Fuji gear cheaper in Japan?

[Levend]

I will soon travel to Japan and I'm curious if Fuji gear is significantly cheaper than in Europe (I live in Switzerland).

Any advice, pros and cons?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Levend

[milandro]

Cameras are not necessarily cheaper in Japan that they might be elsewhere. Don’t assume that you are going to be cheaper there because they make the camera in that country.

 

Some other Asian countries might be a lot cheaper. If you have a stop over somewhere you might want to see if the things that you want to buy are cheaper where you stop over instead of Japan.

 

This appears to be a good a site where good general advise on what to do, how to do it and what not to do, is given. I think it is very useful.

 

http://www.japancamerahunter.com/2012/04/camera-shopping-in-tokyo-pt-1-shinjuku/

 

 

this Kitamura Chain seems to be one of the largest but I can’t find an English page. Look up the possibility to get any of your purchase tax free upon leaving the country or directly in the shop, you generally get the tax back. Not all shops offer that always ask beforehand.

 

Make sure you have the passport (original) with you when you buy anything tax free. Copies won’t do.

 

http://www.kitamura.jp

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Japan-expands-tax-free-list-to-encourage-tourist-s-30241703.html

 

Despite the fact that many, especially young, people speak English, depending on where you are you might not always be able to find someone who is able to explain complex things in a language that is really not very useful to most Japanese in their daily lives. Japanese are very reserved and polite so they might answer that YES, they speak English ( because they don’t want to disappoint you) but then when it comes to speaking about things more complex than the ones which one would be able to deal with at a basic language level, their ability to do so might not quite be up to expectations. Be very patient and imaginative.

 

Always carry a card from your hotel with you to use in the TAXI. When you go anywhere make sure you have written directions with you on paper because you might not be able to find addresses very easily.

 

Japan has a very peculiar way to deal with streets that aren’t named and buildings with no sequential numbers!

 

http://www.planettokyo.com/trip-planning/getting-around/the-black-art-of-finding-a-japanese-address/

 

Finding addresses in a less than popular area and no being able to speak Japanese with people in those less popular areas who might not be able to speak English will drive you absolutely crazy, I can guarantee you this.

[Patrick FR]

Look up the possibility to get any of your purchase tax free upon leaving the country or directly in the shop, you generally get the tax back. Not all shops offer that always ask beforehand.

 

 

That's a good tip! I once bought a lens in Thailand and got a lot of money back at the airport (VAT refund). So if that's possible in Japan too, then you'll definitely save a lot.

 

Keep in mind, though, that you'll have only the 1 year international Fuji warranty, and not the 2 years standard EU warranty. For me the savings were good enough, to forgo the extra year of warranty

[Patrick FR]

"Therefore, for example, if you buy an electronics item for 100,000 yen, you will get 8,000 yen off your purchase."

 

more here: http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/plan/practical_information/duty_free.html

[milandro]

Many who travel to the far east these days do so stopping over in Dubai or Helsinki for example, but one might stop in Bangkok or Singapore to, depending on the company that you use. In all these airports there might be possibilities to buy cheaper than in Japan and generally all that is bought in an airport, while in transit, is tax-free.

 

As for the guarantee although I suspect member “ levend” to be Dutch, it is very well possible that he is British, in that case the guarantee is one year anyway.

 

If member Levend is Dutch, some shops offer a 3 year or 5 year guarantee even if the european statutory minimum is 2 years,  and as I wrote several times before, in the NL, although it is difficult to enforce the principle of the law, any item is guaranteed against defects for as long it is reasonable to expect the item to offer a useful life, which for a camera it is easily 3 years or more.

 

https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/bescherming-van-consumenten/vraag-en-antwoord/welke-garanties-heb-ik-op-een-product