Dec 2011 in Japan: Shopping.

My recent holiday in Tokyo was somewhat expensive because of the very strong Yen. I have been to Japan a number of times over the last 15 years but the Yen was never so expensive. It was almost S$17 to JPY1,000 this time round.

The first time I was in Japan, it was S$15 to JPY1,000. 5 or 6 years ago, it was S$13 to JPY1,000 and that was really quite comfortable. From $13 to $17 is a 30% increase! No wonder I was feeling rather reluctant to spend money on this trip.

However, spend money we must and I was looking out for better prices, as always. Initially, we bought drinks and food from the convenience stores which are a regular sight in Japanese cities. Family Mart and Lawson are the two more commonly seen ones. Prices were quite high or so I felt.

If we want better prices, look for supermarkets, of course. However, it was quite hard to find supermarkets. We managed to find two in Shinjuku near the hotel we were staying in.  Near would mean at least a 10 or 15 minutes walk. Prices were dramatically lower in the supermarkets compared to the convenience stores.

A 2 litre bottle of Suntory mineral water would go for JPY 178 in Family Mart but was JPY 99 in a supermarket!

There are also many discount pharmacies where we can buy drinks and snacks relatively cheaply. It may surprise you but they could even be cheaper than the supermarkets! A 2 litre bottle of Suntory mineral water for JPY 79!

I also found this very yummy made in Japan truffles which were selling in Daikoku pharmacy for only JPY 98 a packet compared to JPY 128 a packet in a supermarket. They make great gifts too.

There are many classy malls in Tokyo but, frankly, we can get the same things in the malls cheaper here in Singapore even with our 7% GST.

Of course, there would be things which are only found in Japan for one reason or another. Then, if we really want these things, buy them there. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense to pay more and lug the stuff back.

We found this shop across the road from Isetan in Shinjuku; it is called Takano. It sells leather goods and many of them are hand made in Japan. I bought a few coin pouches priced between JPY500 to JPY800 each. Made in Kyoto. I like buying such unique items as long as they do not cost an arm and a leg.

I did find some stuff at lower prices in Tokyo compared to what they go for here in Singapore. Hada Labo was practically half the price! Where? Daikoku, of course. Get extra 5% discount if you shop on the 3rd, 10th or 20th of each month!

Uniqlo too was cheaper in Japan. I bought two pairs of thermal pants in Singapore's Uniqlo before going on this trip. Two pairs for $49. I bought two pairs more in Shinjuku for $35!

For tourists, spending more than JPY10,501 in any single bill would let you claim the 5% GST but this does not apply to some items such as perfumes. My friend bought a new camera with accessories which cost him more than JPY100,000. He got back quite a bit of money.

Although the Japanese Yen is so very strong now, if we want to do some shopping in Japan, there are still bargains to be found.