Just thinking aloud
Posted June 12th, 2009 in Japan 4 Comments »As I mentioned on this blog before, cost of living in Perth is pretty expensive… Everything, the price has been increased a lot in the last couple of years. Even the price of stamp has changed more than 3 times in few months. Not only stamps, but also food, house, everything… I lived in Japan for 20 years, but I didn’t experience such dramatic change on the prices there. Even now most of things are almost same price as ones in 6 years ago.
I’m not intending to be offensive, but quality of products in Japan are much better than those in Perth. Considering the quality, they are actually cheaper. My friend who gave birth to a boy few months ago, she asked her parents to send diapers from Japan to here. Even though there is a postage fee, the total price was almost same: plus better quality of diapers :p
I also buy lots of things in Japan and bring them back here. It’s really shame that Australia has very strict regulation on importing products. By the way my friend told me that her friend who had a wedding in Perth actually got her bouquet sent from Japan! I wonder how she did it… or maybe the person was in other country? I don’t think you can get fresh flower imported to Australia.
I don’t usually go shopping in Perth, so I become a shopaholic while in Japan. Everything I see make me want to buy it. I really need to tighten the purse string in September…
Because my in-laws are coming to Japan with me, I’m going to lots of places around Kansai area. I’m going to take them to Kyoto (Gion, Arashiyama, Kawara-machi) and Osaka (Nanba, Shinsaibashi, Umeda, Nankou etc) so there will be lots of chances of me buying things. I don’t really crave to go to Tokyo area, but people who want to visit Japan; espacially Tokyo, will need to prepare lots of money for shopping!
… by the way this is my current favorite song ↓↓↓
Monkey Majik is a Japanese band composed of two Canadians and two Japanese. Apparently the vocals are Canadians, but their Japanese sounds perfect! I didn’t know this group until my hubby showed me their MV. They apparently have released few albams in the past. This song is a theme song of drama series called “Aishiteru ~Kaiyo~”(アイシテル~海容~)
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Ume! I totally agree!
When I went to Japan everyone said, “Oh you gotta save a lot because Japan is REALLY expensive!” (most of those people had never even been to Japan), but when I went there, it was a little more pricey as some places, but the items and and their quality were SO good, I didn’t mind spending the extra money.
A lot of prices in Perth have gone up because of the mining boom (especially rent!) but now the boom is gone… the prices don’t go down 🙁
I hope you have an amazing time in Japan with your new husband and new relatives no matter what the prices are! ^_^
Oh! I HAVE to try making that prawn gratin this week. It looks SO good 🙂
Bishonencam
Yeah, everything in Japan is actually not that crazy expensive as everyone think! And the quality is great 🙂
Where in Japan did you go to? Tokyo area?
Thank you, we will enjoy the trip to Japan, can’t wait!
Well I first stayed around Kobe and Hiroshima…. but that was more than ten years ago and I was young and didn’t know the differences in prices.
But I went to Japan around 2005 for the Aichi world Expo, so I stayed in Nagoya but also went to Shinjuku and Harajuku and of course, Tokyo Disneyland (which was REALLY cheap!)
When I went to the 100 yen store, everything is such good quality at a really low price. But if you go to Red Dot or somewhere like that here, it’s pretty lousy quality 😛
I’m saving to go back to Japan sometime soon. I wanna take my girlfriend as I know she’ll love the food there because it’s so cheap and delicious and she’s a pig like me!!! ^_^
Bishonencam
Wow you’ve been to many places. I guess you can speak little Japanese?
I hope your girlfriend loves Japan! 🙂