"TV chanmpion" and depachika Queen

Today, a Journalist of the U.S newspaper and I met a depachika expert. We went around depachika in Tokyo. I got mail from the American writer that said she wanted to make an article about depachika. I offered to be a guide for her in Tokyo, but since I don't know of any good places to see, I sent mail to ask for some advice from depachika expert Rio(JP). She is the depachika champion from a famous TV program, "TV chanmpion"(JP), which is a Japanese variety show about people's abilities. People show their expertise in cooking, designing, arranging, knowledge of something, and many, many, many others in a contest form. For example, this is "Wooden Toy Craftsman Championship", this is "fastest eaters", "pastry cook"(JP), room reform, anime geek, gardening, subway geek, etc., etc. Rio is the depachika champion. She knows which shop is in which department store in Tokyo. She can tell the price of each sweet, she can tell the exact name of a shop by the smell of their cake. Yes, a sort of depachika geek. It was really fun. I can not stop writing because this brought a chance for such a fun meeting to me.

Comments

[Apple]

I live in Thailand and love to watch the "TV Champion". It is broadcasted in Thai. I went to its website and would like to get more information about the program. Unfortunately, the site is in Japnaese only. I wish I could get more infor about this program. I have never been to japan but always wish to visit one day.

[Charles]

I love depachika. Let me tell you a depachika story...

On my most recent trip to Tokyo, I was shopping for some gifts in the Ginza, and smelled food, I thought to myself, "hey, depachika, and it's time for lunch! Yay!" I had an amazing lunch for Y600.
So later that evening, I was sitting in my hotel's computer cafe, next to me was an Australian woman who was always complaining that she couldn't find any place to find decent food, and everything was too expensive. I was reading the New York Times website, and on the front page was a link to an article about depachika, declaring them to be the best, cheapest places to eat in Tokyo. I told her she should read the NYTimes article and she would know where to get good food, cheap.
So she asked me, "what's a depachika?" and I explained, then she said, "oh! I know what you mean, I was just in one of those places, it smelled so bad I had to leave immediately, I thought I was going to puke!"

That was the moment I decided to stop answering tourists' questions. It appears that most tourists would rather come back from Japan with stories about how miserable they were and how the food sucks, they don't want to come back with stories about how great the food was and what a good time they had.

[teejay]

the link is http://www.depachika.com/

depachika are very big food markets located in department stores, often on basement level (B1, B2 etc...). very delicious foods, all kinds. many companies have "shop in shops" there.

great that you had such an awesome time with the depachika queen and the writer. especially if it is a topic that really interests you, it is fun to meet people that are also into it.

[Massimo]

Hi!!!
The first two links do not work.
What is depachika?
Ciao!!!