cheaper DVDs from Japan? (1 Viewer)

[richard plumb]

I want to buy DVDs from Japan now and then. Laputa is out this weekend, so thats my next buy, along with Porco Rosso.

But I can't find anywhere cheap. Does Japan have the equivalent of DVDboxoffice, or DVDempire? I don't mind if its Japanese language only. Ideally it'll ship abroad, but if its free shipping then domestic only is fine - I'll ship to my in-laws and they can forward it on.

The main desire is to pay less than 4900 Yen - very expensive.

Current system is either I get my sister-in-law to pick up Porco Rosso and Laputa at full retail (she gets loyalty points or something), or I order at full retail price from cdjapan.

I can usually get 20-25% off UK prices online, so I want to pay around 35-3700 Yen.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Amazon.co.jp has it for 15% off, but that's the best you're dong online, and you're still paying $12-15 shipping

 

[richard plumb]

so don't japanese websites generally offer large discounts on retail stores?

 

[Jeff Kleist]

No, they don't. The Japanese distribution system is...screwy
Very regionalized. Prices are pretty much fixed by the companies. Usually the retail stores will offer gift certificates and other incentives, but you're not doing much better than the amazon price at a Japanese store

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

Even before a few years ago, we too were paying full retail without very much discount. We would get point cards from stores, buy a lot of cds and get a free cd after buying about 40,000 yen worth.

Now stores in Japan do offer discounts, but only about 10-15% off of full retail. I bought Lord of the Rings Japanese version yesterday and I still only got 10% off--that is normal. There is no chance of any online shop of giving more than that to buyers outside of Japan because the dvds sold out of Japan are meant for the people in Japan and as Jeff said there is price fixing--very frustrating.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Thanks for chiming in Tomoko, I'm actually having to delay my Laputa purchase because Field of View: Memorial Best Clips has first press only extras and it's eating my cash :frowning: I've kind-of resigned myself to the fact I won't get the nice poster either :frowning:

 

[Tim Fleming]

I remember last year in Japan both Seibu Wave and HMV were offering the points card system that Tomoko was talking about. If I recall correctly you get a stamp on the card for every 500 (or was it 1000) yen spent, and once the card is full you can get something like 3000 yen off your next purchase. Hopefully it will be still operating when we are there next in the coming April.
Apart from that, the best discounts I have seen in B&M stores have been in places like denki city (Akihabara) where 10% was occassionally on offer.
Amazon is definitely the best of the online stores offering 15% on a lot of titles and currently, of more interest to you, a few of the Studio Ghibli titles (they even ocassionally discount up to 20% as is currently the case with Spirited Away which is priced at 3760 yen) - but that is as good as it gets I am afraid. Here is a link to the Studio Ghibli section of their website.
Amazon's shipping costs are quite comparable to what we in Australia have to pay for shipping from the US - that, I am afraid, is something you too will have to live with in this instance (nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change ) Note also that Amazon Japan now offers English translation on their site for the checking out procedures.
Hope this all helps.
regards, Tim...

 

[RexW]

Pretty much all been said already.
If I am near a big chain store, BicCamera, Yodobashi Camera, etc. I'll pick a title up there. Usually get 10% off and another 10% in points that I can apply to a future purchase. So it's a grand total of about 20% off.

If I don't plan on going by one of the stores around the time of the DVD's release, I'll order it from Amazon.co.jp.
They've come around to 15% off most of their new titles and offer free shipping within Japan on orders over 1500 yen.

That's what I've found. If you really are looking for the Ghibli titles, check out region 3 Hong Kong stores. I ordered my Sen to Chihiro (Spirited Away) for about half of what the Japanese disc would have cost me. They've got a lot of others out also.

 

[richard plumb]

So maybe I'll just use my sister-in-law. She gets points, so she won't mind, and shipping will be cheaper (HMV is fedex and really expensive)

 

[Martin Ramanzini Sims]

Anyone knows any store in japan that sends dvds but has the page with information in english? I loged to amazon.co.jp but I cannot understand a single word :frowning:

 

[Chauncey]

Martin,
Try CdJapan, their site is in English, but there are no discounts that I can find.
Good Luck,

 

[Jeff Kleist]

You don't need to understand anything

Scroll down, you'll see the Laputa box on their main page

Click on it, then when it comes up click "display in English" and you'll be fine

 

[richard plumb]

Jeff,
Is there a poster offer with Laputa, or is it with the other disc you're buying first? If there's a Laputa poster on offer then I'll push my wife to call home sharpish

 

[Jeff Kleist]

The other disc