Shopping

Japan has many kinds of shops, from large department stores to 24-hour convenience stores. Prices are usually fixed, and haggling is uncommon. If you know some kanji, product labels and store signs become easier to read. This page covers where to shop, useful phrases, tax-free rules, convenience store basics, payment methods, and cultural context.

Where to shop

Place	Japanese	What you’ll find
Department store	デパート	Luxury brands, food halls (デパ地下), gifts
Convenience store	コンビニ	24/7 essentials: food, ATMs, tickets, shipping
Drugstore	ドラッグストア	Cosmetics, medicine, snacks, household goods
100-yen shop	100円(えん)ショップ	Everything for ¥100 (Daiso, Seria, Can Do)
Shopping street	商店街(しょうてんがい)	Covered arcade of local shops
Electronics	家電(かでん)	Yodobashi, Bic Camera; tax-free electronics

For Mandarin speakers, shopping kanji overlaps heavily with Chinese: 免税 (menzei) matches 免税 (miǎnshuì), 商店 (shōten) matches 商店 (shāngdiàn), and 家電 (kaden) matches 家电 (jiādiàn).

Essential shopping phrases

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
いくらですか	ikura desu ka	How much?
これをください	kore o kudasai	I’ll take this
見(み)ているだけです	mite iru dake desu	Just looking
サイズはありますか	saizu wa arimasu ka	Do you have this size?
他(ほか)の色(いろ)はありますか	hoka no iro wa arimasu ka	Do you have other colors?
試着(しちゃく)してもいいですか	shichaku shite mo ii desu ka	Can I try this on?
もう少(すこ)し安(やす)いのはありますか	mō sukoshi yasui no wa arimasu ka	Do you have something cheaper?
袋(ふくろ)をください	fukuro o kudasai	A bag, please
プレゼント用(よう)です	purezento yō desu	It’s for a gift

When staff approach and you are not ready to buy, say 「見ているだけです」 (mite iru dake desu, “just looking”). Staff usually step back. This is polite and common.

Listen: how much?

Listen: I'll take this

Listen: just looking

A shop clerk approaches while you are browsing. You are not ready to buy yet. What do you say?

Tax-free shopping

Japan offers tax-free (免税) shopping for tourists on qualifying purchases:

Requirement	Detail
Minimum purchase	¥5,000+ (inclusive of tax) at the same store, same day
Documents needed	Passport (original, not copy)
Eligible items	General goods (electronics, clothing) and consumables (cosmetics, food, medicine)
Process	Show passport at checkout; staff attach tax-free seal/sticker

Key phrases:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
免税(めんぜい)できますか	menzei dekimasu ka	Can I get tax-free?
パスポートを見(み)せてください	pasupōto o misete kudasai	Please show your passport
消耗品(しょうもうひん)	shōmōhin	Consumable goods
一般(いっぱん)物品(ぶっぴん)	ippan buppin	General goods

You want tax-free shopping on cosmetics totaling ¥6,000. What do you need at checkout?

Hint: Minimum purchase is ¥5,000 at the same store, same day.

Reading prices and numbers

Japanese price tags follow a simple pattern:

¥1,980  →  千九百八十円  (ichisen kyūhyaku hachijū en)
税込    →  tax included (most common)
税抜    →  tax excluded (plus 10%)

Yen denominations

Value	Japanese	Notes
¥1	一円(えん)	Rarely used alone
¥5	五(ご)円	Hole in center
¥10	十(じゅう)円	Copper
¥50	五十(ごじゅう)円	Hole in center
¥100	百(ひゃく)円	Silver
¥500	五百(ごひゃく)円	Largest coin
¥1,000	千(せん)円	Most common bill
¥5,000	五千(ごせん)円
¥10,000	一万(いちまん)円	Largest bill

Convenience store survival guide

Japan has over 50,000 convenience stores (コンビニ). Lawson, 7-Eleven, and FamilyMart are the largest chains. They sell food, drinks, ATMs, tickets, and shipping services around the clock.

Need	Where in the konbini
Onigiri (おにぎり)	Refrigerated section; rice balls, ¥100–200
Bento (弁当(べんとう))	Hot/refrigerated meals, ¥400–600
ATM	Usually in-store; accepts foreign cards (7-Eleven ATMs are most reliable)
Hot food	Fried chicken, nikuman (steamed buns) at the counter
Paying	Counter or self-checkout; IC cards accepted

A simple meal might be an onigiri (¥150), salad (¥200), and drink (¥150). Onigiri labels often use familiar kanji: 鮭 (salmon), 梅 (plum), ツナ (tuna).

Konbini phrases:

Japanese	Romaji	Meaning
あたためますか	atatamemasu ka	Would you like it heated? (staff asks)
あたため不要(ふよう)	atatame fuyō	No heating needed
レシート不要(ふよう)	reshīto fuyō	No receipt needed
ポン付(づ)け不要(ふよう)	pon-zuke fuyō	No plastic stick (for onigiri)
袋(ふくろ)は要(よう)りますか	fukuro wa yōrimasu ka	Do you need a bag?

Payment methods

Method	Japanese	Notes
Cash	現金(げんきん)	Still common at small shops and in rural areas
Credit card	カード / クレジットカード	Widely accepted at chains; carry cash as backup
E-money	電子(でんし)マネー	Suica, PASMO, iD, QUICPay
QR payment	PayPay, LINE Pay	Growing but less useful for tourists

At many registers, place money or your card on the small tray (お盆) instead of handing it to the cashier. Change and receipts come back on the same tray. This is standard at department stores, konbini, and most shops.

Cultural notes

No haggling: prices are fixed. Asking for a discount is unusual
Gift wrapping is free at most department stores. Say プレゼント用です (it’s a gift)
Take shoes off in some traditional shops (rare, but watch for genkan)
Queue politely: lines matter in Japan
Point cards (ポイントカード): staff may ask; tourists can decline with 「大丈夫です」
おもてなし (omotenashi): staff often wrap purchases carefully and may use separate bags. To skip a bag, say 「袋は不要です」 (fukuro wa fuyō desu)

Shopping vocabulary: 20+ words

Japanese	Reading	Meaning	Mandarin
買(か)う	kau	To buy	买 (same character)
売(う)る	uru	To sell	卖 (same character)
店(みせ)	mise	Shop / store	店 (same)
値段(ねだん)	nedan	Price	价钱
高(たか)い	takai	Expensive	高 (same)
安(やす)い	yasui	Cheap	安 (same)
円(えん)	en	Yen (currency)	圆 (yuán, same origin)
現金(げんきん)	genkin	Cash	现金 (same)
免税(めんぜい)	menzei	Tax-free	免税 (same)
税(ぜい)	zei	Tax	税 (same)
割引(わりびき)	waribiki	Discount	割引 (same)
試着(しちゃく)	shichaku	Trying on (clothes)	试穿
サイズ()	saizu	Size	尺寸
色(いろ)	iro	Color	色 (same)
袋(ふくろ)	fukuro	Bag	袋 (same)
領収書(りょうしゅうしょ)	ryōshūsho	Receipt	收据
商品(しょうひん)	shōhin	Product / merchandise	商品 (same)
品物(しなもの)	shinamono	Goods / items	物品
お土産(みやげ)	omiyage	Souvenir / gift	土产
包装(ほうそう)	hōsō	Wrapping / packaging	包装 (same)
電子(でんし)マネー	denshi manē	E-money	电子货币
弁当(べんとう)	bentō	Boxed lunch	便当 (same)
おにぎり	onigiri	Rice ball	饭团
店員(てんいん)	ten’in	Shop clerk	店员 (same)
営業(えいぎょう)時間(じかん)	eigyō jikan	Business hours	营业时间

The tables above cover common shopping situations, from tax-free electronics to late-night konbini runs. Keep your passport handy for tax-free purchases, and carry some cash for smaller shops.