Shopping hacks

How to save on tax, where the extra discounts hide, and the smartest way to shop Don Quijote. (For what to buy, see the konbini & drugstore finds.)

Tax-free & discounts

Department-store process: go to the info counter first, show your passport, and get the tax-free pamphlet plus discount vouchers, then start shopping so the discounts apply at checkout (saves backtracking).
Tax-free is still instant before November 1, 2026. The switch to pay-then-refund-at-airport starts that day, so until then the tax comes off at the register as usual.
taxfreeshops.jp/en: download extra tourist-discount vouchers worth up to ~17–19% on top of the standard 10% tax-free. Example stores: Don Quijote (souvenirs), Bic Camera (tech), Alpen Tokyo (sneakers), Jins (eyeglasses).
Uniqlo flash sale: a hidden in-store sale runs Tuesdays and Fridays, 2–5 PM, across Japan — even popular and collab items go on sale.

Hacks: shop off-peak at 24-hour locations (roughly 11 PM–10 AM) to skip the tax-free line; grab the taxfreeshops.jp voucher for the extra discount; scan barcodes with the Payke app for English product info; bring a carry-on suitcase to haul a big run.
Counterpoint: some say Donki's prices are actually higher and it nudges impulse buys.

For the same drinks, medicines, and skincare, a local drugstore is usually cheaper than a konbini or Don Quijote. The big chains: