The products in the basement of the department store always hint at current food trends and show what kind of foods Japanese people like. Recently, professional buyers in Japan and abroad are searching for new sweets and ingredients that are Instagrammable. Long-established stores in Kyoto also have booths in department stores. Depachika is a place where you can catch a glimpse of Japanese food trends by region and shop for fresh vegetables for your sushi.

With a history of 400 years, Nishiki Market has been called the kitchen of Kyoto. Its prosperity is attributed to the abundance of groundwater, known as the Kyoto Basin. Each store has well water in the basement, which played a role in preserving fresh vegetables in the Edo period when there were no refrigerators. The Kyoto vegetables sold at Nishiki Market are limited to 23 types of vegetables such as turnips and green onions that are specially grown in each region of Kyoto. Traditionally, the cultivation method of seedlings, which is difficult and time-consuming, has been passed down from generation to generation, and it is important to protect the seeds. In addition to greengrocers, pickles, and tsukudani, Nishiki Market also sells soybean products such as tofu and yuba, which are used as vegetable protein sources for shojin ryori, the foundation of the diet of Zen monks.