For a homesick international resident in Japan, a snack from home, or a beloved name brand from childhood, can sometimes be just the thing. Today, non-Japanese ingredients are available at most supermarkets, and peanut butter is sitting right there on the shelf. If the local supermarket doesn’t stock it, there’s a good chance it can be found and ordered online.
Because it’s become so easy to find these things, maybe the closing of Foreign Buyers’ Club (FBC) on Dec. 5 didn’t hit the international community quite as hard as it once might have. Many new-to-Japan residents might never have heard of a company that, for decades, was the only way to get Honey Nut Cheerios, Kraft Mac & Cheese and many other staples of a life left behind.
