Cost of durable goods

Hi,

I plan to bike across Japan in the foreseeable future, and I am wondering what's the difference in the cost of durable goods (in comparison to USA or EU). Since I want to use my own bicycle & equipment, I will most certainly exceed the maximum cargo weight allowed on planes. Will I be better off purchasing some items in Japan (rather than paying for the extra cargo weight)? In particular it concerns items such as: camera tripod, heavy duty (Kryptonite) bike lock etc).

Thank you in advance for your replies.

You would be better off listing specific items you have in mind.

As for a tripod or bike lock, I certainly would not purchase them new in the US if you don't have them already.

You can get Maglites, repair tools, bike parts, camping equipment, and emergency kits easily in Japan for good prices. Shopping at places like Costco, Yodobashi Camera, your local home center, and websites like Rakuten and Amazon will ensure a wide selection at good prices.

I personally would choose to travel light and acquire locally.

Actually, I disagree with Kyototrans. I would strongly consider purchasing certain things in the US as they will be far cheaper than in Japan, but you'll have to weigh the savings against the cost of going overweight on your luggage.

For example, Kryptonite locks cost about 2-3 times more in Japan than the US. Tripods on the other hand depend on what you're looking for. Cheap, no-name tripods cost about the same in both countries. However if you a looking for something brand name it will usually be cheaper to buy in the US.

Actually that goes for most things you may need to purchase. Generic things (allen wrenches, tire irons, inner tubes, etc.) usually cost about the same in either country, but expect to pay a lot more for anything brand name.

You can do more concrete comparisons by comparing prices on amazon (US) to amazon (jp). Just note that Amazon Jp's prices are better than what you'll find retail.

Here's a comparison between kryptonite locks for example:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-...

http://www.amazon.co.jp/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?__mk_ja_JP=%83J%83%5E%83J%83i...

@ yllwsmrf: Blimey! It looks like I will be bringing my Kryptonite lock along after all. As far as the tripod is concerned, I will be fine with some generic product that can do the job and doesn't weigh a ton.

Thank you both for your advice.