As most supermarkets in Japan only generally sell nasty shavings of cheese, processed cheese in packets, spreadable cheese or if you do get a whole cheese it's always camembert. Does anyone know of a good shop in Tokyo (pref between Ueno and Ginza) that does sell good blocks of cheese like a good mature cheddar, comte, Red Leicester, Caerphilly or Gloucester?
Sure I always buy the best of all best cheeses, a Swiss made Grueyere Every Ito Yokado, Daimaru, Kardy etc. should carry them (and all the other fame Euro cheeses). Sure it is kind of pricey, but sometimes I have the chance to import a 1Kg piece for around 4000JPY.
Seijo Ishii seem to be popping up everywhere. My local one has a good selection. Kinokuniya, if you can stomach the price, also has good stuff.
I don't know if it's cheap, but the import shop in Seiyuu in Tachikawa regularly sells 250g blocks of New Zealand red cheddar or gouda for 299 yen or so. I always pick them up when I go shopping there 'cause I love nippy cheese (rather than the tasteless rubbery crap most shops sell.)
299 is very cheap for 250gr. Doesn't matter what cheese it is. It's strange, Hokkaido is like the Swiss of Japan, with almost everything but good cheese. Ever tried a Japanese Cheese Fondue? It's like day and night. It isn't that hard to create a good Fondue, I really don't know where the problem lies, except of the fact, that the Japanese may not like the original Swiss Fondue recipe. But still, Japanese Fondue is like melted slice cheese for toasts, nothing else.
I'm a Comte man myself but there's a decent Italian cheese/wine place in Azabu Juuban. There's also a good dedicated cheese store in Ebisu (you'll have to Google it). Sorry but neither are between Ueno and Ginza.
