Misako Kaneko, a Tokyo office worker, likes to have dinner at home while watching her favorite TV dramas. But as a single woman who works full-time, it's not easy for her to find time to prepare a healthy meal every night after work.

The solution she found is to buy ready-made meals at department stores on her way home.

She has her pick of freshly prepared Japanese, Chinese and Western dishes, to name a few, which she only has to warm up at home. "I never get tired of department stores because they have such variety, and the products there are constantly changing," Kaneko said.