Mustafa Centre in Singapore is a 24-hr retail hub where you can spend hours going through its vast variety of products and in Japan, there's a similar shop, by the name of Don Quijote, that offers an equally impressive experience with a more stunning spread.
I heard so much about it from my friends that i made it a point to check it out on the first day i arrived in Sapporo; loved it so deeply that i dropped by on a daily basis just in case i missed out certain interesting products.
With five shop-able levels, i ignored basically level one (cosmetics, medicine etc) and five (game, dvd, cd) given the language barrier and that i am particularly when it comes to medications and beauty products.
Don Quijote is like a huge supermarket with almost everything under one roof and the one we have in Singapore (called Don Don Donki) honestly paled in comparison! Anyway, i am just going to show a few photographs in this post as i didn't take many.
Pet section with so many items; it put some of the pet shops in Singapore to shame. Pricing wise was comparable to Singapore; i am assuming here as i have been out of the pet industry for over 10 years.
One of my favourite sections; snacks! Big companies have the financial capability to buy in bulk and you can sometimes find the same food souvenir at a cheaper price in Don Quijote.
As any experienced Singaporean auntie will say; compare prices along the Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade before you make any purchase! Do consider the fact that you can get tax rebates if you manage to hit 5,000 yen and that's not hard to attain in Don Quijote!
Love Anello bags? They were priced very much cheaper in Japan and that's the original stuff. I should have taken a picture of the price tag as my memory is quite fuzzy. If i recall correctly, they were about 40-50% discount.
Pity i already had gotten a few pairs of shoes at Mitsui Outlet Park as the CROCS was 1,990 yen a pair (about S$24). On second thought, i should have go ahead and got a pair or two!
Was extremely tempted to get the electronic dartboard and am glad i managed to resist it as i eventually got a pretty decent one for S$45 at Decathlon Singapore.
Humongous white tiger heads at less than S$50 a head. The store tried its best to arrange everything according to their designated themes but the sheer amount of goods across so many categories made it a huge challenge!
Argh!!! Fireworks!!!
Since my last leg in Hokkaido was spent in the capital, i didn't know where i can play with fireworks and hence, refrained (sadly) from buying any. Those who plan to make Sapporo the first stop should consider buying the fireworks from Don Quijote as you get so many different types as compared to the convenience stalls in towns.
Quirky head masks - makes you wonder what you can do with them except for playing stupid games or acting in comedy skits.
The above can be used for themed parties, to scare people and to commit a crime where you would not be easily recognized! Those interested in cosplay would also find something in this "hobby section".
Guess you don't need any explanation for the costumes and unlike the branch in Singapore, you can actually find quite a decent range of sex toys for sale. And that includes devices (the small ones) used in the fifty shades of grey.
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Location
3 Chome-6 Minami 2 Jonishi, Chuo,
Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0062, Japan
(next to Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade Lane 3)
Map
As above.
For my 8 days, 7 nights Hokkaido itinerary in summer, click here.
