What it’s like shopping at Japan’s famous Don Quijote Store

Before I got on the plane to Tokyo, I asked two of my closest friends what they wanted me to bring back to the States for them.

One said weird-flavored Kit Kats and the other requested beauty products. Luckily for me, both of these things could easily be found in Don Quijote. 

Don Quijote is a famous chain store with 630 locations worldwide, mainly across Japan [source].

But this place isn’t your average, Target-adjacent supercenter.

It has floors on top of floors stacked with enticing Japanese products and it’s all tax-free for visitors. 

Although it’s a fun place for a shopping spree, you’ll be competing with thousands of other tourists searching for products. It’s quite hectic. These tips will help you evade any surprises and get everything you want from Don Quijote. 

Each Floor is Dedicated to a Different Speciality From Snacks to Skincare.

Don Quijote is like a confusing maze to first-time visitors, but there is some rhyme and reason to the way the store is set up. Each floor is dedicated to a different specialty, like electronics, snacks, makeup, skincare, toys, travel gear, and more. 

While the layout of each Don Quijote store is a little different, you can find your way around by going to the escalators. There is typically a helpful guide posted on each floor informing visitors of what they can find on the store’s levels. 

This organization method makes it possible to wander your way around the aisle without getting too bogged down by the varied choices. 

Go to a Smaller Store in the Very Early Morning to Avoid the Crazy Crowds. 

Once I stepped foot into a Don Quijote store, the crowds sucked me up like a vacuum. I constantly bumped shoulders with people or waited patiently to get past a group the entire time I was in the store. Overwhelming is an understatement. 

Avoiding all the crazy, tax-free shoppers is difficult, however, it can be achieved by visiting a smaller store location. The Mega Don Quijote in Shibuya is seemingly always teeming with shoppers. Whereas the stores in less touristy neighborhoods tend to be slightly more laid-back. 

Many Don Quijote stores in Japan are open 24/7, so you can also get a quieter shopping experience by arriving first thing in the morning. We’re talking around 6 am because the stores get packed as soon as a normal hour hits. 

👉 Pro Tip: You can reach any Don Quijote location by utilizing Japan’s amazing public transportation system. 

You Technically Can Only Open Your Sealed Bag of Products Once You Leave Japan.

After collecting my loot from Don Quijote, I shuffled over to the tax-free counter to get in line behind other shoppers with huge baskets of stuff. Next to me at the register, I couldn’t help but overhear the guy next to me getting frustrated with the salesperson. 

“I don’t understand. I don’t want to pay tax, but I don’t want the sealed bag,” 

The salesperson, equally as annoyed, explained once more, “You cannot use the products in Japan if you get them tax-free.” The conversation seemed like a standard exchange for the woman working. 

It’s a strange caveat, but it’s true. You aren’t supposed to open your sealed plastic Don Quijote bags until you get home. If you’re using the products in the country, they want you to pay taxes. That’s why I’d recommend waiting to visit Don Quijote at the end of your trip to Japan. 

Don’t Go in Blind. Look Up Top Products Beforehand and Make a Wish List.

Don Quijote is not the type of store you can just browse around leisurely. There is just too much going on all at once and you’re bound to get distracted or stressed out. You need to go in with a plan of action for what you want to find inside the Don Quijote maze. 

You can find ideas for top products to buy at Don Quijote on TikTok or by checking out the yearly Cosme ranking lists for the best cosmetic items. To get you started, some of my favorite things I got were the Perfect Whip Face Wash and Matcha Kit Kats. 

One thing that made my shopping haul more manageable was taking a screenshot of the items I wanted instead of just writing out a list of their names. This made it way easier to spot the needle in the haystack of products. 

You Must Have Your Passport With You and Purchase at Least  ¥5,500 (Roughly $37) to Get Your Stuff Tax-free.

One of the first things I noticed as I weaved through Don Quijote was all the signs pointing people in the direction of the tax-free counters. The big draw of shopping at Don Quijote as a tourist (besides the cool products) is that purchases are tax-free. 

It adds up to a decent discount. I ended up avoiding over ¥1,000 in taxes during my end-of-trip Don Quijote haul. 

There are two caveats if you want to reap the benefits of Don Quijote’s tax-free system. 

1.  You must have your physical passport on you. This shouldn’t be that big of a deal considering non-residents in Japan are required by law to carry their passports on them [source]. 

2. You must be buying at least ¥5,500 (about $37) worth of products. That’s why it’s better to do your Don Quijote shopping in one big trip. 

Without following these two rules, you could miss out on this budget-friendly benefit of being a foreign shopper in Japan. 

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Overall, the Don Quijote store was a little bit congested for my comfort level, even as a New York native. However, it was worth pushing past the urge to immediately turn around and leave because there are so many interesting, useful things to find here. 

From souvenirs to beauty products, this chain store has almost everything you could possibly want to bring home from Japan. Go in prepared with these tips and you’ll probably survive and return home with a huge bag of goodies. 

Another thing you should prepare for is coming across behaviors that might be considered strange in America. To learn more, check out my article about American taboos that are normal in Japan.