Just back from Tokyo ...

[Jenks]

Went to the Tokyo flea market at the Oi Racecourse, supposedly the biggest single flea market in Japan. Was hoping to maybe discover a NOS Schick Type O. But not one razor to be found anywhere. I am used to seeing at least a few razors at every flea market I drop into in North America but not a one in this one. Over 300 vendors and many that were selling the kind of merch that ordinarily would also include razors. Am I missing something or is that odd?

On the other hand, dropped into Tokyu Hands to see what they had. Nothing remarkable in software. A bunch of Muhle and Feather gear at unremarkable prices. Picked up some Feather DE blades and Schick twin injector blades; again at unremarkable prices. The only deal to be found was a Feather Artist Club SS at 7000 Yen (US$63, C$84). Would have pulled the trigger if it was the kamisori model but only the folding model was available. The Feather AC blades were no bargain.

 

[sarimento1]

Went to the Tokyo flea market at the Oi Racecourse, supposedly the biggest single flea market in Japan. Was hoping to maybe discover a NOS Schick Type O. But not one razor to be found anywhere. I am used to seeing at least a few razors at every flea market I drop into in North America but not a one in this one. Over 300 vendors and many that were selling the kind of merch that ordinarily would also include razors. Am I missing something or is that odd?

On the other hand, dropped into Tokyu Hands to see what they had. Nothing remarkable in software. A bunch of Muhle and Feather gear at unremarkable prices. Picked up some Feather DE blades and Schick twin injector blades; again at unremarkable prices. The only deal to be found was a Feather Artist Club SS at 7000 Yen (US$63, C$84). Would have pulled the trigger if it was the kamisori model but only the folding model was available. The Feather AC blades were no bargain.

great report, thanks!

just curious, what was cost of a nice dinner in tokyo?

 

[Jenks]

A really nice dinner for 5 adults at a mid-tier but well regarded restaurant was about 35,000 Yen (US$315, C$420). A decent sushi restaurant for the same 5 people was about half of that.

I had probably the best sushi of my life at a small restaurant that was right next door to the new Toyosa fish market for US$50 per head.

I am not a foodie and if your tastes are higher end, expect to spend a lot. Japan is expensive all around but the food is great, especially in Tokyo. I have heard that the rule of thumb is to bring half of the clothes and twice the money that you initially expect. I got the amount of clothes right but the advice to bring more money was definitely true.

 

[ackvil]

A friend is going to Tokyo and Osaka in a few months. He was told to bring plenty of cash and that many restaurants and merchants do not accept credit cards. Could you verify that statement?

 

[Jenks]

A friend is going to Tokyo and Osaka in a few months. He was told to bring plenty of cash and that many restaurants and merchants do not accept credit cards. Could you verify that statement?

Did not have too much of a problem using credit cards in both Tokyo and Osaka. But certainly for smaller restaurants and farther away from the core we ran into situations where they only accepted cash.

We also spent about 2/3rds of our time in smaller towns. Cash was king and it was rare to find anything not part of a larger national chain that would take credit cards.

Using credit cards was enough of an issue that we always ensured that we had enough cash on hand to pay the bill in case they would not take a card. We wanted to go where we wanted and not have to worry about the credit card issue so always kept enough cash on hand.

 

[Jenks]

A friend is going to Tokyo and Osaka in a few months. He was told to bring plenty of cash and that many restaurants and merchants do not accept credit cards. Could you verify that statement?

7-eleven's are everywhere in Japan. Oddly, it provided the best option to get cash out of their ATMs; best conversion rates and best transaction fees. Japanese bank branches were not the best option to get access to our home bank.

 

[sarimento1]

A really nice dinner for 5 adults at a mid-tier but well regarded restaurant was about 35,000 Yen (US$315, C$420). A decent sushi restaurant for the same 5 people was about half of that.

I had probably the best sushi of my life at a small restaurant that was right next door to the new Toyosa fish market for US$50 per head.

I am not a foodie and if your tastes are higher end, expect to spend a lot. Japan is expensive all around but the food is great, especially in Tokyo. I have heard that the rule of thumb is to bring half of the clothes and twice the money that you initially expect. I got the amount of clothes right but the advice to bring more money was definitely true.

ok, so a Feather AC razor cost about same as a local sushi dinner?

 

[Jenks]

ok, so a Feather AC razor cost about same as a local sushi dinner?

Did I get my numbers wrong?
7,000 yen for the Feather AC
15,000 yen for decent sushi for 5 people

 

[sarimento1]

Did I get my numbers wrong?
7,000 yen for the Feather AC
15,000 yen for decent sushi for 5 people

ok, correction, Feather AC about same as sushi for two!

 

[Jenks]

ok, correction, Feather AC about same as sushi for two!

Pretty much true as far as I could see.

 

[Jenks]

A friend is going to Tokyo and Osaka in a few months. He was told to bring plenty of cash and that many restaurants and merchants do not accept credit cards. Could you verify that statement?

If I could offer some unsolicited advice...

Tokyo is an insanely big and complicated city. The subway map looks like a big multi-coloured bowl of spaghetti. Google maps was awesome and completely indispensable when trying to figure out trains and subways and even more needed when trying to figure out the streets and alleys when looking for a destination. Indispensable in all parts of Japan, especially those with 1000 year old layouts.

But that means being connected. If your friend wants to avoid expensive data roaming charges I would suggest they rent a Wi-Fi router. This link provides a good reference and a discount if you follow the embedded links >> Renting a Wifi Router in Japan: Best Options | Tokyo Cheapo

 

[BigJ]

Thanks for the trip report!!

 

[Rory1262]

Speaking just of shave goods, Japan's drugstore aftershaves are still the standout offering that's readily available.

 

[Gaznix]

A friend is going to Tokyo and Osaka in a few months. He was told to bring plenty of cash and that many restaurants and merchants do not accept credit cards. Could you verify that statement?

Hope he’s not going between September and November, the rugby world cups being held there and the prices are going to be crazy.

 

[1Speedster]

Comforts me to know 7-Elevens are alive and well in Japan...after losing our neighborhood one just last year. It's now a more upscale 24/7 convenience store.

 

[Jenks]

Speaking just of shave goods, Japan's drugstore aftershaves are still the standout offering that's readily available.

Not a big aftershave guy so wasn't paying attention to that segment. I did notice that many (not all) drugstores carried Schick twin injector blades.

 

[bobmsp]

If I could offer some unsolicited advice...

Tokyo is an insanely big and complicated city. The subway map looks like a big multi-coloured bowl of spaghetti. Google maps was awesome and completely indispensable when trying to figure out trains and subways and even more needed when trying to figure out the streets and alleys when looking for a destination. Indispensable in all parts of Japan, especially those with 1000 year old layouts.

But that means being connected. If your friend wants to avoid expensive data roaming charges I would suggest they rent a Wi-Fi router. This link provides a good reference and a discount if you follow the embedded links >> Renting a Wifi Router in Japan: Best Options | Tokyo Cheapo

I was traveling overseas a few weeks ago to see my son who is spending a gap year abroad. He does not have a data plan (uses WiFi in most places) and he uses a free app called maps.me. It is similar to Google Maps but can be used offline. It uses OpenStreetMaps as it’s data source and you download a regional database to your phone. It worked well for us in Ecuador and they have Japanese maps. Worth checking out - the price is right.

 

[Rhody]

Great report. Travel is the best education .Thanks for sharing your trip details glad it was great!

 

[Jenks]

I was traveling overseas a few weeks ago to see my son who is spending a gap year abroad. He does not have a data plan (uses WiFi in most places) and he uses a free app called maps.me. It is similar to Google Maps but can be used offline. It uses OpenStreetMaps as it’s data source and you download a regional database to your phone. It worked well for us in Ecuador and they have Japanese maps. Worth checking out - the price is right.

I'm all for that. I would want to make sure that the transit and train schedules are integrated. That was the biggest help for us when navigating.

 

[ajkel64]

Thanks for sharing about your trip and how to go about paying for things in Japan. I may never get there but I have some valuable information now.