Thanks Pureboy & ksandness.
Yes, stuff you can't get at home (yet) is probably my main target. I keep reading about the odd new gadget coming out but available only in Japan initially.

We try to do some comparison shopping over the Internet but we kind of find it hit & miss due to the timing of everything.

I can't see myself buying any DVD's but I usually try to get around the region restrictions (and PAL/NSTC issues) by playing them on my pc.

Interesting info about the FM frequencies.

I am far from an expert but when in Tokyo I looked around. I did not think that it was cheaper then the US. Compared to big box stores I suppose it might have been slightly cheaper though not worth the hassle. I thought it was definitely more expensive then I could get from internet retailers. I realize you are in Canada but I would assume it easier to bring in goods from US then from Japan.

FWIW, My brother lived in Japan for 2 years as expat. His company paid to ship his entire house from tokyo back to US. He still did not find anything in Japan that made sense to purchase rather then purchase in the US. My two cents is that if you are looking to save money it won't happen. You may however find something not yet available in the US.

Or this.

You'll look like a dork wearing one of these earspeakers on the street, but you know you are a cool dork.

A - - cool - - dork?!?

I find some dorks very attractive. Others... not so much.

I'm a big fan of these things too; my current Panasonic pair with the glossy black finish matches my iPod really nicely. They just make so much sense that I wonder why they wouldn't offer it here in the US.

The same region-control shenanigans apply in the world of video games. Don't plan on running that "Densha de Go!" game on your North American consoles...

Not so true these days - the Densha de Go! Pocket games play just fine on my US-bought PSP

Nintendo DS, PSP and PS3* games aren't region coded. My DS is from Hong Kong and happily plays UK and US games; my PSP is from the US and plays Japanese, UK and US games; my PS3 is from Japan and plays Japanese, UK and US games.

(* the PS3 does have region control capability for games in it, but no-one has released a game that enforces it yet)

Thanks for the correction -- I was getting frustrated about my region-controlled Wii. With Gran Turismo 5 coming out, you might've just clinched a deal for me to go pick up a PS3 (in the US) and a bunch of Japanese game titles (specifically, yeah, Densha de Go...)!

Region controlled Wii? *cough* Wiikey *cough* d2ckey *cough*

What are you looking for? Last time I was there, we found a great deal on a wireless iron. The other big thing for me is food and wife goes nuts over the cosmetics. While local shops may sell Japanese packaged goods here, the prices run 3-4x of what their retail cost in Japan. As for DVD's, forget about buying those in Japan. They charge ridiculous prices over there.

Most video game peripherals are also cheaper in Japan.

And remember to visit a maid cafe in Akihabara. Wouldn't be a proper trip without one...


Really depends on what you're after. If you're looking at US or world-wide goods, difference probably isn't that great. If you're looking for Americanized Japanese goods, prices are way cheaper in Japan.

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure what I'd be looking for yet. Off the top of my head, maybe a small HD camcorder, SLR digital camera, and maybe some car electronics (gauges, etc). A Wii sounds interesting. I don't HAVE to buy anything but if something catches my eye (your wireless iron sounds neat), I want to be a bit prepped.

Getting slightly OT, we'll probably play it by ear with regards to food we'd want to bring back (as with souvenirs and trinkets).

Vancouver has pretty cheap CD's, DVD's, and computer gear (as I'm sure you'd be aware of) so they'd probably off the list.

... Had to Google what you meant by "maid cafe". It seems to be a bit too wacky for my taste but we might just have to do it just to add to the interesting trip story list.

Speaking of maid cafe, http://youtube.com/watch?v=G_yMkBttqo0

Hi,
according my short experience (2 trips to Japan), I have found the best prices through kakaku.com (and Google translator!). You can do a search for a model in Latin alphabet (like 'FX-33') and translate the results pages.

Japan cheapest stores are (roughly) around Akihabara district and only accept payments in cash. Last October (2007), I found (and bought) with kakaku cameras 10-15% cheaper than Bic Camera or Yodobashi (20,000 yen vs 25,000 at Bic). Prices vary every few weeks and you can see a little graph within website results page showing the product price evolution. Shop assistants may do not speak English, so I recommend you to bring the kakaku results page printed.

For a 'fixed' price product, like the Apple ones (iPod), Apple stores in Japan are very useful. Shop assistants spike English, and they offer you a CD with software, manuals and tutorials in English and other languages (Spanish...)

The only concern would be, in the case of video or photo cameras, that they have on-screen menus other than in Japanese (Sony newest models don't).