It's a bit of an open ended question but I'm hoping for tips and suggestions on shopping for electronics in Japan. We haven't booked yet (but I think we're getting pretty close) so our itinerary is open. But I suspect we'd be in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka for sure.

I'm not targeting anything in particular but I love the latest gadgets and stuff (eg. camcorders, cameras, etc). I'd probably stay away from the larger stuff (eg. tv) unless I can ship it home inexpensively and without too much hassle.

Any suggestions on what shops to visit? I don't suppose there's anything equivalent to a BestBuy (ie. "Generally" one of the lowest prices in town)? I see from previous threads there is a Costco in Tokyo which I might have to visit just for the sake of visiting it.

Are deals in the Akihabara district generally good or should I limit myself to particular stores?

Any other things to be aware of?
- I'd buy with the expectation that I won't be able to get any warranty service once I'm back in Canada. Low expectations.
- Any suggestions on voltage issues? I also see from previous threads that devices with block type converters (eg. laptops) should be fairly safe for use in North America while small appliances like rice cookers can be hit and miss. Any more rules of thumb?
- I'm assuming they would accept my Costco AMEX card in the Tokyo Costco.

TIA.