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Shopping
Stores, tax-free counters, and trying items with care.
9 rules published
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Book-Off & Hard-Off: Japan's Secondhand Shop Rules
Japan's recycle shops (Book-Off, Hard-Off, Komehyo) are structured retail with fixed prices and condition grades — not flea markets. Don't haggle.
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Depato Etiquette: Shopping Japan's Department Stores
Japanese department stores run on ceremony — the opening bow, the food hall downstairs, the elevator operators. Here's how to move through them.
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Gift Wrapping in Japan: The Packaging Is Half the Message
How a Japanese gift is wrapped says as much as what's inside. Tearing in, skipping the bag, or using white paper can all send the wrong signal.
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Japanese Drugstores: Tester, Point Card & Export Rules
Matsukiyo, Sundrug, Cosme Kitchen — cheap and amazing, but testers have limits, some meds can't leave Japan, and the follow-around staff is normal.
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Japanese Supermarket Rules: Baskets, Belts & Bagging
Japanese supermarkets have a flow: basket on belt, pay, then bag at the separate counter. Plastic bags cost extra since 2020 — bring your own.
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Konbini Etiquette: Yes, There Are Rules at 7-Eleven
Japanese konbini are a national institution. Hovering at the microwave, fumbling at the register, or eating as you walk marks you as a tourist.
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No Haggling in Japan — The Price Is the Price
In most of the world, bargaining is smart travel. In Japan it's rude. The price on the tag is the price, from department stores to souvenir stands.
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Omiyage: The Souvenirs You Must Bring Back From Japan
Omiyage (お土産) isn't optional if you have coworkers or a host family. Individually wrapped regional sweets is the move — airport generics don't cut it.
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Tax-Free Shopping in Japan: How to Actually Get 10% Off
Japan's 10% consumption tax is refundable on the spot — but wrong store, wrong day, or opened packaging and you lose it. Here's how to collect it all.
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