Shopping, Prices, Camera Questions!

Hi,

I will be going to Tokyo early next year and i just wanted to know a bit about how the prices in Japan compare to the UK.

Firstly i would like to buy a Canon Eos 350D...is it cheaper, or shall i just buy one before i go?!

Also, Gothic Lolita fashion, i'm in love with all the cute stuff...roughly how much compared to UK or Europe?

One last thing, the 100 yen shops sound cool, any more info?

Even if you can just say in general the price differences!

Thanks

did you check this site about 100 yen stores?
www.japan-guide.com/e/e2077.html
I have seen a few (we even have Daiso where I live in North America). Some of it is great and pratical, especially storage things of all kinds for kitchen, bathroom, office, other stuff is horrid. have a look at TOKYU HANDS and LOFT. more pricey but really cool stuff too.
Cameras and electronic stuff prices goes all over the place. Compared to the UK and Europe even the USA and Canada have cheaper prices. problem with buying in Japan is that you may or may not get booklets in English and the warranties may not work in the UK. That said last year a friend of mine brought her older camera to Japan and bought a better version there. Check Bic Cameras and Yodobashi Cameras. I am not familiar with Bic but Yodobashi staff was great and she was amazed at their fridges, washers, small appliances etc. you really got to see them!.

I found this on the web (from the USA):
"The Canon EOS 350D is an 8.0-megapixel entry-level digital single-lens reflex camera. The model was initially announced in February 2005. It is alternately known as the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT in North America and the Canon EOS Kiss Digital N in Japan"
right now it sell in the USA for around US$ 600 as it is an "old" camera (2 years old). You may have trouble finding it in the big camera stores in Japan as they renew their stock all the time. I couldn't find anything on the web about Japanese prices. it would be hard for a tourist , like those using this forum, to help as Yodobashi cameras for example as 2 huge floors with nothing but cameras and video cameras!. You also have to think about the duties on the way back!. If you already have an older but reliable camera bring it and consider buying a better one here. But prices plus duty may not be as great as you expect. Good luck

Firstly i would like to buy a Canon Eos 350D...is it cheaper, or shall i just buy one before i go?!

Canon Eos 350D is a European/American model and unlikely to be available in regular shops in Japan.

Generally speaking, electronic product prices in Japan are roughly same as in USA, so you can refer to Amazon.com, for example.

Also, Gothic Lolita fashion, i'm in love with all the cute stuff...roughly how much compared to UK or Europe?

I don't know about their prices in UK/Europe but I think they perhaps cost about 30000-50000 yen in Japan.

One last thing, the 100 yen shops sound cool, any more info?

It depends on products. Some are quite useful while others are very crappy.

to give you an idea of prices, after a lot of work I found the latest Canon at Yodobashi cameras:
( www.yodobashi.com then click on "translate" if you use Google. Google translation is really weird!)
The canon EOS 40D EF with
-S17-85 IS U lens kit :
Special price 198,000 yen(including tax) this means just under US $ 2000 in the US the body alone sells in a couple of discount places US $ 1300 plus tax. with a lens the prices would be the same as in Japan. You may be able to compare with the UK price for that camera. How about the duties !!

Canon EOS 350D = Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT = Canon EOS Kiss Digital N

Canon EOS 400D = Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi = Canon EOS Kiss Digital X

The 350D equivalent will be a lot cheaper in Japan than in the UK, IF you can find it. There are a couple of places on www.kakaku.com that have it for around 50,000yen body only (about 220GBP, $440 USD)

However, you can get the 400D equivalent for 60,000yen (about 260GBP, $520 USD), so it's hardly worth the trouble to buy a 350D.
You can get the 400D for 68,100yen at Bic & Yodobashi (minus 10% if you have a point card)

Be aware that it is Japanese warranty only, and Japanese manual. (you can download the manual in English of the internet, and the software is multi language)

well i didn't realise the 350D was so old now, i've loved it since i work in a camera shop and throught it would be perfect for me, though the kiss thing sounds good, so i'll go for one of them! thanks everyone for your help.

About the prices of lolita fashion, I recommend you take a look at the prices listed on these websites:
http://www.metamorphose.gr.jp/english/
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/
It will give you an impression about how expensive lolita fashion is usually.
If it's too expensive for you (because yeah, it IS expensive) you could also go to Closet Child (http://www.closet-child.com/shop/index.php) or Brand X (not to be confused with the JRock shop Brand X in Ikebukuro), who sell second hand lolita clothing.

This webpage will probably be very useful for you too:
http://hillieras.ld.infoseek.co.jp/gothloli/shopguide.html
It tells you where all the lolita (and some more gothic/punk) shops are in Tokyo, including the second hand shops.
Hope this is useful to you!

Oh, and about that last website I posted about, it's kinda old and not very up-to-date but I think most of the information given there should still be right.

I was in Tokyo just three weeks back and went around Ahihabara, the electronic city. Following are my observations :

1. Shops here have two models of electronic goods - one for local consumption and other for tourists. If you buy the local ones, the manual and instructions within the gadget are in Japanese. The tourist version uses English.

2. The tourist section in Yadabashi camera is not that big and there were very few models of cameras. 'Laox Home Electronic Store' is much bigger and more impressive.

3. One thing you can do is to bargain. My friend brought down the price of a camera (with some accessories) from 33,000 to 30,000 Yen at Laox.

4. Most of the electronic goods available in Japan are made in China not in Japan.

5. The 'Tax-free' procedure (for tourists) is very simple. They attach a small coupen in your passport which will be removed at the airport. No claims...no documents..no nothing.

6. The cameras are much cheaper in Tokyo when compared to prices in India.

I visited a 100 Yen shop and bought a few goods. The quality of goods is OK and it is worth. Again most of the goods are from China.

well its sounds like it will be cheaper in any shop or situation, as the UK is already like the most expensive country in the world!
seems china is cheaper then! well i will be going to hong kong but not til 2009!

Where is Brand X? A web search reveals too much non related stuff.

I have also heard of a lot of other gothic shops in Tokyo but have no idea where they are. One is called Alcione.