I've noticed that the base commissary seems to be stocking their shelves a lot better lately.  Could it be that they have heard our cries?   

If they have, then bravo to management for taking the initiative to turn things around. 

Has anyone else noticed a change, or am I just imagining things?

All I know is that they had HOKKAIDO MILK in stock last week, and that made me a very happy smiley face.

So for that, BZ TO THE COMMISSARY! Keep up the good work, happy dudes and happy dudettes.

They are always out of Soy Milk and they should know that a people are vegans and don't drink cow's milk. I have learned to just buy it off-base and stop my whining.

I noticed in the past few months they started stocking more healthy stuff. I was shocked to see that they now have stevia! (Truvia brand) The last time I was there, the bagger was not appreciative of the tip.hmph.

I always buy the soy milk that is shelf stable (Very Vanilla Silk for cafe au laits and cereal, plain for cooking) and they never seem to be out. Are you buying the refrigerated variety? I don't notice too much of a difference for my uses between the two.

You make me a sad panda. Okay, not the vegans. I respect and understand that. I hope you get your substitute and I hope you are happy!

But...Hokkaido milk, people! It's got a dark blue (whole milk) or light blue (diet milk) on the top, it's a smaller carton width-wise, and it's got a picture of a happy cow grazing in some happy location.

I grew up in Europe and this Hokkaido milk is the tastiest milk in the entire WORLD!

Done ranting. Man, if I ever get a transfer outta here, I'm going to miss Hokkaido milk most of all.

PS Just occurred to me that I should NOT tell you how yummy this milk is. If you get addicted, then you'll steal all my milk. NO NO NO!

hey, i thought there was some rule on this forum that we're not allowed to say anything nice about the commissary (or the Exchange, for that matter.) Has that rule been lifted? I didn't get the memo. :-P

My wife and I went to the commisary for the first time the other day. After being in the states and shopping at the various commisaries around San Diego I was very dissapointed by what we found. Most the bread was either expired or expiring in a couple days, no grapes, cherries, or other various fruits that are easily found in the states. I understand the fact we are overseas, most shipments of American products will take time to get here, will be close to or already expired by the time it reaches the stocking rooms of the commisaries, fruits and vegetables are seasonal(except in southern California), and that we cannot get certain products due to trade agreements etc. I still think the commisary here in Yokosuka could do much better.
This is the largest naval base outside the United States. Supporting an entire fleet and associated families with the size of the commissary we have just doesn't seem right. Maybe I should be posting this in the Rant About Something thread, but if this is the "better" than before commissary then I really am glad I didn't see how truly pathetic it was before I got here.
If they are in the process of changing it for the better than Bravo Zulu to them, and keep up the press to continue the changes for the better. Our families that support and sacrifice just as much or sometimes more than our servicemembers deserve to have the best they can possibly get within reason.

Welcome to Japan, AZ. Visit the grocery stores offbase, you will find wonderful fresh produce & a variety of delicious and exotic grocery items. By augmenting commissary purchases with groceries from off base you can have a well-balanced diet & a very satisfying inter-cultural experience.

Thanks for the warm welcome ThaiGuy! My wife and I were stationed in Atsugi a few years ago, and used to shop exclusively off base using the commissary to supplement what we couldn't get out in town which was very little. It was expensive but well worth it. Once we get settled here we plan to do the same. So I'm aware of the goodness that is the offbase grocery stores. My main concern is that most families that live on base will usually not travel outside the gate for groceries. I think they should, and the COLA we recieve is specifically for that purpose. However I still believe the commissary here could have a larger selection and wider variety of products.

I'd like to buy dressing that doesn't expire in a week, or that isn't already expired.

Has anyone noticed how dirty the Daisy sour cream containers always are? They always look like someone dropped them in a mud puddle.

A couple months ago I had a craving for some spinach and artichoke dip. I needed to buy a couple cans of artichokes. Well, I searched high and low for it at the commissary. I finally asked s/one if they carried it. They said they do. We finally found the location of where it was suppose to be. The tag was on the shelf and e/thing, but.....no artichoke. The stocker looked it up and said they haven't had it in stock in over a year. I guess s/one missed it on the shelf....but, for a whole year?! I'm not sure if they ever ordered it or not. I haven't checked since. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I wish they would get Granny Smith apples. You ned a good tart apple to make a good pie and, as far as I know, even the Japanese stores don't carry tart apples.

Posted By AZ on 12 Mar 2010 09:50 PM
 My main concern is that most families that live on base will usually not travel outside the gate for groceries. I think they should, and the COLA we recieve is specifically for that purpose. However I still believe the commissary here could have a larger selection and wider variety of products.

That part is very true, and you're right about COLA.  The ironic thing is that when the yen rate goes down, you'd expect COLA to go up & it's often the opposite. That's cuz families shop off base less as things become less affordable and so the wizards in Washington decide you don't need as much COLA.

For my wife and me, it's about 50/50.  I buy the basics at the commissary, and she does all her shopping at a grocery store near our house.  Our repertoire of Japanese recipes is increasing and it's fun to work this stuff into our menu planning.  It's good to hear that you and your wife had a similar experience when you were here before.  After you get over the initial shock as compared to San Diego you probably won't notice the deficiencies as much.  You just kinda learn to work around it.

Yoko-girl... they have artichokes. There are some by the olives and some by canned veggies on the top shelf in a glass jar. I saw them last week. As far as I remember, the ones by the olives have been there a long time.

I was expecting the commissary here to be a lot bigger than it is- like the one at Lakenheath in the UK. WOW that one is gigantic. But this one is pretty good, I wish they could keep yogurt in stock though and I'd kill for fresh chicken. It can be inconvenient to make a separate trip offbase sometimes.

They do have canned artichokes at the commissary. I saw them the other day.

Thanks Tirani and Lisa.....I'll look for them next time I'm there!

I am STILL going to give a BZ for finally stocking Hokkaido Milk (they were out forever and a day).

We had some Misawa folks down here this week and I asked them how much bigger was our commissary than theirs (keep in mind our base is MUCHO bigger population-wise). They said our commissary was smaller than theirs.

Ahhh, AAFES and the other side! So that's why people race back from Yokota with trunks filled with goodies.

Still, I LOVE HOKKAIDO MILK YES I DOOOOO!

Posting very late to this, but I'm new here... Yes! I noticed the change and was very happy! More choices and they weren't out of a single thing I needed. Even had Safflower oil! I did not see that they have seitan and I'm bummed because it was on my list. I'm mostly vegan.. slowly learning.. and I'm excited to see other vegans posting here. Yay!

I got my artichokes!  They had them in both cans and jars this time!  Woohoo!    Time to make spinach-artichoke dip! 

They still could work on the bread aisle.  Ever time I walk down that aisle I think, "where's all the bread?!"  I prefer Japanese bread anyways, so it doesn't bother me so much.  But still, for those of you that want good ol' American bread, it always seems to be slim pickings. 

I still feel the shelves (overall) have been stocked much better than 6 months ago. 

I got my artichokes!

I love artichokes. I got hooked as a young child. But I dont know about the canned type. I always eat them fresh. The commissary usually only has good ones (I mean big fresh looking ones) a few times a year. Its hit or miss, but usually they only have the small ones or non on the shelves..

YokoGirl- Rudi's 7 Grain with Flax is very good!

Adam- I haven't eaten a fresh artichoke in years. How do you prepare them? Steam? Dip in something?

Yes, just steam until soft, dip in butter.
www.japanbases.com

There are always going to be complaints no matter how good or bad someplace gets. We were stationed here before with the Indy 1991-1994 and let me tell you this place is paradise compared to what amenites where available than.

This commissary is an entire new building than the one they used to have. The NEX is about 10 times bigger now too. There was no furniture store, everything was in one small building where the NEX sits now. There was no Starbucks, Taco Bell, Main Street Food Court. No Purdy Gym, Heck even the Fleet Gym building was not here than. The Outdoor Rec building was the Fleet Gym. The Navy Lodge is bigger now, there is so much more other things too. Oh the housing was different too than, there were no towers, no Ikego either, and the wait for housing, even Negishi, was about two years.
I could go on and on about how much I appreciate what we do have here because I lived here when there was so much less stuff.

Great info vicky! Thanks for sharing!

www.japanbases.com

Vicky... I think you're forgetting about building B57 (B52? Ahh... "B" something).... That big building behind the SRF main building used to be a two-floor store. Top floor was a huge oriental section, and the first floor changed constantly. At one time it was all electronics (TV, stereo, camera, cassette tapes, etc...)

There WAS a main street food court, just not as we know it now. It used to be a cafeteria type layout, with one end (where Popeye's is now) the food line and the rest were tables. It's progressed thru several variations since then. I remember this specifically, as that is the location where Dick Marchinko and his Red Cell team held the "hostages" during one of the base exercises they held back then. And I certainly remember THAT. They dragged my ass off the Yokota to Yokosuka bus and held me as one of them. Yea... first day in Japan - I ended up a hostage. Welcome to Nippon!

But, I agree... When I arrived back in the early 80's, there was a hell of a lot less than there is now.

Yes Loki, I remember the "annex" buildings to the NEX that were close to the piers, I just did not want to keep rambling about everything. In that building they had a very big asian section, and I remember buying a discounted camcorder from the electronics department (that camcorder was HUGE). I remember the uniform shop was back in that area too.

I know the building for main street was there but it was not like it is today at all. The building where starbucks, taco bell, etc was there too but there were different things there, and there used to be more parking .

The seawall area where the pavillions/gazebos are now was different too, I remember they were still doing major land fills in that area. What was filled in was just rocky ground, I remember going there and parking right on the edge and watching the ships leave.

I could go on and on but I won't unless someone wants a history lesson.

Haven't been to the commisarry in a while but if they are stocking the shelves better then BZ to them for doing their job.
I rarely shop at the commisary as it is not convenient for me to do so. Plus I prefer shopping out in town. I really don't have to many complaints about them as they usually have everything I need. I do wish they would order chicken hotdogs more often because they always seem to be out of them. Course could be I am the only one buying them.
As for the people that never leave the gate I say Fmmm as they should be smart enough to supplement the commisary items with japanese products.
Compared to the old days of powdered milk and rotten vegetables of the 80's I think they do a great job.

Yeah that building you are talking about was the Fleet Exchange A-33, bought my first compact disc there in 1989 LOL

As far as commissary not like any of us ship guys ever got off early enough to even go there back in the "old days". Seems now by all the random groups of people walking around base during the workday in civilian clothes that working time must be a lot shorter than it used to be? but thats another topic for another day. Yes, commissary is much better than it used to be, but could still be a lot better. I liked Misawa commissary when I went there, much smaller base but seemed much bigger store and selection.

Posted By Blacklabel on 25 Apr 2010 10:38 PM
Yes, commissary is much better than it used to be, but could still be a lot better. I liked Misawa commissary when I went there, much smaller base but seemed much bigger store and selection.

Thanks, getting better by the day, still have "opportunities to improve upon" but it's a steady process. BTW, I was at the Misawa Commissary from '03-'06!