For used books, the mother of all shops is, of course, Book Off. This mega-chain has over 900 stores (500 franchises), and sells the bulk of Japan’s used books. They will buy your used books (sorry, Japanese books only!) and pick them up from your house if necessary. Their stores are also a great place to browse (what better place to pick up cheap cookbooks, magazines, maps, or even novels to study Japanese?), and they even offer CDs and DVDs at some locations now. For foreign used books, in addition to the old favorite Good Day Books in Ebisu (), an online option is available in the form of http://www.infinitybooksjapan.com (formerly Caravan Books). They also offer book purchase and credit services.

Used clothing in gaijin adult sizes can be rather hard to find at the average Japanese “recycle shop” (and do you really want what the have to offer), but used children’s clothes *are* usually a good bargain. A good time to shop is “moving season” (usually March in Japan, right before corporate transfers and the new school year starts), and also “koromogae” season (koromoeage means – usually around April/May or October/November when the seasons change and people empty out their closets. Many towns and cities have one or two used children’s clothing stores, sometimes in a larger mall or complex. You can search online (enter the Japanese “kodomo fuku risaikuru” in Google, along with your city name) for the location, or choose one of the many online retailers. Man will also accept clothes for sale.

Finally, electronics! In particular, PCs. Although new PCs are getting cheaper and cheaper these days, there is still a vibrant market for used PCs in Japan. The largest retailer of used PCs in Japan is Sofmap, which sells more used PCs than new. Most of its PCs are less than two years old, including some very new models even released just a season go. Looking for a simple laptop to do email, word processing, Internet surfing, and a few other basic applicatons? Sofmap offers a Japanese brand 800Mh, 256MB, 15GB hard drivewith a CD-ROM drive and Windows already installed for Y47,800. A 2.93GHz, 512MB, 300G hard drive Valuestar with a huge 17″ monitor and DVD multi-drive and TV tuner (i.e. a “multimedia PC you can use as a TV and DVD player as well) is only Y143,800. You can add a 3-year warranty for used PCs as well for Y7500. Check out http://www.sofmap.com for more information!

When you shop smart, “recycled” goods can be quite a bargain sometimes!

© 2006 Wendy J. Imura.

My own city government is a good example. The main city library has a small but growing collection of English-language books (‘yosho’), and the library will purchase your desired book if it is requested properly. Our 11-story city hall building has a lavish (and cheap) cafeteria available for all visitors, offering great lunch deals at less than 500 yen per person with a spectacular view. If you are expecting, the city lends out reclining baby carriages (usually only used for the first few months) for the bargain price of 300 yen a month! If you find yourself involved in the care of an elderly relative in Japan, certain consumable items (such as adult diapers) are also either available for free or heavily subsidized. Finally, our city also offers a substantial subsidy for income-qualified families to attend private kindergartens.

Your own city, town, or ward might offer similar, or even better, services. However, finding out about them is the problem! For one thing, there appears to be little government information available in English about these services, and the information that is available is often outdated. Secondly, services offered differ by locality, with some local governments offering only the bare basics.
Knowing where to look…

So, first of all, how do you get this great information? The simplest way is to read the local city/town/or ward “koho” or newsletter that should arrive in your mailbox every week. The “koho” is, alas, only in Japanese, but is often simply written. The next best option is to visit your local prefectural or city international affairs office and ask for the “Town Living Guide.” Within the last five years, most governments of major cities/prefectures have put together and translated guides of basic government services (such as trash collection and emergency services) combined with explanations of various social welfare systems. A few of these guides can be found at local town halls, and many cities have also put their English living guides online as well. Perhaps one of their most useful features is a list of local gymnasiums, libraries, parks, museums, and other facilities.

Finally, the fastest way is probably (especially if you speak even basic Japanese) to simply show up at the city/town/ward hall and ASK. Most local governments will have a central Q&A or information desk, and the staff at that desk can usually point you in the right direction. If your town has a lot of foreigners, free interpreting service might also be available some days of the week. Be sure and visit mid-week, during a relatively slow period, and allow for some waiting time. Also, writing your questions down in easy English might make it easier to get the information you need.

For those in the know, Japan’s local government services and social welfare can provide a very significant savings – you just need to access the information.

© 2005 Wendy J. Imura.