Cheap Shopping in Japan
Find It All and Have Fun Doing It At the Don Quijote
If you think Japan is a really expensive place to visit, you may be surprised to find the cheap shopping deals at Don Quijote. And you're certainly in for an adventure.
For a cheap, all-encompassing shopping experience in Japan head to the nearest Don Quijote. Named after Cervantes’s famed adventurer, it is really a place where you can find almost anything. Whether you’re looking for things to furnish and decorate your home, stock up the pantry, increase the size of your wardrobe, or buy the latest gadget, Don Ki (as it’s called in Japan) is the place to go. It’s a bit like a Japanese Wal-Mart; you can get such a wide range of items- from groceries to alcohol to electronics to shoes to medicine- and you can find it all under one roof. Yet Don Quijote may prove to be a bit more interesting and memorable an experience than the American mega-chain.
A Unique Shopping Adventure
First of all, Don Quijotes are all several stories high. Like a lot of things in Tokyo- shops, restaurants, salons, etc., you may have to look upwardly and not vertically to find what you’re looking for. It’s like taking Wal-Mart and squeezing it in and up. And some of the purchases you find here you may not find in the American chain- from cheap Japanese souvenirs, kimono, designer hand bags and watches to pet clothes, herbal aphrodisiacs and sex toys. Not to mention the wide array of Japanese anime and other costumes (young people love their “cos-play,” as they call it) on offer.
Do as the Japanese Do
Going to a Don Quijote is an essential part of any genuine Japanese life. So if a tourist wants a shopping experience “on the real” and not just the typical tourist type, he/she should definitely find the shop. It’s an experience unlike you’ve ever had shopping at strip malls or discount shops back home. From the special jingle which greets you at the door, to finding your way around (it takes some time to get your bearings as you try to work out which items are on which floors, especially if you don’t read Japanese), to navigating through the cramped helter-skelter treasure trove, you’re in for a unique adventure. You may even feel like the fabled cavalier who is the store’s namesake as you wander around the bizarre jungle looking for your loot. Just make sure you don’t stay too long. Much like the Louvre in Paris, it’s easy to wander around for hours and lose track of time.
And if you’re in Osaka, be sure to check out the rooftop ferris wheel. The Don Quijote in Roppongi also has a rooftop rollercoaster, which has been delayed indefinitely due to local resdients’ protests.
How to Begin your Adventure
There are more than 150 branches of Don Quijote throughout Japan (and a few in Hawaii). They can be found near major train stations, including Tokyo’s Shibuya, Ginza, Shinjuku and Roppongi. Look for the yellow signs (see pictures below ) and blue and white penguin mascot. Or just ask someone- people usually will know if there's a "Don Ki" in their midst.
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