We are busy building the new Best Living Japan Studio (Minami Azabu) which will be a professional cooking and seminar space for the Best Living Japan courses starting in January 2018. Our kitchen project lead us to Tenpos Buster (テンポスバスターズ) which is a cooks budget paradise.  Tenpos Buster sells dishes and glassware, pots and pans, industrial refrigerators, stoves and more. They source all the products from restaurants that are remodeling or closing. You can buy 20 of the same plate or one for prices which are a percentage of new retail. We love Kappabashi (kitchen town), but Tenpos Buster is for the person who has a serious home or professional kitchen project in mind.

Our other favorite Tokyo Area Dish Stores, include;

Dirty Dish (Kanagawa) – A dish wholesaler in Kanagawa-ken with 40% discount and a huge variety. About a 30 min drive from downtown Tokyo via car.

Takumi (Ginza) – a beautiful store which lovely ceramics from all over Japan

Tenpos Buster (テンポスバスターズ) – A Cooks Budget Paradise

Tenpos Buster has close to 60 retail outlets throughout Japan, a large share of them in the Kanto area. For the Best Living Japan Studio in Minami Azabu have sourced our appliances and dishes from the Tenpos Buster store close to Shinjuku. They also have an online business where kitchen/restaurant owners can sell and buy second hand and new merchandise.  

Refrigerators, stoves, deep fryers, dishwashers, every appliance one can imagine. However, you can also source bulk supplies of food packaging, chopsticks, aprons, chef hats, large size cleaning products. To keep prices low the store is usually located in low-cost retail centers/warehouses with no heat and self-packing. The sales people I worked with were very friendly and knowledgeable about Japanese cooking appliances. You can order new appliances for a good price, but check out the used items first. Most of the products have a history which will help you make an educated second-hand purchase – what type of restaurant it was used in, years of use, detail conditions.

Before you leave also check out the used furniture section which has kitchen tables and bars, chairs and stools, lighting and every knick-knack you can imagine in a restaurant. You will find many treasures amongst some very unusual items.

Note: Tenpos Buster is not baby or toddler-friendly due to the way products are stacked and stores. I would leave little hands at home.

Tenpos Buster Details
Store locator: http://www.tenpos.co.jp/profile/tenpo/
Shinjuku Store: 東京都新宿区戸山3-15-1 open 10:00 – 20:00 google map  ++paid car parking is available

Tenpos Buster (テンポスバスターズ) – A Cooks Budget Paradise

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