask for the udon there are just amazing! *slurp* Money, money, money : The sushis/sashimis are around £3-£5 for 3 to 6 pieces. The prices of the products in the store are not cheap, as it's all imported. That little thing : First of all, i have to say that the cashiers are really efficient. Sometimes the line may seems very long, but the wait is not. A big thanks to the cashiers for they efficiency and courtesy A little plus for the fresh daily sushi and bakery What needs to be work on : Let me think about it... that's it! what's really missing is japanese ice cream! you can find some sweet desserts in the bakery and frozen stands, but nothing beat some real authentic japanese ice cream! taro, red bean flavour !

What a cute selection of Japanese snacks and goodies, in the hustle and bustle of the city! In addition to a bunch of packaged snacks and candy, they also have books, small toys, cooking & eating tools, pastries & bread, and freshly made food! It's a lot of fun to browse around. Be prepared for price inflation due to cost of importation. The food is sold at a separate deli-type counter. We couldn't resist grabbing some sashimi since legit Japanese food seems to be difficult to find in London. It looked, tasted, and smelled so fresh! (And by smell, I mean the lack thereof.) You can eat a full meal here, or grab takeout, too! Think noodles, fried food, gyoza, and more. The staff is quite friendly and the place is clearly well maintained and spotless. If I lived in London, I'd probably come here often.

Trying to avoid flocks of tourist groups? Head here early. Given that it's right off Piccadilly Circus you can expect this place to be heaving with people from nationality that decide to visit London. But I think that speaks volumes for how great this Japanese supermarket come cafe this is. Sushi is a steal, all freshly made with a huge variety to choose from. You're not looking at paying out the nose here, everything is cheap as chips without the actual quality suffering for it. If you're more inclined to favor anything adorable, if you manage to beat the other cute hunters, you can pick up Hello Kitty/Totoro shaped sweet custard buns for around £1 fresh from their bakery. There's a great selection of mochi, red bean pancakes and all kinds of wonderful baked goods to pick up too. If you're looking for a taste of Japan without having to pay the actual plane fare, then this really is the place to visit. Want to whip up some great Japanese meal at home? Got you covered with everything from frozen dim sum to pink noodles to sauces and even sweets. Need something to eat your noodles out of? Again, Japan Centre have your back! Home ware, kitchen ware, cat shaped soy sauce holders for your pack lunch boxes? Yep, they have that too!

Thank goodness for this place. For any traveller or person living in London for a long time- you are in a sushi desert. And this place is the cure. Yes, it's a grocery store and makes prepackaged sushi. But a) that's how they do a lot of sushi in Japan, and b) The turnover is so high that the sushi is always fresh and c) It's a grocery store so they have the facilities to store and treat fresh sashimi. Please say no to wasabi and itsu...terrible terrible overpriced bad sushi. This is the place to go.

This place is delicious and hits a lot of the right notes for me. Affordable sushi that still has the right tang of vinegar, the right 'mouthfeel' (I hate that word; forgive me for using it) of rice? It's hard to find in Londontown. Japan Centre is the spot to go for affordable grab-and-go sushi that doesn't make you cry. There. Soundbite *that*. [there's an extremely wide range, too, from both white rice and brown rice *and* combo options. I don't see brown rice as regularly on offer here as I used to back home in 'murrica, so it's nice to pop in for a brown rice / avocado maki when I'm in the 'hood] I had heard a lot about Japan Centre before I finally visited which was probably its downfall; I built expectations up way too high. Moving to London from a place with 4 Chinatowns, it's hard not to compare (I know, I know; this is unfair!). I flip flop: i. some of the prices hit me hard (like, say, my very favourite Japanese gummies which are 1.25 at home and 4 pounds here), but then I'm soothed by the selection of sake! ii. I find the bakery section and selection disappointing, but the hot food "cafeteria-style" dumplings chock-a-block full with pork and kimchi make my day! Y'see? Flip flopping. Snacks and dried noodles and ramen bowls, etc. etc., but really I come back and back for the grab-and-go sushi. And you should, too! Special shout-out to the wakame salad: you get a nice pre-packed plastic container of it for 4 GBP and it is seasoned *perfectly* with just the slightest chili kick. Seaweed, sesame, a touch of heat - it's my fave wakame salad in the city. Yelp note: many "non-raw-fish" sushi options here, from a seared beef nigiri to maki filled with teriyaki chicken and cooked prawn and pickled veggies, etc.

Tokyo is known for its crazy population density and as you fight past the bus-waiting masses on Piccadilly just to get IN to the Japan Centre, you'd be forgiven for thinking you were in Shibuya. If it's shopping you want, make sure you enter the arch closest to Eros - if it's eating you want, make sure you enter the arch closest to The Ritz. Me... I went for the shopping. Inside it was heaving, but the robotic professionalism of the staff meant that my 30 people long queue to pay was all served and done within a couple of minutes. So five minutes down and a three pounds short I emerge into filthy London with An Pan and Umeboshi Onigiri. Is it worth mentioning that the snack selection at Japan Centre is the best in London? It is. The Snack Selection at The Japan Centre is The Best In London. DONE

Japan centre is amazing, the products it stocks are amazing, althought some are pretty pricy. But if you want to impress at an asian style dinner party, this is the place to come. Sashimi sliced in front of you, tataki beef available for shabu shabu, sooo much sushi to choose from for lunch or a quick snack. (The matcha cream cheese dorayaki is out of this world. LOVE IT.- also the ice cream at the back freezers, stop by here in the summer before relaxing in st james park for black sesame, green tea, red bean ice cream fixes.) Tip: Sometimes they give out free sake samples. (I'm not a raging alcoholic, I swear!) Over the years JC has changed locations quite frequently but now resides on Regent street, it's much better than the layout on piccadilly, there's no downstairs but they used to house the most amazing tea there, they don't sell much now that i like. I guess the demand was too low and the prices too high. Again with the amazing toiletries section, seemed to have scaled down a bit. Its like a mini daiso in there, but still not enough! I lived out in the Kent countryside for a few years and I still used to buy from JC, online cuz I felt so so so alone without my snack fixes. Selection isn't great. Matcha NEEDS to be a bit cheaper.

All things JAPANESE!! I usually go to the supermarket downstairs for groceries. To-go sushi are really good. They have everything from kitchenware, bookshop, travel center, specialty ingredients, little Daiso store and a restaurant (4/5 rating) Only problem is the lack of labeling. If you can read Japanese it will be a plus! Truly a gem and the prices are just average. Outside of Japan, this is my favorite Japanese store. They do deliveries and catering.

I go into the Japancentre to pick up the sushi which is reasonably priced with interesting options including chirorashi which is now one of my faves. The grocery store is worth a look as the packaging is cute but it's hard to decipher what the products contain. The hot food is not bad as three chicken gyozas can be picked up for just £1.80. I prefer to takeout due to limited and crowded seating. The shop is the closest a Londoner can get to Japan without getting on a plane!

(Review is for the to-go food only) Came here this afternoon for the first time with a friend who's been before. I had no idea such a treasure trove of Japanese food and products was here next to bustling Piccadilly all this time. The 3 stars is for the food...and a perplexing ordering system. I ordered the double heat beef soup with Udon noodles, and my friend had something else. You get a large to-go bowl, and for the quantity £6.40 was definitely reasonable...I just wish it tasted better than it did. It wasn't awful by any means, it just wasn't great. My friend ate a rice-based dish and wasn't wowed either, but our disappointment didn't linger too long thanks to the good price-points. I hardly cook, so I'd have no business visiting to buy food products/groceries there (otherwise I'd give it 4)...but if you want authentic Japanese groceries & products, this will be your heaven!

This is your one stop shop for all things Japanese. They have everything you need to make a Japanese meal from scratch or with a little help. Their stock ranges from instant noodles, instant sauces and mixes & all manners of Japanese junkfood (biscuit sticks covered in chocolate to name a favourite), to miso paste, yakitori sauce & sake. They also have fridged stuff with fresh sashimi, thinly cut meats and fresh vegetables that you may not see at a normal supermarket. Towards the front of the shop they also sell sushi (made daily, and can sometime run out before 6pm), little Japanese breads & pastries and a hot food and noodle counter that is only open at lunchtime. Add to that their freezer selection including Japanese icecreams (Yuzu icecream is definitely a recommendation if you're looking for something citrusy and refreshing) and little recipe cards if you're looking for inspiration. The main downside is the price... not the cheapest, but then again, considering most things are imported and specialist, you can't really complain too much!