Japan Trip - Looking For Shopping MC Cartridge Recommendations

One further thought. Since the introduction of the new Technics turntables there has been some rollback of list prices. Or for sure some US based dealers are now willing to give modest discounts. For that reason the margin of savings that one can achieve by shopping in Tokyo may be narrower today than it was last year when I last visited Tokyo. For example, I think I calculated that I could walk out of Yodibashi with an SP10R for the total cost of about $6700. I hope that helps.

Stringreen, Of course you ARE getting the “real thing” at stores in Tokyo. And it certainly would be silly to buy Japanese products in China, especially since the stores in Tokyo are mobbed with Chinese customers who travel there to shop. Funnily to me, the clothing stores are also full with Chinese, buying clothes that are mostly made in China.

The thing described by @lewm is probably what in every country called Tax Free Global Refund read more about it HERE, but as far as i know you will have to show the goods on the Global Refund office in the airport before departure to get TAX back in cash or on card. You can do the same in every big store all over Europe if EU is not your country of origin.

@lewm did you ever bought anything in Yodibashi yourself ? Just curious how it really works. Maybe they can ship it outside of Japan, but they can’t lower the actual cost in custom declaration, for the item with over $7-9000 custom value there must be an import TAX in every country, so your local custom will charge you anyway. Right ?

According to US Custom: "Thus, any articles imported under this section for personal use with a value of under $800 can be imported duty free, and any articles imported for personal use with a value between $800 and $1800, will be subject to a flat 4% duty rate."

What about an item with value over $7000 then, probably higher import tax ? 

Consumption tax in Japan, known in other countries as VAT, GST or sales tax, is a flat 10% on all items except food, drinks and newspaper subscriptions for which it is 8% (not including alcoholic drinks and dining out).

The only way to avoid import tax is physically imported good in your personal luggage on the plane.

ANOTHER problem:
The weight of SP1000R is approx. 40.2 kg (88.7 lbs)
and the weight of SP-10R is approx. 18.2 kg (40.2 lbs)

Normally free luggage limit on the plane is $20-25kg (44 - 55 lbs), most likely you will have to pay extra if your own luggage contain more than just one SP-10R. And you will definitely must use a taxi to the airport in Japan which is extremely expensive.

When you will put together all the expenses then you will realize it is not that easy.

*********** Official prices in USA: *************************

Ask Neil at Sunny Audio Video:

SL1000R is $18K

SP10R is $10K

 chakster, the VAT is deducted at the sales desk when you check out at Yodibashi. You do not have to pay the tax and then rely upon getting a refund at customs. You never pay the tax in the first place. That is perfectly legal and lawful if you have a foreign passport. They do look carefully at your passport and check its validity. And in answer to your other question, yes, I buy something at Yodibashi or other audio store every time I go there, which is just about every year for the past several years. My biggest single purchase so far was a Koetsu Urushi  cartridge, about 10 years ago, and I don’t think I was asked to pay duty on it. I also buy LPs at disc union near the Ochanomizu train station. Disc Union also honors the passport. My son has lived in Tokyo for going on 12 years now. The savings associated with avoiding the VAT is 8% or 10%, I cannot remember which. At Yodie, you get another similar discount just for using your credit card to make a purchase. If I bought something as heavy as an SP 10 R, I would check all my suitcases at the airport and carry on the SP 10R in its box. I have done that with large containers of LPs I bought at Disc Union . US customs at Dulles airport in DC are actually surprisingly lenient with innocuous tourists like myself, as regards actually collecting the customs duty. They typically look the other way, but probably you would have to pay a modest amount of duty for something as large and obvious as the SP 10R. If I didn’t already own a fully upgraded SP10 Mk3, I’d have bought a 10R last spring.

chakster, the VAT is deducted at the sales desk when you check out at Yodibashi. You do not have to pay the tax and then rely upon getting a refund at customs. You never pay the tax in the first place. That is perfectly legal and lawful if you have a foreign passport.

good news, this is different system then, japan is so different.

So anyone with not japanese passport can buy without VAT at their store, even if a person living in japan and then can ship it to his foreign friends with declared value of $500 and marked as used or gift). Sounds like a good plan @lewm But are you sure the price is in fact 40% cheaper than in USA ?

After the discounts for passport and using a credit card the net cost would represent a 30 to 40% savings vs US prices. Closer to 40%

SP-10R is $10 000 in USA
So it must be $6 000 for a foreigner if your calculation was correct ?

See my earlier post. I think I estimated last year, based on the list price at Yodibashi, that I could walk out with a 10R for $6700. But this is based on my memory; it might have been a little less.  And it assumes paying with a Credit Card, which gets you another discount.
You might have trouble using a long term resident of Tokyo who still holds a passport other than a Japanese one, as your purchase agent.  My son is such an example; he still has a US Passport, but he doubted he could get the deal as his home address is in Tokyo. (Although he certainly could use our address in the US as his home.)  But he is employed in Tokyo as well.  I am not sure it will work, but I am not sure it won't, either.
In all of this, I have forgotten to mention the exchange rate.  The actual cost will vary up and down with the exchange rate for your particular currency, of course.