⭐︎They call me 'Onee-san' here too, haha 1204

The other day, I was in a great mood thanks to the wonderful service from a clerk at the 'supermarket with weird pricing'.
The sweet potatoes I took them up on (and bought) were so voluminous that my trusty pressure cooker couldn't steam them all at once.
A happy miscalculation.

I finished my errands early this evening, but it's a bit of a trek from here to the 'supermarket with weird pricing'.
I thought about stopping by the 'greengrocer that also sells fish and snacks,' but then I remembered I got a LINE message this morning saying they were temporarily closed. What a shame.

On my way home, there's a chain supermarket, a convenience store, and a Mega Don Quijote, which is very convenient, but I always find myself drawn to this place and wanting to tell everyone about it.
When the previous owner ran it, it was just a pure greengrocer, but this young couple keeps expanding their offerings.
I suppose it's all out of a sincere desire to please their older customers.

Stuff-a-bag deals are just the beginning.
Why is there Raoh ramen next to the carrots?

On days they stock up on cheap corn, they sell boiled corn and grilled corn too.
(The 'raw' and 'boiled/grilled' items are on different LINE messages)

Of course, the fruit is cheap too.
It says 'Dad is off to pick up Wakayama peaches,' doesn't it?
In autumn, he goes to harvest persimmons, and in spring, he goes to dig up bamboo shoots⚫︎ ⚫︎ ⚫︎ ⚫︎ ⚫︎ ⚫︎ and sells both raw and boiled ones.

Even though it's a greengrocer, they have all sorts of fish.
First-time customers are usually surprised, asking, 'But you're a greengrocer?'
Depending on the day, they might fillet a whole fish for you, or in early summer, they might make bonito tataki.

They even have a stuff-a-bag deal for oolong tea!!

What's even more surprising is the variety of side dishes handmade by 'Dad'.
It started with just squid skewers (not the whole grilled ones) last summer and oden in the winter, but it's been updated with an increasingly rich variety.
What you'll find and when depends on that day's stock and Dad's schedule.
It's a surprise you check on LINE.
Of course, everything is in limited supply.

They don't have shop points or stamp cards, and you can't use credit cards or any of those 'Pay' apps (only local currency, I think), but every day feels like a customer appreciation day.
They don't charge consumption tax, so the flat prices are also very attractive.
Of course, all the female customers are called 'Onee-san' (regulars are called by name).

I mean, seriously, who exactly is this 'Dad' (he's huge!!) who digs up bamboo shoots and makes side dishes?
Isn't he just the greengrocer boss?

July 23, 2025

#Essay #Blog #Column #Prose #MiscellaneousWriting #PersonalNotes #Depression #Unemployed #Supermarket #Greengrocer