I wasn't aware that was not a common thing. I did learn never to challenge the math skills of the aunties who work in the tax refund kiosk, though.

Japanese hand tools are also good if you're looking for other well crafted objects with the yen in your favor and luggage space. Vessel makes nice screwdrivers and JIS + if you have Japanese built things in your house where Philips + cams out. Engineer and Tsunoda make good pliers. Japanese tools are more ergonomic for my petite hands (short woman) compared to the US versions and sometimes offered in different grip sizes/lengths (some nice German tool brands also do this). JP pull saws are also easier for me to use than western push saws and there are some nice wood planes & chisels if you're looking to gift a woodworker.

I think it is SIM driven these days. I have a dual SIM phone bought in Japan, leave my foreign SIM in slot 1 and my docomo SIM in slot 2. Even with slot 1 deactivated I don't hear a single sound when using my camera.

that would be very good news! what model?

Not the fruit company, but the last couple of Android models bought in Japan I have not had issues with camera sound. Unless I only use the Japanese SIM card.

Ah, ok. Everything I've read says that iphones are now gps/location based and still make the sound within Japan physically.

But then a US bought model would do as well....?

no apple only builds this into the japan-specific model (and korean too actually)

I'm back in Tokyo right now. It's my fourth time in Japan in 2023 and haven't visited an Apple store. Where is the flagship store in Tokyo?

Marunouchi

https://www.apple.com/jp/retail/marunouchi/

I thought it was Ginza, or at least that was the store always inundated with foreign customers to the point the only Japanese people in the store were the staff. Almost all Ginza staff are English fluent, not sure about the other locations.

I went there last night and am surprised that's even a flagship location. Nothing special about the design. I really love the Apple Store in Singapore. Very unique design.

An Apple Store employee at Marunouchi, Sandy, told me her store is opening at 8 AM tomorrow for the launch of the iPhone 15. I'll probably drop by the Ginza store to take a look even though I'll be back in the US on the 22nd.

Marunouchi employees are definitely bilingual.

We consider Ginza the flagship -- as the first in Tokyo and the first outside of America -- it's the flagship to us -- even if Marunouchi is the biggest...

AFAICR, none of Apple's Tokyo stores has particularly impressive architecture or interior design. If you're interested in exciting retail stores, the following list might give you some inspiration. Apple doesn't make the cut:
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/shoppi...-need-to-visit

Nothing beats Nihonbashi Takashimaya, classic architecture and the traditional uniformed elevator ladies.