Create meetup in Tokyochevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Wildlife Reserve
want to meet at fmd_good Market Deli
explore Tokyo Guides
bar_chart Trends in Tokyo
Are Fender guitars cheaper to purchase in Japan?
yeah they're usually cheaper here, but not by a huge margin. a made in japan fender that goes for $1500 shipped overseas is probably around 130,000-140,000 yen in a shop like ochanomizu's big guitar stores or ishibashi. that's about $880-$950 right now with the weak yen, so you'd save a decent chunk. just keep in mind the tax-free thing for tourists, you can knock off 10% if you show your passport, but some stores like shimokura in ochanomizu already have prices that include tax so the discount works differently. also the mij models here sometimes have different specs than the export versions, like pickups or neck profiles, so it's worth playing one first if you can
honestly depends on where you look. the big chain stores like ishibashi or kurosawa in ochanomizu have decent prices but you can sometimes find even better deals at smaller secondhand shops like hard off or some of the used gear places in shinjuku. i saw a mij tele in decent shape for like 80,000 yen at a hard off in ikebukuro last month, which is wild considering the same model goes for 150k+ new
also worth noting that the fuji-gen factory that makes most of the mij fenders is actually in tokyo, so some shops will have floor models that are literally fresh from the factory with slight cosmetic blemishes for a discount. ive seen stores sell those as "b-stock" for like 20-30% off but theyre basically new
one thing nobody mentioned yet is the fender japan website has a "factory tour" event every few months where you can buy guitars directly at a discount, but you gotta sign up early cause it fills up fast
honestly it depends on the shop and the exchange rate, but yeah you can usually save a bit buying in person if you hit up places like Ochanomizu or Shibuya. just be ready to pay with cash or a card that doesn't have foreign transaction fees, that's where the savings can get eaten up
load 10 more replies
Where can I find crispy, pan-fried bacon similar to a certain international style?
if u have a costco membership the kirkland thick cut is the move, 4 packs of 500g for around 2500 yen and it crisps up proper in a cold pan. for smaller runs, precce in azabudai hills & the basement at isetan shinjuku both carry imported US & danish brands in the chilled case, just read the label for "thick cut" or "smoked" and not "loin". also worth knowing japanese bacon is often wet-cured so pat it dry before frying or it steams instead of crisping
kaldi coffee farm is hit or miss but their smoked bacon from denmark shows up pretty regular, the 200g pack runs about 600 yen. what actually works better for me is asking the butcher counter at peacock or life to slice the block bacon thick, like 5mm, they do it for free and it crisps way better than the pre-packed stuff. also fwiw cheap bacon crisps faster, the fatty supermarket kind at 300 yen a pack works fine if u cook it from cold in a dry pan and pour off the fat as it renders.
tbh the gyomu super store brand bacon is surprisingly decent for crisping up, its not thick cut but if you cook it low and slow it gets pretty crunchy. the key is the dry cure vs wet cure thing, wet cure steams. also check hanamasa if you have one nearby, they sell big packs of american style bacon thats actually smoked and firm.