Last Updated on March 31, 2020 by Christine Kaaloa

My Don Quijote Experience: Japan’s Best Discount Store for Travelers

If you’re doing souvenir shopping or even if you have travel needs or wanna pick up a Japanese snack, Don Quijote is your one-stop discount store for anything you can imagine.  From souvenirs to anything from household supplies, beauty, medical, clothing, electronic, food and entertaining Japanese products which will make shopping feel like an amusement attraction. Best of all, you’ll find discounted prices and travelers can find tax free shopping.

What can you buy at Don Quijote?

Japanese Snacks

The snack section in Matcha Green Tea Twix, (umeboshi) plum candy, dried seafood. They carry a surprising amount of imported candies as well.

Japanese Health Products & Supplements

The health and supplements section is fairly stocked with a lot of health aids to help you with muscle and joint aches to vitamin supplements.

Recommended items:

I’m a fan of the DHC vitamin supplements . Japan uses quality products and ingredients and the pills are very tiny. You can practically swallow them without water. Each time I’ve visited or passed through Japan, I’ve bought packets of DHC supplements! Vitamin mixes vary from  collagen, B-mix, E, etc… and supplements to help with diet.  I’ve also found the muscle relief aids to work pretty well

Japanese Beauty Products

Japanese beauty products is where Don Quijote excels if you’re female…

I love visiting the beauty aisles because there’s always a lot of curious inventions here.  As a westerner it’s easy to misinterpret a lot of this. YOu’ve got anything form face slimming, posture enhancers and … uh… beauty aids to firm your cheeks.

Recommended items:

I am in love with disposable eye warming masks. The masks heat up to a comfortable warmth when you remove them from the packet and they cover your eyes. Very relieving after a long day on the computer. Also, I bought one of those facial yoga mouthpieces below. The next time you see me on YouTube I’ll have nicely firmed cheeks.

 Japanese Adult Toys

In the mega Don stores are larger and are more likely to have an Adults Only Sex toys section. There’s a thin cloth door with the sign ‘Adults Only’ to shield this section from casual viewers and children. It’s a small section with dildos and dress up costumes and … okay, I was embarassed to be there filming so I didn’t stay very long to notice the finer points. It wasn’t nearly as unusual or as seemingly sexual as the Japanese beauty care aisles.

Costumes, Stationary and Household goods

The costume section is interesting and a humorous.  If you’d like a unique and interesting costume to surprise friends with during Halloween visit the costume section. Products range from stuffed animal headwear to colorful wigs and  fun occupational dress up costumes like policeman, samurai, nurse. It’s a little kinky and offbeat.  Some of it can be random, like dressing up as Mount Fuji or a sushi.

Grocery Store & Discounted Foods

It’s unlikely you’ll be grocery shopping but travelers may want to visit the bento or ready-made food section where you can buy anything from mixed bento boxes to rice balls (aka onigiri).

Tip: Prices get discounted closer towards closing.

Don Quijote’s Tax Free Counter for Travelers

Japan charges an 8% sales tax on items, but not only does Don Quijote have discounted products but also tax free counters (you must show your passport to get exempt) .

At Don Quijote, travelers are exempt from Japan sales tax if they go to the Tax Free counter and show their passport. It’s like duty free and generally, you’re not supposed to use the items you just bought, but no one checks at customs. Save all your receipts as you might get asked for them at airport customs.

Mega Don Quijote is a mega store

I’ve visited Don Quijotes all around Tokyo, but Shinjuku had a mega Don Quijote! (It is literally called mega Don Quijote or Mega Donki)  This location is open 24 hours.  Browsing through Don Quijote, I get the impression that Japan can have a wacky, and occasionally risqué sense of humor. Which is interesting for such a polite, mannerly and seemingly quiet culture. I found the costume section in the Shinjuku location quite big, as if it’s Halloween all year round.

Don Quijote Locations in Japan

Don Quijote and Mega Don Quijote locations in Tokyo here.

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