Shopping Centers
The AEON Shopping Center (Yamato). This shopping mall is home to what could be the biggest Jusco department store in all of Saga Prefecture. The second floor of Jusco has the usual Jusco amenities, but probably the widest selection. The first floor is no different, with the grocery department offering a wide assortment of foods. Tucked away in the southern end of the Jusco is a liquor shop that offers a number of foreign brands that are hard to come across. Most liquor stores offer the usual Japanese brands of beers, wines, and liquor, and if you’re lucky, a select few international brands. The Yamato Jusco Liquor Shop is unique in that it sells beers from Ireland, USA, Mexico, Brazil, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Holland, Belgium and even organic beers from Germany. It also has a decent wine and hard alcohol selection along with the usual Japanese liquor selection. On the northern end of the Jusco, there is a bakery that sells fresh bagels, french bread and pastries.
The first floor of the mall has a couple clothing stores that we foreigners may be familiar with: Comme Ca Ism and United Colors of Benetton. There is also a home accessories shop not too dissimilar from Ikea called One’s. In the northern end of the mall you can find a large bookstore that unfortunately doesn’t offer any books or magazines in English, but you can find teaching materials there.
On the second floor, Tower Records, the Right-on clothing store, Shimamura Music and Vilidz Vangard are the more notable stores.
Joyful Town (Tosu). Tosu’s happiest shopping centre, just beside the train station. Highlights include: Jusco supermarket, 100 yen shop, a large but rather expensive sports shop, a selection of clothes and shoe shops, photo processing booth, travel agents, home décor shops, stationary shops, kimono shops and quite a nice selection of restaurants. All under one roof, convenient, air-conditioned, joyful.
Youme Town (Tosu). Just off Route 34. Contains a supermarket, electrical store, a huge Toys ‘R’ Us, 100 yen shop, Uniqlo and a selection of clothes shops.
Tosu Premium Outlets (Tosu). The most exciting recent addition to Tosu. Located between Tosu and Kiyama, you can get there by free shuttle bus from Tosu station (buses leave every 15 minutes). Alternatively it’s a 15-minute cycle from Tosu city centre. So here are the highlights of the outlet stores: Addidas, Reebok, Nike, Ellesse, Billabong, Helly Hanson, Vans, Quicksilver, Guess, Miss Sixty, Benetton, Sisley, Lego (yes, Lego) and many many more. Shoppers haven, prices are discounted and sizes more generous. Also contains a selection of restaurants and a Starbucks Café for those in search of western solace. Of course, it is very crowded on weekends.
Fly-Z Recycle Centre (Tosu). Located on Route 262. This is a treasure chest of cheap, secondhand gear ranging from beds to desks to guitars to clothes to cameras. A really cheap place to kit out your apartment; highly recommended.
Supermarkets
Your local grocery store will certainly offer you the basics. And if you have more than one local grocer, check out both — they will vary in terms of prices and products. More and more grocery stores are beginning to carry foreign (or at least foreign-type) products. You can find cereal, peanut butter, pastas, etc. at your local shops or at SATY, JUSCO, SEIYU. Also, meats and fish will go on sale (sometimes 50% off) about an hour or two before the store closes.
International Food
Iwataya Z side (B1F, basement). Foreign Foods Supermarket. Also look in the basement floors of all the Iwataya buildings, they have a range of international foods, as do Mitsukoshi and other big department stores.
Costco (Hisayama Town, Fukuoka-ken). Warehouse store stocked to the brim with American/Canadian products, a Mecca for some. Cost of membership is 4,400 yen including tax for two cardholders. You can also order products online at The Flying Pig and have them delivered to your door. To get there, take the expressway to Fukuoka and get off at exit seven, not the Dazaifu exit (eight). At Fukuoka (exit seven), get off here and head towards Iizuka. Stay in the left lane. The road will “Vâ€?; stay left. Turn left onto Route 35. You will go along Route 35 for about 5 minutes. You will pass a pachinko parlor called T-Rex and soon thereafter you will see a disgusting little pond off the left side of the road, a big Torius pachinko sign, and a “Welcome to Hisayama Town” sign. We mention this because the Costco sign is nondescript.
Sony Plaza (B2F, IMS). They sell a lot of foreign things from food to stickers and toothpaste. Worth checking out.
Import Store Ichibangai (Kurume). Opposite the Nishitetsu station in Kurume. They sell some imported food including Moro bars from New Zealand, A&W Root Beer and gummy bears.
Mail Order
Tengu Natural Foods. They stock a good range of natural, organic and vegetarian food supplies. They also have whole wheat flours for baking and homemade breads. Reasonably priced, efficient delivery.
Foreign Buyers Club. You can also order the catalogues to be sent to your home. They have a good selection of everything you could possibly need. Some products are similar to those at Costco, but more expensive. They sell some items as singles and others in bulk. They have a great selection of English language and ESL resources for both teachers and students.
The Flying Pig (Costco products online). You don’t need to be a member of Costco to order online. It’s also possible to order refrigerated items.
Miscellaneous Items
Best Denki/Yamada Denki. For all your electronic needs: computers, stereos, MD players, fans, SkyTV, cell phones. Some Best Denkis also rent CDs and videos!
Nafco. They sell home stuff, gardening paraphernalia and so on. Loacted in many towns across Saga-ken. They deliver for free in the area.
The 100 yen shop sells everything for 100 yen. It has everything from household items, plastic wares, wrapping paper, school supplies, snacks, make up and so much more. There are 100 yen shops everywhere: Saga station, three locations in Tosu, Mr Max in Kitashigeyasu, in Kiyama. If there’s not one in your town, then there’s one close by.
Mr. Max. Located in Kitashigeyasu and Mallage on Route 264 in Saga City. This is the closest thing to Wal-Mark/K-Mart, selling everything from sheets to bikes to stereos and fish tanks.
Clothing
Malls are located at Joyful Town in Tosu, Jusco in Yamato, Mallage in Saga (closer to Chiyoda), Youme Town, Tosu and just north of Kiyama in Fukuoka-ken.
Uniqlo. Japan’s version of GAP offering inexpensive, good quality clothing. Decent sizes. Uniqlo is located all over Japan, even in Tosu!
Zara. A Spanish label. Prices range from reasonable to expensive. They sell both men’s and women’s clothing from suits to jeans. It’s next to Armani in Tenjin, behind the Nishitetsu station.
Gap. They stock most of the same things the world over, with a slight variation for Japan. The prices are reasonable and they have good sales. There are three gap stores in Fukuoka, located at Canal City, Mitsukoshi 3F and Hawk’s Town Shopping Mall.
Canal City. Located in Tenjin, huge, four-level, western style mall, with some familiar western stores, a multiplex cinema and restaurants. Shops include Muji, Diesal, Gap, ABC Mart, Uniqlo, Comme Ca, North Face, HMV, Stussy, and the list goes on.
Muji. This has some great home ware, clothes for men and woman as well as a food section. Stores are located on the sixth floor of Seiyu in Saga, third floor of Nishitetsu in Kurume, third and fourth floors at Canal City, Youme Town north of Kiyama on Route 3 and a small branch at Hakata Station.
Tosu Premium Outlets. A welcome addition to Tosu, with it’s outdoor seating and palm trees. As the name suggestions it consists of a number of outlet stores, most notably Nike, Adidas, Guess, Miss Sixty, Benneton, Sisley, Billabong, Ripcurl, Helly Hanson, Lego and many more. It also has a large restaurant section and it even has a Starbucks to rest your weary bones in after a day exercising you credit card. Located between Tosu and Kiyama, there is a free bus to and from Tosu station every 15 minutes.
Bookstores
There are several good bookstores in the area, but mainly in Fukuoka-ken.
Maruzen. Good source of English books, including textbooks, activity books, teaching aids, magazines, travel guides and so on. Located next to the Tenjin Core building second and thrid floors.
Kinokuniya is another huge book store with a good selection of English language books and resources. Located in the Hakata Bus Station building (sixth floor).
Junkudo. The newest and largest bookstore in Kyushu. The extensive English selection is on the fourth floor. Located behind Tenjin Core, above Starbucks.
Internet Cafes
Popeye Media Station. Three locations in Fukuoka; in Hakata Bus Station building (eighth floor), in Tenjin behind Bic Camera and on Route 3 on the way out/into the city. They offer free drinks, you can watch movies, read manga and even stay overnight after clubbing and wait for the first train home! Membership is free. Costs 290 yen for the first 30 minutes and then 90 yen every 15 minutes.
Cybac. In Saga, opposite the Celtic Heart and at various locations in Fukuoka and Nagasaki. They have an extensive range of goodies to offer – foot massage and PlayStation are just two of them, membership is required, but you have to pay. Costs 450 yen for the first 30 minutes, 90 yen per 15 minutes after that.
I Square. Located in Saga near the station. Exit the south side of the station. Turn right at the first street. It’s the big blue glass building on the left. Free internet.
Youme Town. Twenty-four-hour internet café in Tosu, membership required, cosy booths and couches, free refreshments, also really cheap food menu with delicious pancakes.
Specialty Stores
Fishing Nakamura (Mitagawa). For all your fishing needs. This is a gigantic store with everything you could possibly want for fishing. On Route 34 in Mitagawa. Look for the big fish sign. There is a Hofuito dry cleaning store across the street. Open 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. except Wednesdays. Phone 0952-52-5449.
Travel Agents
Across Travel Fukuoka. Email fukmap2@maptour.co.jp, phone 092-761-9309, fax 092-761-9445. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7p.m. English spoken.
LTK Reiseburo Fukuoka Ltd. Email itkfuk@orange.ocn.ne.jp, phone 092-734-0077, fax 092-715-3030. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. English spoken.
No.1 Travel (part of HIS) Fukuoka. Phone 092-761-0957, fax 092-761-5869. Hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. English spoken.
FIT. Email fukudai@rado.co.jp, phone 0120-896-669 (toll free). English spoken.
Oasis Travel. Phone 092-832-5801, fax 092-832-5802. English spoken.
IACE. Phone 092-451-6919. Hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. English spoken.
Will Tour. Email fuk@will-tour.com, phone 0942-413-7111. Contact Kanae Ogizuka. English spoken.
Tourist Service Travel Agent. Joyful Town, Tosu. Phone 0942-82-1811. Contact Chino Shiki.
Comments