Duty-free Shopping & Essentials

Strategy — why Day 1/2 in Tokyo

Free in-store eye exam, 10% tax-free at the till, and 30–60 min turnaround for standard lenses.

Getting replacement glasses on Day 1 or 2 in Tokyo (Oct 9–10) is the smart move. For standard single-vision prescriptions in stock, your glasses are ready in 30–60 minutes. If your prescription requires custom lab surfacing (progressive lenses, high astigmatism over -2.00D, or strong myopia above -8.00D), the lab takes 7–10 days. Ordering on Oct 9–10 means they can be picked up during our final Tokyo leg (Oct 19–22) near our Gotanda hotel, providing a guaranteed 10-day safety buffer so you are never left without glasses.

The in-store eye exam (free)

Major Japanese eyewear chains (Zoff, JINS, OWNDAYS) provide full computerized eye examinations on-site for free with frame purchase. Even if you haven't had an eye exam in 10 years, you do NOT need a doctor's prescription from home. The exam takes 10–15 minutes using an auto-refractor (staring at the classic hot air balloon image) followed by a digital phoropter test for visual acuity, astigmatism, and red/green balance. Staff in tourist-accessible branches use English charts and Landolt ring tests (simply point up, down, left, or right where the circle gap is). Tip: bring your broken glasses with you so staff can measure the old lenses on their lensmeter as a baseline.

Tax-free & passport

Prescription eyewear qualifies as general goods (一般物品). Present your physical passport with the immigration landing stamp. Under the pre-Nov 1 2026 rules, the 10% consumption tax is deducted immediately at the counter on purchases of ¥5,000 or more (which all complete sets clear). General goods are not sealed in plastic, so you can wear your new glasses right out of the store.

The big three chains compared

Recommended locations near Hirai, Skytree, Kinshicho & Asakusa

• [NEW · closest: 1 stop from Hirai] Zoff Atre Kameido (5F) — Kameido, 1 stop / 2 min on the JR Sōbu Line, inside Atre Kameido station building. Free on-site exam, 10% tax-free, 30–60 min standard lenses, multilingual support. Same building as QB House Kameido (6F). Hours 10:00–21:00 · ☎ 03-5628-6582 · Map
• [NEW · 2 stops from Hirai] Zoff Kinshicho Termina 2 (1F) — directly at JR Kinshicho Station, 4 min from Hirai. Tax-free, free digital exam, 30–60 min. Hours 10:00–21:00 · ☎ 03-3626-6133 · Map
• Zoff Tokyo Solamachi (3F East Yard) — at the base of Skytree (~10 min from Hirai). Tax-free, free exam, 30–60 min — pick frames, take the test, explore Solamachi, come back. Hours 10:00–21:00 · ☎ 03-5610-3156 · Map
• JINS Kinshicho Termina (4F) — directly above JR Kinshicho. Tax-free, free high-index thin lenses, 30–45 min. Hours 10:00–21:00 · ☎ 03-3635-4333 · Map
• JINS Kinshicho Olinas (2F) — spacious mall branch near Kinshi Park. Tax-free confirmed. Hours 10:00–21:00 · ☎ 03-5610-7521 · Map
• JINS Asakusa ROX (2F) — central Asakusa near Sensō-ji, English-friendly, tax-free register. Hours 10:30–21:00 · ☎ 03-5828-5777 · Map
• OWNDAYS Kinshicho Marui (3F) — inside Marui, free high-index lenses and global warranty. Hours 10:30–20:00 · ☎ 03-5669-0220 · Map

Concept — fast, clean, zero fuss

QB House — pure no-frills haircut in 10–15 minutes for ¥1,400 flat.

Zero pampering, zero upselling, zero shampoo, and zero blow-dry styling. QB House is Japan's iconic quick-cut specialist. Highly trained licensed stylists execute clean, precise haircuts in 10 to 15 minutes. Unisex and widely used by women and men alike for trims, layers, and bang cuts.

• Cost: ¥1,400 (flat rate, tax included)
• Time: 10–15 minutes in the chair

How it works (step by step)

1. Check the queue light outside the door: Green = no wait (sit down immediately), Yellow = 5–10 min wait, Red = 15+ min wait.
2. Walk in and purchase a cut ticket from the vending machine right at the entrance. Accepts ¥1,000 bills, coins, or transit IC cards (Suica / PASMO).
3. Take a seat in the waiting chairs in order. When your turn comes, the stylist calls you over.
4. Place your jacket and bag inside the locker built into your styling booth mirror.
5. Tell or show the stylist what you want: bring a reference photo on your phone, or specify how many centimeters to take off (e.g. '3cm cut' or 'trim split ends').
6. No shampoo or washing: when cutting is done, the stylist uses their gentle air-vacuum hose (Air Washer) to suction all loose hairs off your neck and head in 30 seconds.

Nearest branches to where we're staying

• [NEW · closest: ~1 min walk from lodging] QB House Hirai Station South Exit (平井駅南口店) — Hirai (1 min walk from the apartment; 平井3-30-2, View Tower Hirai 1F). Under 100 m from the front door. Walk-in ticket machine, ¥1,400 flat, 10–15 minutes. Hours 10:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays · ☎ 0570-011-919 · Map
• [NEW · 1 stop from Hirai] QB House Atre Kameido (6F) — Kameido, 1 stop / 2 min on the JR Sōbu Line, inside Atre Kameido above JR Kameido Station. Pair with Zoff Kameido on 5F in the same building. Hours 10:00–21:00 (reception ends 20:00) · ☎ 0570-011-919 · Map
• QB House Tokyo Solamachi (1F West Yard, Block 1) — Tokyo Skytree Town (~10 min from Hirai), easy to pair with glasses shopping. Hours 10:00–21:00 (last entry ~20:30) · ☎ 0570-011-919 · Map
• QB House JR Kinshicho Station (Termina South Exit B1/1F) — Kinshicho (2 stops / 4 min), convenient transit branch. Hours 10:00–21:00 · ☎ 0570-011-919 · Map
• QB House Kasai / Nishi-Kasai / Funabori — Edogawa City; multiple branches beside Edogawa stations. Hours 10:00–20:00 · ☎ 0570-011-919 · Map

Stock in Japan is healthy — 19 to 24 branches hold each item, so this is about picking a good branch rather than hunting. Yodobashi has the DJI-staffed corners; Bic has the coupon. The list below is in itinerary order so it doubles as a fallback chain. If a branch is out, the next one is usually a short walk or one train — every entry has a phone number, ring before making a special trip.

1. [NEW · closest to Hirai lodging, 2 stops / 4 min direct] Yodobashi Multimedia Kinshicho — Termina 1F–3F. Sits right above JR Kinshicho Station South Exit inside Termina. Full camera department with DJI inventory, 10% tax-free counter with physical passport, open late until 22:00. When: Oct 9–12 · Hours 9:30–22:00 · ☎ 03-3625-1010 · Map
2. [Start here — Tokyo, Oct 9–12, direct 11 min from Hirai] Bic Camera AKIBA — 5F cameras, drones & watches. Best Bic camera floor in Tokyo and the coupon store. One minute from Akihabara's Electric Town exit. Ask explicitly whether the 7% coupon applies to DJI before committing. Hours 10:00–22:00 · ☎ 03-6260-8111 · Map
3. [Six minutes' walk from Bic AKIBA, direct 11 min from Hirai] Yodobashi Akiba — 3F, DJI Brand Space. An actual DJI-staffed corner plus a drone cage you can test-fly in. When: Oct 9–12, same afternoon as Bic · Hours 9:30–22:00 · ☎ 03-5209-1010 · Map
4. [One train away if Akihabara fails] Bic Camera Ikebukuro Camera & PC-kan — 2F. Deepest camera and drone stock in Bic's Tokyo estate, and a used counter on the same floor. Yodobashi Ikebukuro is nearby with Japan's newest DJI Brand Space (opened June 2026) on 03-5951-1010 — two shots from one trip. Hours 10:00–22:00 · ☎ 03-5956-1111 · Map
5. [Central fallback] Bic Camera Yurakucho — B2F. One minute from Yurakucho station, walkable underground from Ginza. Hours 10:00–22:00 · ☎ 03-5221-1111 · Map
6. [A curiosity — Oct 14, if we break the journey] Bic Camera Nagoya JR Gate Tower — 10F. The ONLY DJI Brand Space inside a Bic Camera in the whole country, directly above Nagoya station on the Shinkansen line from Odawara to Kyoto. A 45-minute stopover would do it. ☎ 052-569-1111 · Map
7. [Kyoto — Yodobashi only] Yodobashi Kyoto — 1F, DJI Brand Space. There is NO Bic Camera anywhere in Kyoto Prefecture. Japan's second DJI Brand Space, three minutes from Kyoto Station — thin on drones, so ring ahead. When: Oct 14–17 · ☎ 075-351-1010 · Map
8. [Osaka — the coupon option] Bic Camera Namba — 3F. The only Bic in central Osaka with a drone floor; Sofmap's used and ex-display counter is in the same building. When: Oct 17–19 · Hours 10:00–22:00 · ☎ 06-6634-1111 · Map
9. [Osaka — the best DJI counter in Kansai] Yodobashi Umeda — 2F, DJI Brand Space. Japan's FIRST DJI Brand Space (March 2023), with a drone cage. Connected underground to Osaka/Umeda stations, so no weather. When: Oct 17–19 · Hours 9:30–22:00 · ☎ 06-4802-1010 · Map
10. [Specialist, if all else fails] DJI認定ストア 東京虎ノ門 (run by Sekido). A genuine DJI authorized store with unmatched expertise, two minutes from Toranomon Hills. Walk-in hours only 13:00–18:00, and tourist tax-free is UNCONFIRMED — phone before going. When: Oct 19–22 · ☎ 03-5843-7838 · Map

Don't waste a trip on these

• Yodobashi Shinjuku EAST — no camera, drone or gimbal department at all. Easy to confuse with the West store.
• Bic Camera Shinjuku West — for drones — its 4F lists gimbals and stabilisers but NOT drones. It also shuts at 20:30 (20:00 Sundays), earlier than every other Bic.
• Yodobashi Shinjuku West — for drones — a magnificent six-floor camera building, the best place on the trip for bodies, lenses and Leica. But no drone cage and no DJI Brand Space.
• Yamada Denki LABI — a search of their own site for 'Osmo Pocket' returns nothing. Don't bother.
• Don Quijote and Laox — drones appear in some branches via a third-party dealer, but it's branch-specific and unreliable. Last resort only.

Other places that carry it

• Map Camera, Shinjuku — carries current DJI handhelds and has the strongest used camera desk in Japan. Tax-free unconfirmed; ask at the counter.
• Sofmap — Bic group, four Akihabara branches within ten minutes of each other, and they list ex-display (展示品) units at a discount.
• Camera no Kitamura — nationwide, does stock DJI, tax-free at larger branches.

Check stock the night before — it takes two minutes.

Yodobashi shows per-branch stock publicly, no account needed. Each product page has a link reading 在庫のある店舗 (NN) — 'stores with stock (NN)'. Open it for a table of branches with stock, whether there's a display unit to handle, opening hours and a tappable phone number. 在庫あり = in stock, 在庫残少 = low, and お取り寄せ means they'd have to order it in — not available that day.

• Osmo Pocket 4P Vlog — stock by store
• Osmo Pocket 4P Standard — stock by store
• Osmo 360 Standard — stock by store

⚠️ Bic has the same idea behind a 店舗に取り置く button on each product page, but their site blocks automated checks, so we couldn't verify Bic prices or stock in advance — phone the branch instead.

A budget maybe, not a plan

Lower priority than the DJI kit and not counted in the budget: decide at the till on the Akihabara walk, only if the camera spend has survived. Skipping it this trip is painless. Everything below holds whenever we do go for it.

The mission: a real iPhone to test the SaaS app on.

The iPhone 5 maxes out at iOS 10 and can't install anything you'd build, and the Mac's Simulator leaves gaps you only find in production: push notifications (needs a physical device + the $99/yr developer account), real keyboard avoidance on forms, OAuth/browser redirect flows, haptics, and true device performance — the Simulator runs on your Mac's hardware, so it can't show you how the app behaves on customer phones. Your SaaS customers will be on iPhones, so the test device has to be an iPhone: an iPad runs an iPhone app letterboxed (or as a tablet layout) and never shows the UI your users see.

The tie, and the lean: a used iPhone 15 (≈¥80,000–¥105,000 tax-free — research estimate, verify in the shops) vs a new iPhone 17 (¥159,800 · ≈¥145,300 tax-free). Lean used: the 15 has the Dynamic Island that ~95% of users have, runs current iOS, and the battery objection only applies to personal phones — a test unit lives on a charger, so a Rank B at 85% battery health is a bargain. The 17 is the no-regrets upgrade if budget survives the DJI kit: new cell at 100%, 30 h battery, and ProMotion 120 Hz + Always-On — two display systems you otherwise never get to test — plus ~2 more years of iOS support.

Future-proofing — the three candidates

Estimates follow Apple's usual ~6–7 years of major iOS updates plus 1–2 years of security patches. Not promises.

The iPad Air M4 is the secondary device, honestly labeled: it serves the reading/entertainment slice (which your Android tablets already cover at home — so it's travel comfort, not a capability gap) and it tests tablet layouts of the SaaS web app. It is not a phone test device: an iPhone app on it runs letterboxed or as a tablet layout, no Dynamic Island ever, and the M4 is faster than nearly every customer iPhone, so it hides performance problems. If it's out of budget this trip, deferring is painless — buy at home, or check a used Air M2/M3 in the same shops.

Where to buy — same walk as the DJI kit, Oct 11

All confirmed on the chains' own store lists (Oct 5 2026). Exact addresses/hours shift — check each shop's page the day before.

1. Sofmap AKIBA (Re Collection) — Bic Camera group, multi-floor used Apple specialist a minute from Bic AKIBA. Certified used iPhones/iPads with grade labels. Hours vary by floor — check the day of. · Map
2. Iosis (イオシス) — Akihabara branches — the Chūō-dōri store (アキバ中央通店) plus the omote/roji side-street branches, 2–3 min from Bic AKIBA. Phones are graded with battery health % printed on the case label; 3-month warranty included on used iPhones, extendable to a year. · Map
3. Janpara (じゃんぱら) — 秋葉原本店 plus numbered Akihabara branches — the other used-iPhone gold standard, same grading system, buys and sells. · Map
4. Bic Camera AKIBA (new) — Apple authorized reseller; brand-new iPhone 17 / iPad Air M4 with the 10% tourist tax-free at the till. The extra 7% coupon almost certainly excludes Apple products (UNVERIFIED — ask before counting on it).
5. Yodobashi Akiba (new) — same deal for new units; check stock the night before like the DJI kit.

Track used market prices on kakaku.com before the shopping day — the used-15 number is the one that decides used-vs-new, and it's UNVERIFIED.

The counter checklist

1. Rank — S (mint) / A (near-perfect) / B (light wear, best discount). For a desk-bound test unit, B is fine.
2. Battery health % on the label — 85%+ for a test unit; the number is printed, so no guessing.
3. SIMフリー (SIM-free) — unlocked, works on any carrier/eSIM later.
4. Model number region — Japan part numbers end in J/A: FeliCa (Suica/PASMO) works, but the camera shutter sound plays permanently, everywhere, regardless of silent switch or SIM. Overseas units (US part numbers end in LL/A) have no shutter sound at all and are common in Akihabara. Both fine for testing — pick knowingly.
5. No network blocks — the shops check carrier lock status; the listing should say SIMロック解除済 or SIMフリー.

Tax-free & caveats

• 10% off at the till with the physical passport + immigration stamp (tax-free QR support at used shops is unconfirmed, so plan on the passport) — used chains advertise tourist tax-free too, but confirm at the counter before queuing. General goods, not sealed in bags.
• Apple Stores do no tourist tax-free — only the electronics chains do.
• Bic's 7% tourist coupon almost certainly excludes Apple (UNVERIFIED — the exclusion list is on the coupon page).
• eSIM note: a 15 with a SIM tray is actually convenient for testing; the 17 generation is eSIM-only everywhere, including Japan — no tray at all.

Sources: Apple JP — iPhone 17 specs & prices · Iosis store list · Janpara store list · kakaku — iPhone 17 256GB market price

Two clusters, one afternoon each. Shibuya covers the plushies and the snacks with confirmed tax-free; Nakano is only if we want to chase the Aggretsuko coin purse.

The three things on the list:

• Small Pompurin plush — Easy. In active production — Puroland is running a Pompompurin 30th anniversary programme. Any full-line Sanrio shop will have it.
• Small Kuromi plush — Easy. Also current; Sanrio published a My Melody & Kuromi goods series in Aug 2026.
• Aggretsuko coin purse — realistically not findable new. Sanrio's own online shop returns exactly ONE Aggretsuko product, and it's an acrylic stand. Treat this as a second-hand hunt, and an optional one — look opportunistically in Sanrio shops, then Mandarake. Set expectations at 'maybe', not 'probably'.

⚠️ Tax-free update for our trip: while older Sanrio directories listed few tax-free stores, Sanrio Tokyo Solamachi (Skytree Town 4F) has renewed with confirmed TAX-FREE registration — a tax-free official Sanrio shop right in East Tokyo (~10 min from Hirai via Kinshicho/Oshiage). Tokyo Station Character Street (First Avenue B1F) also has a central tax-free counter, and Sanrio World Ginza handles tax-free via Nishi-Ginza's counter.

The combine rule: under the old system general goods and consumables CAN be combined to clear the ¥5,000 minimum — ¥3,000 of snacks plus ¥2,500 of trinkets at the same Don Quijote qualifies. The catch: the whole combined bag gets heat-sealed and must stay shut until we leave Japan.

The clusters

1. Tokyo Skytree Town (Solamachi) — [NEW · closest to Hirai & tax-free confirmed] — ~10 min from Hirai (JR Sōbu Line to Kinshicho 4m, then Hanzomon Line to Oshiage 3m): Sanrio Tokyo Solamachi (4F East Yard — confirmed tax-free, wa-taste Skytree Hello Kitty exclusives · ☎ 03-5610-3181) — Map; Donguri Republic (2F — official Ghibli store · ☎ 03-5610-5299) — Map; Pokémon Center Skytree Town (4F — Rayquaza Skytree mascot · ☎ 03-6456-1221) — Map.
2. Tokyo Station Character Street — [NEW · 15 min from Hirai via Sōbu Rapid] — underground at Yaesu Central Exit with a centralized tax-free counter: Sanrio Tokyo Character Street (B1F — stationmaster-themed exclusives · ☎ 03-5224-6011) — Map; Sanrio World Ginza (1F & 2F — largest two-story flagship in Nishi-Ginza Dept Store · ☎ 03-3566-4040) — Map.
3. Shibuya — the main run (~ten minutes' walk end to end, everything confirmed tax-free): Sanrio Shibuya 109 6F (Pompurin & Kuromi plushies · ☎ 03-5728-4131) — Map; Hello Kitty Japan Shibuya (MAGNET by Shibuya109 · ☎ 03-3477-8030) — Map; Shibuya Loft (trinkets — tax-free desk shuts 20:30 · ☎ 03-3462-3807) — Map; MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya Honten (24 hours — snacks & the combine rule · ☎ 0570-076-311) — Map.
4. Nakano — only for the Aggretsuko hunt — five minutes by JR from Shinjuku; skip unless the coin purse matters. Mandarake, Nakano Broadway (12:00–20:00, 365 days; character goods 2F–4F; search アグレッシブ烈子 before traveling · ☎ 03-3228-0007) — Map.
5. Gotanda — the last-night run, 5 min from the hotel — this is where the consumables go: Don Quijote Gotanda East Exit (1-12-7 Higashigotanda, ~100 m from the station, open 8:00 AM–1:00 AM) — Map. Tax-free from ¥5,000, plus a LiveJapan coupon: ¥10,000 ex-tax for 10% tax-free + 5% off, or ¥30,000 for 10% + 7%. The coupon threshold is DOUBLE the tax-free minimum — pool all three of us into one basket. Expiry UNCONFIRMED; assume similar to Bic's 31 Oct and check.
6. Shibuya from Gotanda — three Yamanote stops (Gotanda → Meguro → Ebisu → Shibuya); do the cluster above on the 20th or 21st.
7. Tokyo Station — the one-stop fallback — Sanrio, Tokyo Character Street 1F (10:00–20:30), with Character Street and Okashi Land on B1 covering gifts and edible souvenirs in one basement — Map.
8. Sanrio Puroland: skip it — CLOSED Wed 21 & Thu 22 Oct; only the 19th/20th work, at ¥5,600/¥4,300 a head plus two hours of travel plus a required advance reservation. Not worth a day of three.

⚠️ Don Quijote is strict: original passport only (no photos or copies), the card must be in the SAME NAME as the passport, no buying on one person's passport for the group, and tax-free is same-day same-store. Consumables capped at ¥500,000 across the whole store group. Whether Donki accepts the Visit Japan Web tax-free QR is UNCONFIRMED, so this run goes passport-first.

Sources: Sanrio Tokyo store list · Don Quijote tax-free rules · Donki Gotanda East Exit — coupon & hours · Puroland schedule & prices · Mandarake Nakano

A maybe, not a plan. If it comes home, it stays boxed until you're home.

The DJI Neo is the beginner palm drone: 135 g, palm takeoff and landing with no controller needed (phone app, voice, or the button on the drone itself), fully enclosed propeller guards, AI subject tracking (Follow, Dronie, Circle, Spotlight, Rocket), voice recording through the phone mic with the propeller buzz filtered out, 4K/30 with RockSteady leveling, and 22 GB of internal storage (about 40 minutes of 4K footage). Price: ≈¥30,000–¥35,000 before tax-free (research estimate; confirm in store), and the Fly More combo with spare batteries is ~$289. As a first drone for learning at home it is the easy pick: guards everywhere, no sticks to learn, cheap enough to stay a maybe.

⚠️ Do not fly it in Japan. Japan's aviation law (MLIT) regulates every drone 100 g and up, and the Neo is 135 g. Outdoor flight in any Densely Inhabited District requires prior government authorization, and that covers effectively everywhere on this itinerary: all of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, public parks, temple and shrine grounds. The plan if bought: tax-free at the till, boxed, into the carry-on, hands off until home.

Flying it at home (US rules)

Under 250 g and flown purely for recreation, the Neo needs no FAA registration and no Remote ID. What it does need: the free ~10-minute online TRUST safety quiz, basic airspace rules (under 400 ft, clear of airports; the B4UFLY app shows where), and nothing else.

The three, side by side

Spec-sheet figures from DJI's published specs; US prices from the pre-trip research. Yen prices for the Minis weren't verified, so check the shelf on the day.

DJI Neo, the maybe-pick. Built for exactly one thing: learning to fly without being able to crash badly. Palm takeoff, full prop guards, subject tracking, and no controller to learn. The trade-offs are camera quality (no gimbal, 4K/30), the shortest flight time, and zero obstacle sensing. For a first drone that gets practiced at home, those trade-offs are the point.

DJI Mini 4K, the cheapest "real drone." A true 3-axis gimbal and half-hour flights for $299, but DJI saved money by deleting obstacle sensing entirely, so every near-miss is on you, and you fly it two-handed with sticks from day one. The pick only if a real gimbal matters more than the learning curve.

DJI Mini 4 Pro, the do-everything sub-250. Omnidirectional obstacle sensing, 4K/60 HDR, the best flight time of the three, and it still slips under the 250 g registration line. It also costs about half the DJI camera kit and it is just as grounded in Japan, so it only enters the picture if drone quality suddenly outranks the camera itself.

All three sit at or above Japan's 100 g line, so the trip rule is identical for every row: tax-free at the till, boxed, into the carry-on, flown only at home.

Where and when

Bic Camera AKIBA 5F on the Oct 11 walk, next to the camera kit; Yodobashi Akiba's DJI Brand Space is six minutes away as a backup. General goods, so the 10% comes off at the till with the passport and nothing gets sealed; whether Bic's 7% coupon reaches it is the same UNVERIFIED question as the rest of the DJI kit (see Coupons & paying). New units: check Yodobashi's per-branch stock pages the night before.

Sources: DJI Neo specs and prices are from the pre-trip research notes (UNVERIFIED against jp.dji.com); rules summarized from MLIT drone guidance and FAA recreational drone rules.

Bic Camera's coupon is 10% tax-free PLUS 7% off cameras — and it expires 31 October. Yodobashi has no coupon at all.

The coupon is a barcode on Live Japan's page: save it to your phone and show it at the register BEFORE paying, with your passport. No app, no printing, reusable across days and branches, and valid at Bic and Kojima nationwide including the airport stores. The 7% band covers cameras, watches, appliances and toys; the minimum is ¥5,000 ex-tax measured after the tax-free deduction.

⚠️ Two catches. The exclusion list ends with 'other high-value items designated by Bic Camera' — DJI isn't named, and it plainly sits under cameras, but a ¥113,000 item could conceivably be excluded. Ask at the counter before committing. And it can't be combined with other campaigns, so if DJI is already on promotion you may have to choose.

• Get the Bic coupon barcode
• Bic tax-free rules

⚠️ UnionPay: ignore any blog claiming a 5% UnionPay discount at Yodobashi — they stopped accepting UnionPay entirely. Bic still takes it. Both take Visa and Mastercard, so the Wise card is fine at either.

Points: don't plan around points. DJI is a 1% category at Yodobashi, not the headline 10% — about ¥550 back on the Osmo 360. Whether points accrue at all on a tax-free purchase is undocumented and sources contradict each other. If forced to choose, take the tax exemption: that's cash off, whereas points only spend in Japan.

Why this trip is the one — before the new rules

Our whole trip falls under the OLD, better tax-free system. We get the 10% taken off at the till, in the shop, on the spot.

Japan switches to a refund-at-departure model on 1 November 2026. Until 31 October inclusive, shops sell to eligible visitors at the tax-excluded price directly. We fly home on 22 October, so every purchase on this trip is under the old rules — no airport refund queue, no waiting for money back. Bic Camera's tourist coupon expires 31 Oct too, by design.

From 1 Nov 2026 shops must charge the tax-inclusive price and the tax is refunded only after customs confirm the goods at departure. That's the system we are NOT in.

Confirmed against the Japan Tourism Agency (MLIT) and the National Tax Agency, not a blog.

• MLIT — tax-free system change
• MLIT — what qualifies
• National Tax Agency

The rules themselves

1. Get a passport stamp at immigration — this is the one that catches people. The automated gates at Narita leave NO stamp in your passport, and Bic's own tax-free page says tax-free can be refused without it. Go to a staffed counter, or ask an officer to stamp it, on arrival on 9 October.
2. Minimum spend — ¥5,000 or more, tax-excluded, in one shop on one day. Both DJI items clear this on their own.
3. Passport, physical, or the Tax-free QR — the Visit Japan Web tax-free QR is accepted at participating stores, and it can't be issued until landing permission exists, so finish it in the app on arrival evening. The actual passport stays in the bag as the always-works fallback and covers every till until the QR exists; not a photo, not a copy. The purchase record goes through electronically now; nothing gets stapled in.
4. General goods aren't sealed — cameras, drones and gimbals can be opened and used in Japan. Only consumables (snacks, cosmetics) get heat-sealed and have to stay shut until you leave. This is why buying on day one is free of downside.
5. Used gear qualifies too — there's no new-versus-used distinction in the rules; what matters is that the shop holds a tax-free license. Big used desks like Map Camera and Sofmap generally do. Buying several identical units in one go may draw questions, since goods bought for resale are excluded.
6. Japan-only warranty — ask — Bic warns that some products' warranty is valid only inside Japan, and DJI Care Refresh is sold in Japan-specific SKUs. Ask whether the warranty and any Care Refresh plan are honoured back home BEFORE paying.
7. Budget 20–30 minutes — tax-free is handled at a designated counter in most branches. Don't turn up fifteen minutes before closing.

Short answer: it's a non-issue for the camera, and cash solves it at Don Quijote.

Why it isn't a real rule: the name-match rule is not law. The Japan Tourism Agency's own definition of tax-free sets four conditions — a licensed shop, a non-resident buyer, qualifying goods, and the correct procedure. Payment method and card names are not mentioned anywhere in it. So any name rule you meet is a shop's own anti-fraud policy, not a legal requirement, and shops differ.

What Don Quijote actually says: Donki is the one that has it, and their wording is narrower than it first looks: 「クレジットカード、銀聯カード、海外Pay決済、majicaカード等をご利用の場合、パスポートの名義と一致している必要があります」 — the name must match WHEN USING a credit card, UnionPay, an overseas QR payment or a majica card. Cash (現金) is not in that list. The rule exists to stop someone buying tax-free on another person's passport, so with no card there is no name to check.

The cash answer: yes — pay cash at Don Quijote and the question never arises. That's the clean answer for the souvenir and snack run, and it's worth planning for rather than discovering at the till with a queue behind you.

The camera is unaffected: Bic Camera's own FAQ is explicit: 「支払い方法（現金、クレジットカードなど）に制限はありますか？ → いいえ、お支払い方法に制限はありません」 — no restrictions on payment method at all. There is no name-matching clause on Bic's tax-free terms. Yodobashi publishes nothing about tax-free at all, so nothing to fall foul of there either.

What nobody documents (unverified): how a PARTIAL mismatch is treated — a card missing a middle name, with matching surname and given name. Neither Don Quijote nor the Tourism Agency addresses it, and Donki says only that they 'may verify the name depending on payment method', which means staff discretion. Missing middle names on cards are extremely common, so it very probably passes — but 'probably' is not something to bet a full basket on at the till.

The plan:

1. Camera at Bic or Yodobashi: pay with the Wise card, no problem.
2. Don Quijote: bring enough cash for the snack and souvenir haul, and use it.
3. Anywhere else that asks: cash is always accepted for tax-free, everywhere. There is no rule requiring a card.
4. Don't split one tax-free purchase across two people's cards — that is separately forbidden.

While you're in the app: ¥113,300 is a large single transaction for a debit card. Confirm the Wise card's per-purchase and daily spending limits before the shop, and raise them if needed — a declined card at the counter is a worse problem than a middle name.

Sources: Don Quijote — tax-free terms · Japan Tourism Agency — the four conditions · Bic coupon terms

The pre-loaded yen is used automatically — there's nothing to switch on. The only thing that costs money is DCC.

Decline conversion: when a terminal or ATM offers to bill you in dollars, always choose the yen option. Wise puts the markup on that conversion at 6–13%. On Japanese terminals the prompt appears on the little customer-facing pinpad after you tap, showing two amounts — take the 円 / JPY line every time. If the cashier taps it for you and it goes through in dollars, there's no fixing it afterwards.

If the terminal asks…

Balance: Wise spends the local balance automatically and it's free. You can't set a preferred currency. If the yen runs short mid-purchase it converts the shortfall from another balance and charges a fee — so top the yen up in the app rather than letting it dip.

⚠️ Name match: Don Quijote requires the card name to match the passport — but only for card payments, and it's their policy, not law. See "The middle name question": cash solves it, and Bic has no such rule.

Cash machines

7-Eleven ATMs take Visa and Mastercard 24/7, everywhere, ¥100,000 a withdrawal. Japan Post is ¥50,000 and charges ¥220. Wise gives a monthly free allowance then a percentage — check Cards → spending limits → ATM fees in the app before flying. Withdraw fewer, larger amounts. If an ATM demands a 5-digit PIN, add a 0.

Cash: Japan was still about 42% cash in 2025 per METI. Department stores, Donki, Loft, Bic, Yodobashi, Sanrio and JR are all card-fine. Cash is for small stalls at Ameyoko and Nakamise, small ramen shops, temples, coin lockers and some buses. Carry ¥15,000–20,000 and top up at a 7-Eleven below ¥5,000.

Sources: Wise — declining conversion · Wise — spending a currency you hold · Seven Bank — overseas cards

US customs — the $800 exemption, and declaring honestly

Every returning US resident gets $800 of goods duty-free for personal use or gifts. Realistic trip math: the DJI kit (~$750) plus an iPhone/iPad (~$400–$500) plus snacks and souvenirs lands around $1,200–$1,500 — over one person's limit. The household pools exemptions: three travelers = $2,400 combined.

• Always declare truthfully on the US customs declaration (Mobile Passport Control app, Global Entry kiosk, or paper form) — state the approximate total of what you bought. Penalties only ever come from hiding purchases, not from declaring.
• Duty on electronics is usually 0% — under the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule, cameras, tablets and smartphones generally carry a 0% import duty rate.
• Where duty does apply beyond the exemption, the next $1,000 of goods is taxed at a flat 3% (≈$15–$30 total). In practice, officers wave through a clearly-personal camera and tablet — collecting a $15 fee isn't worth the paperwork.

Leaving Japan — the electronic tax-free record

• Every tax-free store scanned your passport or your Visit Japan Web tax-free QR at the till, and that purchase record went to Japan Customs electronically — nothing is stapled into the passport anymore.
• You may be asked to present your passport at the customs checkpoint on the way out so the electronic record can be checked — the exact placement and procedure at Narita T2 isn't independently verified, so keep purchases reachable in your carry-on in case you're asked. Officers rarely inspect personal electronics, but they should be with you, not shipped ahead.
• ⚠️ Lithium batteries ride in the cabin. Camera bodies, spare batteries, the drone, iPhones, iPads and power banks go in your carry-on or backpack — never in checked luggage. Airlines strictly forbid loose lithium batteries in the hold.

Cards at checkout — the 30-second version

• Always pick JPY when a terminal offers "USD or JPY" — choosing USD triggers Dynamic Currency Conversion, a hidden 4–7% markup. Full breakdown in Paying with the Wise card.
• Use a zero-foreign-transaction-fee card (Wise and similar travel cards charge no FTF).
• Don Quijote requires the card name to match the passport on tax-free card payments; Bic and Yodobashi don't — and cash sidesteps the question entirely. Details in The middle name question.

What can't come back to the US

• Fine: packaged cookies, Kit Kats, matcha sweets, rice crackers, teas — all 100% fine.
• Seized at the border: anything containing meat (beef jerky, pork snacks, instant ramen with real meat broth or chunks) and any fresh fruit or vegetables. If in doubt about a food, declare it at US customs and let the agricultural inspector rule on it.

Departure-day checklist

1. Receipts (paper and digital) together in an envelope or an email folder.
2. All electronics and spare batteries in the carry-on — never checked.
3. Scan the passport at the Japan Customs checkpoint at Narita Terminal 2 when directed, before boarding.
4. Declare the estimated purchase total honestly on the US customs declaration when landing.

Not settled. Where there's a link, it's something a person can check in a minute that automated fetching can't — paste back what you find and it moves onto the page with its source.

• Which stores accept the Visit Japan Web tax-free QR — check Don Quijote's tax-free page first (the Gotanda run depends on it), then Bic and Yodobashi. Until confirmed, the passport-first advice stands everywhere on this page.
• Bic Camera's price and stock for the DJI kit — decides where we buy. Their site blocks automated checks; Yodobashi shows ¥113,300 / ¥99,000. Search 'Osmo Pocket 4P' — SKUs OP4P62 (Vlog Combo) and OP4P58 (Standard) — and paste the tax-included price plus whether Akiba or Ikebukuro shows 在庫あり. Bic Camera
• Whether Bic's 7% coupon actually covers DJI — about ¥7,900 rides on it. On the coupon page, find the 対象外 / excluded list; if DJI, drones, or a price ceiling appear anywhere in it, the whole Bic-versus-Yodobashi sum changes. Bic coupon terms
• Expiry on the Don Quijote Gotanda coupon — 5–7% on the last-night run. Look for 有効期限 or 'valid until' on the coupon block; confirm the tiers still read ¥10,000 ex-tax for 5% and ¥30,000 for 7%. Donki Gotanda coupon
• Does DJI Toranomon do tourist tax-free? The obvious fallback if both chains fail, but walk-in hours are 13:00–18:00 only. One question on the phone: 免税は対応していますか？ ☎ 03-5843-7838 · DJI Toranomon (Sekido)
• Map Camera tax-free, if the used route interests us — ask at the counter or check the shop page for a 免税 / tax-free mark before making a trip. Map Camera
• Kiddy Land Harajuku — floor and hours — low stakes: Sanrio Harajuku is one minute away and is confirmed, so use that instead or just look on the day. Kiddy Land