It's now just two weeks before I fly out to Tokyo, and I've been researching things to see and do during my week there.
Of course, I began researching camera equipment and have been trying to get a feel for whether gear in Japan is cheaper than in Australia. Virtually all travel guides, blog posts and news articles reference Shinjuku as the photography equipment hub in Tokyo, and Akibahara as the electronics centre. And then I started to read about retail juggernaut, Yodobashi - which has mega stores in both Shinjuku and Akibahara, and a total of 21 stores throughout Japan. My credit card is twinging nervously at the thought...
There doesn't seem to be an English version of the Yodobashi site, but by all accounts, these are two of the largest camera shops in the world. I came across a Flickr feed of photos taken in the Yodabashi mega stores and reckon it's going to be about as close to camera heaven as I'm ever going to come. That said, I've heard the B&H store in New York is pretty impressive!
Frommers reports that the original Yodobashi store in Shinjuku stocks over 30,000 products and reputedly sells between 500-600 cameras daily. That's a whole lot of shootin' gong on! Apparently the newer Akibahara store is even bigger - and both are open from 9.30am to 10pm everyday. Imagine being able to pop out and buy your next L-series lens at 9.30pm one Tuesday evening. Drool!
The various reports I've read suggest that camera gear is generally not going to be cheaper in Japan - but that it's worth a haggle. You can bet I'm not going to die wondering!
14 sleeps to go, and counting!
Japanese dr at work reckons otherwise. He bought lenses when he went back home and brought them back into Australia. Was much cheaper. Maybe he knows where to shop...
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