I have read about electronics stores like Bic or Yodobashi. But I can't figure out the following: what is really price difference with and without duty free, do cameras have English menus, are the models in Japan different (e.g. better) than in the rest of the world? What's Available
As one of the photography meccas of the world, you can buy just about anything made for a camera here. I've been here on four previous trips and am now working about an hour outside of Tokyo in Kamakura, so by no means do I know even a large percentage of the camera shops. Here's a general introduction to some shops in Tokyo and the type of equipment they offer. There are three approaches to take when searching for a camera. One, obviously, is to go to a camera shop. The second choice is to visit one of the large chain stores. The last is to go to Akihabara in Tokyo (or Nipponbashi if you're in Osaka).
Akihabara
Practically anything that runs on electricity is sold there. The majority of electronics produced here are not even exported. Unlike in most other shops in this country, bargaining is expected here. Most large stores in Akihabara cater to tourists, meaning there are duty-free floors and salesmen who speak foreign languages (I've even seen one saleman speak Hindi!). From my experience of half a dozen or so visits to Akihabara over the past 4 years, I've found that the price of Japanese-brand cameras are not as competitive as in the large Tokyo chain stores. On the other hand, if you're looking for a tv, vcr, etc, that works with PAL, SECAM, and NTSC or want a tv that allows you to watch a dozen channels simultaneously, this is the place!
Camera Chain Stores
Probably the most well-known electronics chain store in Japan is Yodobashi Camera, which sells everything from cameras to fuzzy-logic rice cookers. Unlike the Akihabara stores, appliances sold here are designed for the domestic market (110V, 50 or 60 Hz). Most of the photography equipment carried here is produced by the Japanese camera giants (Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Kyocera, Pentax). For these brands, the large chain stores probably offer the most competitive prices. I've found that the prices for Nikon and Canon are about the same as compared to New York City mailorder. For example, the new Nikkor 80-200/2.8 zoom costs about 115,000 yen (about $930 USD). The real surprise for me was that although Contax SLR bodies costs about the same as in NYC, the Zeiss lenses, at least the more expensive ones I was looking at like the 100/2.8 macro planar and the 25/2.8 distagon are considerably less. I recently purchased a Contax RX w/ 50/1.4 planar for about 150,000 yen, plus a 25/2.8 distagon for 59,000 yen [$750 in the US], and the 100mm/2.8 macro planar for 138,000 yen [about $1800 in NYC]).
The price of point and shoots seemed to have come down in the past year. Now, the Yashica T4 (called the Kyocera here) with 35mm Zeiss lens is around 19,800 yen. I did purchase a Sekonic 408 lightmeter at Yodobashi in december 1996 for about 35,000 yen, though.
If you are in the market for Mamiya medium format equipment, it is significantly less here than in the States. As of Spring 1998, the 43mm lens was about 185,000 yen, the 65mm was 92,000, and the 150mm was 102,000 yen. I'm told that the Bronicas are also significantly less expensive, too. Pentax medium format bodies seem to be comparably priced to those in America, though I admit I didn't pay much attention to the prices since I was only considering Contax, Hassy, and Rollei for my new system. By the way, the Fuji GA645i's are about 110-120,000 yen depending on which lens configuration you get, and the GA645zi zoom is around 156,000 yen.
Obviously, the prices I have quoted are approximate to give you the idea of the potential savings. For tourists, bring your passport and you don't have to pay the 5% consumption tax. For the locals, there's a Yodobashi "gold point card," which is an account with the store. When you make a purchase they credit 10% of the total, after-tax price to your account towards a future purchase (can be the same day, it just has to be another transaction) if you pay with cash in yen. Yodobashi does accept plastic, but you don't get the full 10% credited to your gold point card.
Speaking of film, there's probably one of the largest selections of film available here in the huge refrigeration section in the basement. A box of Velvia 120 runs 415 yen, while Provia 120 (ISO 100) is 395 yen a box. They are also sold in bulk packs, although you really don't save anything until you buy the vacation-sized 20 box (of 120 film) pack. One note: 220 medium format film is not nearly as popular as 120 film; Yodobashi certainly carries it in their head store in Shinjuku, but it's difficult to find in other stores (the Yokohama Yodobashi store, which is quite large, has been out of Velvia 220 and Provia 220 for at least several weeks), while the smaller independent shops located near train stations are unlikely to carry 220. There is also a good selection of Kodak film, including the new 100S and 100SW films (at least in 120). Other brands are carried, such as Ilford, AFGA, Konica, etc., are also available, as are sheet film, darkroom and image storage supplies, refrigerator-like, de-humidifier units, and 3 (working) day developing.
Camera bags, at least US-made brands like Tamrac, are cheaper in NYC. I've found that developing color prints is more expensive here than in the States. So far, I have yet to find any mailorder laboratories. It costs almost the same per exposure to shoot and develop 6x4.5 color transparency film as it does to shoot 35mm color negative film when you factor in the prints, which are about the same size or smaller than the diminuative 3.5"x5" prints in America. For viewing your color transparencies, I've discovered that the brands of light tables are different than many of those in the US. There's Hama, Fuji Professional, Fuji, Cabin, and assorted others, though the prices of the Fuji Pro and Hama Pro models are in the 30,000 yen and up range (at least they run on 50 and 60 Hz!).
A few European labels are carried here (Leica, Hassy, Rollei), but I've found that independent shops generally have more competitive prices and a better selection of accessories. Yodobashi stores are located all over Tokyo and in other major Japanese cities, but the largest store is probably the Shinjuku store on the west side of Shinjuku station (about 5 min walking from the west exit). There's actually at least three stores clustered in the same area, one that sells cameras, one for video, etc. On weekend afternoons, it's almost as crowded in the narrow alleyways around the store as in the subway cars! To get to the Shinjuku store from the JR lines, follow the signs for the main west exit. You should see a rotary for cars. Veer towards the left and follow the major shopping corridor (used to be a cardboard shanty-town of homeless people until a fire struck last year; it's now boarded up) and head straight until you reach the entrance of the new Keio line. You can take exits 3 or 4 or any other one nearby. Yodobashi is located in the backstreets across from the Lumine store. If you're standing on the corner at the Lumine store, look for the corner with the large Konica sign on top. It's in the backstreets behind the sign. If you're in Yokohama, there are two stores near Yokohama station. Take the west exit from Yokohama station and exit the building until you reach the curb. Walk to the left down the sidewalk into the indoor shopping arcade (Takashimaya Dept. Store is on the right) and stay to the left when the hallway splits. You'll see the store (like 5 m in front of you) as soon as the passage terminates at the street. The second store (annex) is found if you continue to head straight from the station, past Takashimaya, and over the bridge lined bumper to bumper with cars (just follow the crowds), straight down the street on the right side near HMV records. Recently, as of late summer 1998, Yodobashi has begun a web page at http://www.yodobashi.co.jp. Although it's virtually all in Japanese, click over the first few frames until you see the main page with product icons (it may help to change the language encoding on your browser). Under the camera icon, most of their producsts will be listed according to category (the section with products with words "APS" and "35" are the bodies, including medium format), and lenses and film are under a different section. Not all products are listed, but prices are given. Japanese residents can order over the internet, but they still won't ship overseas.
Finally, there are other major chain stores like Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera being one of them. Although bargaining does not occur at these stores, if you find a lower price at a competitor's store, the other store will presumably match that price. The salesmen in these chain stores tend to speak very little, if any, English since the vast majority of customers are locals. A couple of blocks from the head Yodobashi store in Shinjuku is Sakuraya camera, also another chain store. you might go to a bank that tells you what a dollar is worth to a yen..american money value has lowered in the
world...you might compare duty free prices as you inter in the country to see if duty free goods would be better as you leave than buying in the ginza. Another thing you may want to consider is what kind of warranty the camera has.
In some cases if you buy the camera in the US from a licensed dealer they come with a US warranty. Meaning that if something happens to your camera and you have to send it back, you send it back the US distributor and they take care of it.
Now if you get what they call a grey market warranty (or even an Japanese warranty), getting the camera fixed is going to be up to you. You'll have to contact the parent company in Japan, pay shipping to Japan to get it fixed, and in some cases pay for them to ship it back to you. Even if they have US office. |
