Shopping hunt: what to flip
Small things worth more back home. The one rule: before buying, look up what that exact item sold for in the US (eBay "sold" listings, PriceCharting). Compare Japanese to Japanese: a Japanese card box is not worth what an English one is.
Watches, sneakers and streetwear
- Rolex: not a bargain this year. Used Submariners in Japan ask ¥2.23 to ¥2.58 million ($14,200 to $16,400), about the same as US dealers. The tax refund saves about 9%, but US duty plus the tariff on Swiss watches is up to about 15% on the value over the first $1,800. Rough example: a $14,000 watch, about $1,800 owed at US customs. Buy only a specific watch you want, with box, papers and a written warranty, and declare it.
- Where: pre-owned at Nakano Broadway (Jackroad, Kamekichi), Komehyo (Shinjuku, Ginza, Shinsaibashi), Quark (Ginza, Shinjuku, Ueno, Osaka) and Ginza Rasin. Official boutiques rarely sell steel sports models to visitors.
- Design your own watch: Knot, a Japanese brand. Pick the case, dial and strap in the store: quartz from ¥25,850 ($165), automatics ¥47,850 to ¥88,550 ($305 to $564). Tokyo Station (Shin-Marunouchi Building), Omotesando, Kichijoji; Osaka Namba Parks and Links Umeda; Kyoto.
- Build a real mechanical watch: only at Gishodo in Suwa, Nagano, 2.5 hours away. ¥95,000 ($605) each, 6 hours, weekends, Japanese instruction. About $1,400 for both with trains. Not in the plan unless Joseph wants it.
- Nike By You: patches, embroidery and prints on Nike clothing in about 20 minutes at Nike Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku (same-day slots in the Nike App). Custom sneakers are online only.
- Kith: Tokyo at Miyashita Park North, Shibuya; Osaka at Umekita Green Place by Osaka Station. Both 11 AM to 9 PM.
From Nov 1, tax-free works as a refund: pay full price, keep the item unused, show it at Haneda departure. Details and sources: research/25.
Best bets
- Japanese One Piece cards. A new Japanese booster box is about $34 (¥5,280) at store price and sells for $125 to $150 in the US. Store-price boxes sell out fast and are often limited to 1 per person, so both of you should line up. Paying the resale price in Japan (about $115, ¥18,000) leaves almost nothing.
- Japanese Pokemon cards. Newer sealed Japanese boxes at store price ($40 to $60) can sell for $70 to $105. Older hot sets like "151" now cost as much in Japan as in the US. Skip those. Pokemon Center exclusives: check the exact item first.
- Used anime figures, discontinued and complete in box. Example: a One Piece "Portrait of Pirates" figure, $76 to $115 (¥12,000 to ¥18,000) in Japan, about $180 in the US. Cheap prize figures ($6 to $19) take too much space for the profit.
- Retro games, tested. Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games work on US systems. Japanese Famicom, Super Famicom and N64 cartridges don't fit US consoles, so they sell to collectors only. Compare prices across shops: one N64 was $44 at BEEP and $95 at Super Potato.
- Yoshida Porter bags. Example: Tanker Helmet Bag, about $413 (¥64,900) in Japan against $690 in the US. Match the exact model code.
- Japan-only watches. G-Shock and Seiko models ending in "J" or "JF", and Japan-only collabs like G-Shock x Porter. The gaps are small, $30 to $80, so buy them to wear or gift.
- Kitchen knives from Sakai (Osaka). Good gifts, some resale. Checked bag only, wrapped.
Where, on days they're already there
| Nov 5, 8 · Akihabara | Cards: Card Rush, Hareruya2, Dragon Star, Yellow Submarine. Games: Surugaya, BEEP, Trader, Super Potato. Figures: AmiAmi, Surugaya, Liberty. |
| Nov 7 or 9 · Nakano Broadway | Mandarake (figures, cards, vintage toys). Cheaper and quieter than Akihabara. |
| Nov 6 · Harajuku, Shibuya | PORTER Omotesando, PORTER Exchange Shibuya, Pokemon Center Shibuya, Komehyo and Brand Off (used luxury). |
| Nov 10 to 14 · Den Den Town (about 25 minutes by subway) | Mandarake Grand Chaos, Surugaya, Super Potato, Card Rush Nipponbashi, Hareruya2 Namba, Dragon Star. |
| Nov 12 · Umeda | PORTER Osaka (Grand Front), Komehyo Umeda, Pokemon Center Osaka. |
| Nov 13 · Shinsaibashi, Doguyasuji | PORTER Exchange Shinsaibashi, Komehyo Shinsaibashi, Onitsuka Tiger. Knives at Sakai Ichimonji Mitsuhide. |
Skip these
- Whisky to resell. Selling alcohol in the US needs a federal permit. Bring it to drink or gift (1 liter duty-free per adult 21+; Joey can't buy alcohol in Japan).
- Used Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Chanel unless you already know the exact model's US sold price. Big money at risk, and the weak yen doesn't guarantee a profit.
- Anything priced "too good." Fakes exist even in Japan. Buy at the named shops and keep every receipt.
- Untested electronics and cameras. A film camera with a dead shutter is worth nothing.
Rules that matter read this
- US customs: the $800 duty-free allowance per person is for personal items and gifts. Things bought to resell count as commercial goods. Declare them as that, with receipts. Duty may apply.
- Japan tax-free (from Nov 1): pay full price, then at Haneda before checking bags, scan passports at the customs kiosk with the items and receipts. The store refunds the 10 percent later. That means tax-free buys ride in carry-on bags, not in the Yamato suitcases.
- Packing: cards in top-loaders or boxes, in carry-on. Knives in checked bags. Spare batteries and power banks in carry-on.