Travellogue - Shopping in Japan

Assalamualaikum & hye! I just got back from Japan for Global Leadership Programme 2.0. And one of our task is to prepare a travelogue based on the topic we chose, so I choose shopping! Muehehe. Tapi alang-alang dah buat untuk travelogue program ni, I feel it is ought to share it here, too. Yelah, sementara nak tunggu mood nak tulis pasal outreach programme ni panjang-panjang, which will take a veryyyyyy long time XP Baik post je mana yg ada dulu kan? So, here we go!

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It is the first day in Tokyo! Hence, Iqbal, Syerr and I are in-charge to activate our JR Pass & book the seats in shinkansen to Osaka for everyone at Shin-Yokohama Station. Basically, there are three counters at the office, two counters are for seat reservation in Shinkansen while another one is for JR Pass activation. You can reserve seat in Shinkansen as early as 5 a.m. but the counter for JR Pass activation is will only open at 8 a.m.

     After the staff collects our JR pass and passport, we waited for 5 minutes before she asked us to fill our name and details in the form she provided. Then, she went to the back of the office (dealing with the data on the computer, I guess). She came back after 10 minutes with our JR pass activated & seat reserved.

     The interesting part here is when she starts counting the passports with our JR Passes and tickets one by one verbally before giving them to us. Since she shows and counts them for us, we felt like we also should count together with her, too. At first, I thought it is a normal procedure since we have 14 people in one group. So, she might need to count them one by one, afraid that she might be missing any of us.

However, after staying in Japan for a few days, I can see that most of the staff at stores and bus counter are also doing the exact same thing. Before giving out the ticket or change, they count them, note by note, coin by coin, in front of us. I was quite amazed by this kind of practice because most of the shopkeepers I met before just count the money by themselves before giving the balance to the customer. So, the reason they count the money one by one verbally is not only to ensure the change given is accurate, but also the customers do not have to re-count the balance again. I have also read somewhere that it is disrespectful to re-count the change again after they give them to you as if you are not trusting the cashiers. Hence, keep alert when they count your balance!

In Japan, you will notice a small tray with rubbery ‘hairs’ at every paying counter *the blue one as in the above pictures* It is a tray for the customer to put the notes and coins. Yes, customer needs to put the money in the tray instead of giving by hand. In one article I’ve read before, some cashiers may find it uncomfortable when they accidentally touched the customer’s hand. Hence, the tray is used to overcome the problem. Here, money below ¥1000 is in coins so it is common for people to pay using coins. Hence, the rubbery hair on the tray is designed for the shopkeepers to count the coins easily. Plus, if you have too many coins, just put them all in the tray and let the cashiers count them for you.

Next, if you are a tourist who stays in Japan less than 6 months and you spend above ¥5000 for accessories, cosmetics, medicine, foods, and others, you are exempted from paying the nation’s 8% consumption tax. During our stay at Sapporo, we bought a whole bunch of Meiji chocolate and Hada Labo skincare products at one of the supermarkets in Tanuki Koji (a popular shopping street). Hada Labo is a well-known product for skincare lovers and here I’m telling you that the price is significantly cheap compared to Malaysia! For an example, the price for Hydrating Lotion Gokujyon is MYR46 in most of the drugstore in Malaysia while it is only ¥700 (MYR26) at Japan. So girls, are you ready to visit Japan?

The procedure to claim the tax refund is quite simple. You just have to pay all of the goods at the counter first. Then, you need to bring the payment receipt with all your goods to another counter that usually located at the top level of the supermarket. Then, you need to display your passport and sign some receipts for confirmation. Lastly, the staff will refund the tax to you. As simple as that.

Another fun fact when you are shopping in Japan is you need to pack your own stuff in the plastic bag after shopping. The cashiers will provide you with plastic bags after paying at the counter and there will be a section for you to pack all your goods. Remember, do it fast as this section is quite small and there are more people waiting behind you!

Queue. If you ask me, what Japanese people love to do the most, I would say ‘queue’. They literally queue everywhere – before entering the train, while paying at the counter and even waiting for Starbucks to open! It is a common norm in Japan to queue and a serious ‘crime’ to cut lines in Japan. In certain stores and train station, there are line stickers on the floor to keep you in line and to avoid the queue to block other people if the shop or station is too crowded. In Malaysia, queuing is also common but queuing while waiting for a store to open? That is a whole new level!

Shot by Iqbal.

You can find convenience shops in Japan literally everywhere and it is just a few steps away from one another. This includes 7-Eleven, Family Mart, Lawson and more. Plus the convenience shop is really ‘convenient’. You can find everything here from raw vegetables to cosmetics. Yes, you can find Muji skincare products in the convenience store. Since Muji brand is quite exclusive in Malaysia that you need to buy it online or from the retail store located at Kuala Lumpur, so I am quite surprised seeing this for the first time. But then, I remembered Muji brand is founded in Japan. That’s why the supply is high and the price is quite cheap here.

Shot by Mdm Maizah.

We also went to the night market located at Okachimachi, Tokyo. Apart from the street foods and souvenirs, original branded shoes and cosmetic products are also sold here. I repeat, at the night market! The price of a pair of Skechers shoes sold here is the half of price sold in Malaysia. For Anello bag lovers, you can find it cheaper here plus you can bargain with the owner, too. Walking along the street, I also saw a store selling SK-II, L’occitane, Clinique and other high-end skincare products. This is rarely seen in Malaysia as you only could find them in retails or buy them online. According to my friend who studied in Japan, sellers here are prohibited to sell fake products by the government. Hence, the branded items sold even at the night market might be original. However, it is best to check first before you buy them.

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Okay, here is the glimpse from our travelogue. Will share the link or anything once the travelogue from our team is ready. Ada banyak perspective to share from 14 of us - professionalism, accommodation and even toilet! And insya-Allah I'll try my best to share my experience as a first timer to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka & Hokkaido, Japan. Depends pada ke'busy'an saya lol~ Thanks for reading!