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Suwon23
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
Posts: 50
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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject: Things to Bring to Japan |
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Hello, everyone. I'm moving to Japan soon, and I want to know what products I'm likely to find in Japan. Please note that I am interested in items that are easy to find, not items that can be found only in large cities or specialty shops or Army bases, etc. Thanks for all your help in advance!
American toothpaste
Deodorant
Dental floss
Mouth wash
Body wash/good quality soap
Shampoo
How cheap/easy to find are these items? Which ones should I bring in large quantities, and which ones should I buy in-country?
(feel free to ask your own questions about the availability of things in Japan) |
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bearcat
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 367
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:56 pm Post subject: |
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Everything you've mentioned should be available at most drugstore chains in Japan.
Specific brands will be more of an issue. |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with bearcat. Perhaps the most difficult item for a personal preference would be deodorant/antiperspirant.
FYI,
Even though the USA has stopped using seamail, you can still get things sent to you fairly cheaply. Use the Priority Mail package for $10. I think up to a certain weight, you can fill the envelope with practically anything. |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:03 pm Post subject: Re: Things to Bring to Japan |
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| What's "American toothpaste"? |
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bearcat
Joined: 08 May 2004
Posts: 367
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Well, aquafresh is red white and blue... |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| That's a good ol' British paste!!! |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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| If you genuinely must have American toothpaste, then you would be better off bringing it with you, along with deodorant, since most people seem to find Japanese deodorant doesn't work for them (I'm fine with it). Apparently dental floss is expensive here compared with the US, but it is widely available, as is mouthwash. As you might expect in a bathing obsessed country like Japan, good quality soap and shampoo are in every drugstore and convenience store here- it is a very developed country so all the mod cons are available really... |
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BobbyBan
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 201
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:04 am Post subject: |
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You cannot get blu-tac in Japan. I don't know whether you use that in lessons or if you can even get it in the US or if you have any idea what I am talking about.
If you want it though, bring it.
I am guessing that you won't need to bring HP sauce or Marmite/Vegemite if you are in the US but these are also going to be impossible to find.
Oh yes! Medicine!
Most painkillers and other kinds of medicine tend to be pretty weak stuff in Japan. I don't think you can get codeine or anything like that here so if you are drug-dependent (ha ha!) then please bring some along. |
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gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 3:14 am Post subject: |
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Aspara posted
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| it is a very developed country so all the mod cons are available really... |
Modern conveniences...   Anyone up for texting or net shorthand?
But that aside, what she said is true, though the prices compared to the US are high for almost all of your HBA items. If you do buy the Japanese toothpaste brands, they're okay, they do have fluoride in them now. If you can buy stuff on sale, it's a help, as generally speaking, coupons are not in great supply here. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:49 am Post subject: |
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| BobbyBan wrote: |
You cannot get blu-tac in Japan. I don't know whether you use that in lessons or if you can even get it in the US or if you have any idea what I am talking about.
If you want it though, bring it.
I am guessing that you won't need to bring HP sauce or Marmite/Vegemite if you are in the US but these are also going to be impossible to find.
Oh yes! Medicine!
Most painkillers and other kinds of medicine tend to be pretty weak stuff in Japan. I don't think you can get codeine or anything like that here so if you are drug-dependent (ha ha!) then please bring some along. |
You can get Blu-tac in Japan, or at least a generic substitute- it's available at a Tokyu Hands near you.
Vegemite is available at many international supermarkets- I buy it from a store called Kaldi which has a number of branches in Tokyo- not sure about other areas.
Don't bring codeine, it is illegal to bring it into Japan and you could have issues at customs if you try. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 4:51 am Post subject: |
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| gaijinalways wrote: |
Aspara posted
| Quote: |
| it is a very developed country so all the mod cons are available really... |
Modern conveniences... Anyone up for texting or net shorthand?
But that aside, what she said is true, though the prices compared to the US are high for almost all of your HBA items. If you do buy the Japanese toothpaste brands, they're okay, they do have fluoride in them now. If you can buy stuff on sale, it's a help, as generally speaking, coupons are not in great supply here. |
The abbreviation "mod cons" way predates the invention of the internet or texting (by decades I would think)- people don't use it where you're from?
Just out of interest I tried a search and "All Mod Cons" was the name of an album by a British punk band released in 1978, and the phrase would have been around a while before that. |
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wintersweet
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 345
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:04 am Post subject: |
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"Mod cons" isn't very common in American English, so perhaps gaijinalways hadn't run into it before--but yes, the term definitely predates texting or IMing.
Since the OP appears to be American s/he likely isn't used to having codeine handy anyway (it's not OTC in the US either). |
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BobbyBan
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 201
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:15 am Post subject: |
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| Apsara wrote: |
You can get Blu-tac in Japan, or at least a generic substitute- it's available at a Tokyu Hands near you.
Vegemite is available at many international supermarkets- I buy it from a store called Kaldi which has a number of branches in Tokyo- not sure about other areas.
Don't bring codeine, it is illegal to bring it into Japan and you could have issues at customs if you try. |
On the blu-tac and Vegemite front, the OP did ask what things are "easy to find, not items that can be found only in large cities or specialty shops or Army bases, etc."
I know that Vegemite is available in international and specialized shops but in smaller towns it would be almost impossible. As for Tokyu Hands this is also a shop that would be found in large cities as opposed to smaller ones.
Yes, you're right about codeine, I had forgotten. I agree with Apsara on that, don't bring anything illegal. |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| On the blu-tac and Vegemite front, the OP did ask what things are "easy to find, not items that can be found only in large cities or specialty shops or Army bases, etc." |
Good point. If it's American toothpaste the OP is after, Vegmite is unlikely to be an issue anyway  I actually ran out of Vegemite just today- thank goodness for Kaldi! |
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Khyron
Joined: 10 Mar 2006
Posts: 291
Location: Tokyo Metro City
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| Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 12:28 pm Post subject: |
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| BobbyBan wrote: |
| I am guessing that you won't need to bring HP sauce or Marmite/Vegemite if you are in the US but these are also going to be impossible to find. |
Hardly impossible if you're in near a good sized city. Go into an Kaldi Coffee shop and they're likely to have Vegemite or Marmite. It's an import shop in many shopping malls and even around some train stations. Lots of grocery stores with imported goods will carry them as well. Only impossible for you're in a smaller centre.
Everything mentioned in the OP is readily available all over Japan, as long as Aquafresh is good enough for toothpaste.
As was said, sticky-tac/blu-tac is nowhere to be found, and the medicine here... is different.
It should be much easier to find western product in Japan than it was in Korea, in my experience. |
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