So i'm traveling to japan soon and was wondering if there are any MUST buy things while im there.
Just some info that might help. Im thinking about purchasing a PS Vita / PS4 soon. Are games/consoles cheap/compatible over there?
Been meaning to buy some USB HDDs, Flash drives etc. Are these cheap?
Anything else?
Disagree, prices of storage devices on the streets of Akihabara are much cheaper than Aus. I bought 4 HGST 4tb HDD's for about $170 each back in January and they were $220 here at that time. Also received ~$6 worth of points cash back from Tsukumo which I used to buy some USB cables.
Just trying to remember, 64gb micro SDs were ~$35 back in March, unheard of in Australia at that time too.
yeah i disagree too, last time I was there, they had a 1tb hdd for $45
Some years ago, 3 I think, I bought a 2TB external HDD from HK which is also a cheaper source. My advantage lasted about 6 months and then you could get them on OzBargain for what I paid. If you were going to Akihabara to gawk anyway, maybe you could pick up something, otherwise not worth holiday time going out of your way.
everything at a 100 yen shop!
hit a couple of those
aim for the made in japan stuff
excellent quality and price!
nishi-funabashi had a huge 9 storey 100 yen store when I lived there. it was awesome. so much cool/random stuff.
but for the hardcore ozbargainer in Japan — 88yen shop.
We bought most of our presents for other people in 100yen stores, was suprised at how much I enjoyed myself in some of them.
Daiso? I believe is what it's called is a good one.
There are a couple of Daiso stores in Sydney. Everything is $2.80
I've seen Daiso in singapore and malaysia
D: I live in Perth where nothing is cheap… I wish we had a daiso here
@pyro love bird: Unfortunately the population here isn't enough to support such a shop, according to the survey done by a group wishing to bring it in.
@pliukit: I know. We're too far in the middle of nowhere to have anything nice/decent and by the time it gets here its no longer cheap!
Daiso will open 3 stores in perth in 2015… mate works for their aus operations
There's about 10 across Melbourne / Victoria
http://www.mydaiso.com.au/store-finder?findStore=3000&a=u
And
http://www.daisostore.com.au/melbourne.html#
Click on store locations.
Daiso stores in Australia consist of: Corporate Stores run by Daiso Corporation (Japan) these stores are Purple. Then there are Franchise stores operated by Franchisees, these are usually Red.
Hence the two different websites and colours. Some of these stores have been open a couple of years now.
This news article from December 2013 explains a bit, some stores have been open for 3 years now http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/discount-da…
In the 1990s they had portable cassette players and CD Players that were light years ahead of what you could buy here.
These days I'm not sure there is a significant difference in anything in particular.
All the cool stuff is now made in China.
All the counterfeited stuff is made in China
And feeding monkey like you?
The VERY BEST stuff is still made in Japan. (the sort of stuff that doesn't get advertised the masses) Be prepaired to destroy your bank balance though!
Yes, agree. Back then they did have some fancy and high-tech stuff including the early coloured and TV on mobile phones where we did not have yet…
These days not sure either, they would have many particular models only avalaible in Japan but whether if really high-tech or years ahead ? I am sure they would have some other things ahead of us but not always things that you can buy..
Just enjoy you trip!
A light year is a unit of measure for distance, not time.
Aren't games all region locked?
Even if not, they'll be in Japanese.. Hope you're fluent!
3DS and PS Vita games aren't. I've got Japanese imports that play just fine on Australian and European hardware.
No I'm pretty sure 3DS games are region locked to Japan, US or Europe/Aus.
You're right. I have Japanese DS games and European 3DS games. PS Vita are completely unlocked.
Electronics aren't much different in price, USB HDD's, Flash etc better bargains right here!
I recommend visiting Don Quijote
Also, Daiso and other 100 Yen shops as mentioned.
Don't buy any 3DS games unless you also want to buy a console as these are not compatible.
PS3 games have worked for me on my AUS console.
Also you can find good second-hand books & games cheaply at Book Off
Don Quijote HAS EVERYTHING. +1
Oh no, now the song is back in my head now….
"Donki donki donki hote"
I recommend visiting Don Quijote
Also, Daiso and other 100 Yen shops as mentioned.
Also throwing Tokyu Hands into the mix too.
Anything from a vending machine…and in Japan you can just about get anything from a vending machine from used panties to live crabs…hopefully the live crabs dont come as gift with purchase of the used panties
They cracked down on that. They still have the crab and lobster machines though.
If you are referring to the skill tester claw with lobsters in a tank of water below then good luck! I wasted a large amount of yen on that thing but the lobsters that have managed to survive in that machine are very smart. Even if you manage to get the claw right on top of them they can swim out of it once they feel themselves being lifted out of the water.
Ladies panties from vending machine.
Also get all kinds of kit kats.. Wasabi, watermelon etc..
The used panty vending machines did once exist, over 20 years ago. You won't find them today.
Yes you will, I came across several last year in the middle of smaller department stores in the middle of Tokyo. They come in small capsules and it was obvious what they were without having to put a coin in.
Recommend matcha. I like matcha flavoured stuff and Japanese snacks are expensive and hard to find here.
ps4 and psvita are region free so games are compatible I believe, but yeah as scuba says they will all be in japanese
games don't seem too much cheaper here compared to online, but 2nd hand PSvita games likely cheaper at Bookoff
I'd recommend just browsing around Akihabara in Tokyo, most prices are just slightly cheaper than JBhifi in oz. Some cameras are quite cool
kit kats are good as well (there's apparently one around tokyo station if you google it) but the boutique kitkat shop in ikebukero is not worth it
other than that, just spend your money on trying lots of different food
Just remember to bring your passport for tourist discount!
really?
only on some purchases from the major retailers, i think there is an amount you need to exceed and the discount is 5%
Is this GST/duty free related? I think theirs is 5%?
mocha kitkat…
they
are
the
best
Kit Kat!
fishing stuffs! like reel, etc
they are all made in japan anyway, ie shimano etc.
basically maybe find things that are made in japan.
others, meh, sometimes ozb can be cheaper than anywhere else.
remember:
$9 for 32gb microsd?
$99 for galaxy gear 1?
eneloop?
SD and mirco SD cards are expensive in japan :(
green tea kit kat.
You can buy those locally. The price is fairly rip-off though, like $6 for a bag.
All Kit kat flavours you must try, tokyo banana
I've got both a PS4 and Vita from Japan. Vita will cost you about AUD$188 & PS4 will cost you about AUD$400 today, minus 8% consumption tax for tourist. Games(Far Cry 4, Ass Creed Unity) on the other hand are costing more than you can get them here. An extra Dualshock 4 is good value at around $55 at the moment. If you are happy with a PS4 for $400 remember the box takes up a lot of room, I ditched it just to fit it in my carry on.
Green tea and green tea flavored snacks such as oreos and kit Kat's already mentioned above. Roasted flavoured seaweed snacks.
100 Yen shops, good luggage fillers and little presses.
One of my mates got an awesome wooden box that locks and unlocks by sliding panels here and there.
No idea what they're called and probably reasonably expensive and somewhat risky to bring back in case Quarantine are worried about it.
If in Osaka got to Nipponbashi for:
-Geekyness!
-Best Knives in the world hands down!(of the chef/kitchen variety)
-People dressed up as Amine Characters
-PC Hardware(like Osaka Akihabra)
Worth a look is the Yodobashi(Department store with a Camera/Techy focus) stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto also if you are interested in cool stuff Japanese toys are great if you have kids or nieces/nephews at Yodobashi.
What else to buy…
Food and eat it seriously don't get stuck eating bento boxes and sushi there is so much more!
Beer Japanese beer is goooood!
+1 for yodobashi, a must for tech/camera/nerdy shit
don't get stuck eating bento boxes
Whoa! Bento boxes are cheap and amazing. You must buy one for every seated train trip in order to experience Japan like a local. You should eat sushi at least once in Japan too and try some of the unique varieties.
Izakaya :)
My son bought himself a PSVita-TV, which looks like it will never be available here. From memory it was around $150 in May, with a free wireless controller.
My souvenirs were plastic food :D
I found a street in Tokyo - Kappabashi 'Kitchen Town' which sells everything from aprons to stoves… and has lots of shops that have plastic gyoza, unagi etc like they use in restaurant windows
Japan prices are only a few % lower than Australia, it isn't the place for bargains… except alcohol! A bottle of JW Red was less than $10 in 7-11
The made in japan brands are generally cheaper than oz. Found nice ecodrive citizen watches that were $500 in oz to be $250 in japan. Even if tech stuff were similar to oz price they were more newer versions.
Don quixote and two hands store are unusual places. You see the funny and weird japan inventions in amongst the usual. Good for a laugh
I use to go to Don quixote in Funabashi. loved walking around the store looking at the weird stuff sold. good times.
two hands store
Uh…. Second Hand stores or Tokyu Hands stores?
Tokyu hands is great to browse!
Sorry i meant Tokyo hands :)
Uniqlo
you can find that here too. almost same price.
It's not almost the same price. It's way cheaper in Japan.
I've been to Uniqlo in 4 countries and Aus is hands down the most expensive by far. Something simple, like a pair of socks costs almost 50% more here. Also, the variety is lacking. We get the bland vanilla merchandise here.
Note that its different sizing. Even though they state small, its got shorter sleeves and tailored fit. In oz sizes have been adjusted for taller men/women
@Skimpywallet: I was told by the Uniqlo Sydney 'pop up store' staff that their garments are exactly the same fitting as their Japanese stores except one size down. For example a Large T-shirt sold in Uniqlo Japan is sold as a Medium in Australia.
Do check out the 12 story Uniqlo in Ginza (Tokyo) when you go. Spent a good 3 hours there. Plan on going back there when I head to Japan in Jan.
Uniqlo is amazing. I'm not much of a guy shopper but love the store layouts, colours for each product tjhey have and they very reasnable prices for good quality product.
In Tokyo - find out when the rich residential areas have hard rubbish collection. OMG!! I used to hit the streets every fortnight to the huge collection of apartment buildings a kilometre from my house. golden pickings. saw a virtual new complete Zildjian drums. TV's, PC's, garbage bags full of old kimonos + yukatas. found a Koto (large japanese string insturment). a restaurant was throwing out 20 unused hand painted soup bowls- still in old newspapers from the factory. a box of suntory beer glasses.
japanese hard rubbish collection - welcome to the next level.
Any link to where I can find the schedule for this?
from memory- it was every second tuesday for baraki-ishikawa.
You brought back to Australia 20 unused cetamic bowls? The luggage weight not worth the effort.
I had been living there for 4 years. I shipped back 9 huge boxes of stuff. Koto, snowboards, 20 unused ceramic bowls, 5 laptops, etc.
Haha looking at this now. Funny how Aussies are shipping other people's rubbish back. Somehow after reading this, I feel we live in a poor poor country
Sushi, Ramen, costumes from Don quixote. I bought back some 'men's biore' (blue and black) and its the best face washer ive ever used. A guy on the plane home gave me a 'gatsby' wet wipe for my face and i've never felt so refreshed in my life.
Get some green tea (sencha and macha), 108Y socks from daiso, lots of chewing gum, eyeball cleaner (Z!) and yes uniqlo.
I found a 2nd hand clothes shop in Ueno that had all expensive brands only, second hand. great bargains. Good luck though, finding shops in Japan can be a big walk around.
Tenga flip-hole and real lube FTW
Pens like uni balls.
Sorry, I read that a bit too fast and had to do a double take. Pen!s and balls? LOL
Kit Kat, all of them.
If you're after cheap clothes uniqlo, h&m.
I went to don quixote and bought so much food, alcohol and tea
I literally bought all of em 6 months ago
Go to the kitkat store in Tokyo. Supposedly they have super limited edition kitkat which you need to line up for and they only make like 50 boxes a day.
don't forget your dakimakura and assorted covers. can't have too many of those.
Any Japanese made Watches/Cameras(Casio,Nikon) are good to buy there. Cheap and top class Quality!! Dont miss the lenses for cameras.
not all lenses are cheaper, I found most lenses to be about 20-30% more than imports, the used lenses however were very cheap
Chocolate coated potato chips
I wouldn't buy anything electronic. Between Amazon, Kogan, and eBay from Hong Kong we can already get pretty much everything at the same price.
One thing I would recommend in Japan are food and snacks. Stock up on high quality green tea. Difficult and expensive to get here. Some high grade green teas will blow your mind. They are extremely delicious. If you're going to Tokyo check out Akihabara and bring back various anime and manga related items. You can get plenty of wacky items and gifts there. Have a browse of www.jlist.com and see if there's anything you like.
Check out mochi, the delicious rice snack. As others have mentioned, Kit Kats. Japan has more flavour combos than you can imagine.
If you are into single malts, make sure to pick up bottles from Duty free Yamazaki, Nikka, Hibiki. They are excellent value for money. The premium stuff can be sourced for under $40, you'll be hard pressed to find even cheap Japanese whisky for under $70 here for any of those brands listed.
+1 for Nikka. Their cask strength in the rectangular bottle is phenomenal.
+1 Yamazaki
Not a connoisseur, but super delicious!
Japanese made watches are cheaper e.g. grand Seiko :)
Camera and lens are good.. Some models you can get before they are released in 6 months later in australia
Food of course tho go easy.. Japanese sake is so good here I recommend a bottle of nihonshuu if you are going to any brewery.
Smokes are cheap.. $5
Eating out is generally cheap compared to Australia so make sure you hit up as many places as possible.. E.g. all you can drink and eat menu from $30 (usually beer and some mixes)
Kitchenware top class for knives and traditional bowls and all..
Gaming hardware tend to be cheaper. Check out the second hand stores.. (Book off) you can get a slightly perfectly looking PSP vita 2000 for $150ish. You can of course check the quality before you buy.. Japanese tend to be very careful with their stuff because if you don't want it you can sell it at one of the billions of second hand stores.
Digital pianos are so cheap too even if you freight it.
Yamaha p105 $900 aus
$350 Japan
(Living in Japan ATM)
If you're after cheap semipro (DSLRs), anything used is really cheap and is usually in really good condition (body, low shutter counts and lenses)
Does Burger King there still do those black cheeseburgers?
http://www.cnet.com/news/black-cheese-burger-king-japan-unve…
Nah, not worth your time. Just enjoy your holiday.