● Features
- A major drug store chain with over 1,600 stores throughout Japan. Six of them are in the Shinjuku Station area.
- A massive product lineup that ranges from pharmaceutical products to cosmetics and daily necessities.
- Most shops have a guidance board in multiple languages. Chinese-speaking staff is also present (at Shinjuku East Exit Store, Shinjuku Sanchome Store, and so on).
- The official website is available in multiple languages, including English and Chinese (both simplified and traditional).

● Deals & Payment Information
- Duty-free shopping is available at Shinjuku Sanchome Shop and Shinjuku Sanchome Part 2 Shop.
- Coupons are posted on official social media sites (Wechat, Weibo, Facebook)

● Features
- A large drugstore chain known for its bargain prices. Shopping here feels like shopping at a discount store!
- More than 180 stores throughout Japan, with five around Shinjuku Station.
- A wide, abundant variety of daily necessities and a lot of private-brand items of high quality but low in cost.
- Chinese-speaking staff present, employed in more than half of all stores.

● Deals & Payment Information
- “Daikoku Drug 5% discount sale” is held on the 10th and 25th of every month (some items are excluded).
- Tax exemption (8%) is available for purchases of more than 5,000 yen.
- Taiwan’s Rakuten Card features coupons on an irregular base.

● Features
- A large drugstore chain mainly found in rural areas. There are over 1,000 stores all over Japan and five around Shinjuku Station.
- A particularly large selection of makeup and cosmetics, making it popular with female shoppers.
- Many stores have specialized staff for each shop area.
- A majority of the staff is multilingual and can speak Japanese.
- The homepage is available in four languages.

● Deals & Payment Information
- Tax exemption coupons are distributed at Shinjuku East Exit Store, West Exit Store, and Nishiguchi-mae Store.
- WechatPay is available.

● Features
- From daily necessities to home appliances, Don Quijote (or simply Donki) is Japan’s leading discount store selling pretty much everything. There are over 400 stores both in Japan and abroad, with two large-scale shops open 24/7 near Shinjuku Station.
- The overwhelming number of items is Donki’s biggest draw.
- Donki has its own private brand called “Jonetsu Kakaku” boasting low prices. Its 50-inch 4k LCD TV for 50,000 yen (about 450 dollars) is a big topic in Japan.
- Tax exemption advice by multilingual staff (including Chinese) is available.

● Deals & Payment Information
- All Don Quijote stores offer 8% tax exemption (excluding drugs that cannot be taken out of Japan).
- The “Yokoso! Japan Pass” is a special coupon service for international tourists. It includes fixed discounts for certain items, among many other services.
- “Majica Premium Global” is an EC service for international tourists to Japan that was started in October 2016. It lets you order items after your trip via a special website if you register as a member at the time of your store visit or online.

Website: https://mpglobal.donki.com/

● Features
- A global top-class electronics retail store chain with its head store in Tokyo.
- Four stores are located around Shinjuku Station, on both east and west. The products differ by store, so a lot of people check out all four stores.
- A lot of stores are large and spacious, located right next to stations.
- There’s a special “goods reservation service” for international tourists. You can reserve an item you like and pick it up at the store before you leave Japan.
- Some stores sell cosmetics, make, drugs, etc., essentially the lineup of a drugstore.
- For an additional fee (1,300 yen – 2,000 yen), your purchase will be delivered to the airport. Any purchase of more than 100,000 yen is shipped for free.
- Items can be delivered to neighboring shops for free.
*Conditions apply. Staff assistance required.

● Deals & Payment Information
- There’s 8% tax exemption available at all BicCamera stores. With LIVE JAPAN’s coupon, you can receive up to an extra 7% off on top of the 8% tax exemption.
- A wide variety of payment options, including Taiwanese debit cards, Alipay, Wechat, and virtual currency such as Bitcoin (up to 300,000 yen).

● Features
- A large home appliances mass retailer store that has 23 stores throughout Japan. Two of them are near Shinjuku Station.
- A large variety of items, more than any other electronics mass retailer, such as high-end audio visual systems, tools, and so on.
- An abundance of video games, models, and other hobby goods, making Yodobashi Camera popular among international shoppers.
- Multilingual staff is present, including Chinese speakers.

● Deals & Payment Information
- International tourists can get 8% tax exemption (in certain stores).
- There is another 5% discount if you pay via credit card or Union Pay, combinable with the tax exemption discount.

● Features
- Japan’s largest home electronics retail store chain. There are over 12,000 shops in total and two large ones around Shinjuku Station.
- Has policies of a strict item selection, purchases large quantities of stock to reduce costs, and passes on the savings to customers. Also supports bulk purchases.
- More sales staff present than at other stores and a strong emphasis on Japanese omotenashi (hospitality).
- Strong promotion of multilingual shopping with multilingual signboards and a large number of multilingual staff.

● Deals & Payment Information
- Applying for tax exemption via a special website in advance can further get you a 7-8% discount on top of the 8% tax exemption.
- Various payment methods for international tourists.

Website: http://yamada-taxfree.com/

*Most of the stores listed above issue point cards, but purchases using the tax exemption are not eligible for points, so please keep that in mind.

Shinjuku can be large and overwhelming, but if you know where to go, it’s an incredibly exciting and fun shopping hot spot. Reserve an item that you absolutely want or just browse the large selection casually. Remember: bring your passport to make use of the 8% tax exemption discount!

Top image credit: saksorn kumjit / Shutterstock.com