Hi Guys,
Is there anything you'd recommend is proper OzBargain cheap I should buy when I'm in Japan next month? Eg; I notice an Ipad Mini 4 from the Apple store in Tokyo is AU$550 instead of AU$899 here etc.. We're taking our kids (14yo daughter and a 10yo son), who will be determined to break my balls. I have freighting covered, so that's no worries for me.
Thanks,
UniQualz
Brilliant, thanks mate.
And although many power adapters are dual voltage, don't forget Japan is 110V as well.
They're actually 100V. Switchmode power supplies are usually designed to work between 96-264V though so most modern electronic equipment should be fine.
I thought electronics were generally more expensive, especially when things are on sale here. I didn't look at ipad prices though.
There is a chain of second-hand shops called Janpara who are very picky over their stock. They have near-new items at usually good prices.
You can use Google Translate to browse their site. You can find out which branch has the item in stock, and the condition it's in.
If you're into portable audio gear, e-earphone in Akihabara is a must-visit. The amount of equipment on display that you can test yourself is amazing.
I posted some photos here.
I even saw a guy testing an electric shaver in Akihabara.
Thanks a lot everyone. Will stick to Aussie sales here instead I think. The kids can marvel at the free cherry blossoms instead.. OzBargain pricing..!
Actually I forgot to mention.
Do I check out any second hand shops you see. They're always full of interesting stuff and at the worst the Engrish is alway good for a laugh.
Sadly all the cherry blossoms will be gone by the time you are there. I think they are all falling off this week. People are having final Hanami parties this week. Your kids .. any everyone -will go nuts with shopping. Enjoy.
Some of the stuff you find in Kawaii/Daiso would be cheaper there, but unless its something expensive or you're buying a lot, might be easier to just get it here.
The thing about dollar stores is there is much better stock and lots of 'Japan only' stock.
I think from memory, headphones there are cheap like Bose and Audio Technica…..much cheaper than here
From memory I think some computers including Dell was abit cheaper in Japan
Plus you would go to Japan to buy electronics that you cannot buy anywhere else ie Rice cookers and heaters (like those fans that look like cooling fans but heat up) and actual cooling fans that are silent as well
Those are the things I have heard people buy in the past, Japan sometimes have electronics that they do not sell outside of their own country
second the audio technica, much much cheaper there than anywhere else
Just keep in mind, if the device doesn't support 240V, you'll have to buy a stepdown transformer as well.
Also, my friend bought a pair of Audio Technica M50X headphones for about $200. I bought mine here for $139 when it was on sale + cashrewards, so always check prices to make sure the item is actually cheaper there.
You can check prices in the big stores from here too, e.g. http://www.yodobashi.com/ and http://www.biccamera.co.jp/.
You can claim back their equivalent of GST (8%) if you spend more than 10,000 yen in one purchase, just check with the store first to see if they're part of the program.
You'll also get an additional 5% discount at stores like Yodobashi and BIC if you pay with a Visa card. More details here. Conveniently, the bank card you get with the fee-free Citibank Plus account is a Visa Debit which will work too. It also offers zero fees with ATM withdrawals from major ATMs, and the exchange rate you get is pretty much what xe.com or google gives you.
May be Japanese Whisky (those with at least 12 years blended)?
Last time I went there I brought two Nikkaw Whisky (21 years blended), I keep one myself and sold one on ebay and the money I got from the ebay sale is enough to cover the price I paid for both bottles in Japan.
You should head to Akihabara if you are looking for cheap electronics. There are lots of discounts for foreigners in Akihabara that's why a lot of people like to shop there. There are also a lot of other things to do and see in Akihabara so all in all it's a good place to go check out. There are a few different blogs on Akihabara that have good information like the following:
https://www.genkimobile.com/blog/akihabara/
You can also find electronic shops in other places like Shinjuku, Shibuya etc but Akihabara is the main electronic town so I would highly recommend going there. I'm sure you can find something there.
Honestly Japan really isn't that much cheaper than here, so I think if you're expecting to be able to pick up bargains everywhere you'll probably be disappointed.
Also of course don't forget about language settings, PAL/NTSC compatibility and region locking if you do plan on buying electronics.