What Chinese tourists are buying in Japan

Are you talking about Chinese kids or Japanese kids?

Anyways, my friend in China pointed me at this link the other day: http://www.chengduliving.com/dont-believe-chengdu-protest-hype/

Strangeland, Iam sure its the propaganda machine spewing out its hate, Iam sure there is a new generation of youngsters who don't know anything about there history of there country,

Also here in Germany near Frankfurt Airport, actually near a hotel that is used by Air China for their cabin attendants, one can see many of the Air China flight attendants flocking to the local drug store and buying things in large amounts.

Most Chinese people don't believe the nonsense that their government spins.

Japan is a luxury vacation for them with a similar enough culture for them to feel at home with.

I am not sure about the article though because there is a different demographic of extremely wealthy tourists who come to Japan shopping for luxury goods.

I guess this refers only to the economy class mass tourists on package holidays.

I'm actually surprised diapers aren't on the list. I use Merries pantsu type for my one year old during the day and Pampers at night. Merries (and Japanese diapers in general) are very soft and comfortable for a wiggly baby (and actually Moonies too!). But Pampers are basically leak free (why I use them overnight) but smell a bit chemically for me to want to put them on my kid all day.

I don't get the part about the medicine, but I'm American and we like our OTC meds to get the job done first try.

Brian Wheway

If they really hated Japan they wouldn't come hording and you would not see this kind of article in the first place.

I thought that Chinese people hated Japan?

It's an over-generalization. Some Chinese people hate Japan. Not all of them by any means.

I thought that Chinese people hated Japan? do they make exceptions when it come to shopping for drugs and other goods?

I see what you mean. That's definitely possible. But conversely, Merries in China being of a lesser quality is equally plausible.

Snobbery in terms of "I bought mine in Japan!". Lord knows I hear crap like that with foreigners when discussing shopping and the like.

Outside they started packing it into two massive suitcases (in the middle of the street, of course).

I bet that looked real classy.

These shoppers will buy a bunch of items in bulk and leave having spent on average 20-30,000 yen, with some big-time shoppers spending close to 50,000 yen at one drug store.

Young Chinese couple in front of me at the registers in Don Qixote one night bought 180,000 yen worth of cosmetics and medicines. It was two shopping trolleys (4 baskets) stacked high and i think the teller just gave them a full pack of shopping bags. Outside they started packing it into two massive suitcases (in the middle of the street, of course). I just thought they might have a LOT of friends to buy omiyage for

But are they? I can't help think this is just snobbery.

I have no idea whether they are or not, but that's the perception. I'm not sure how it would be snobbery though - the Chinese think the Japanese make a better product. Snobbery would be thinking your own country's product is better simply because it's your own company's product.

A US professor told me his Chinese student would fill his suitcase with face masks when travelling back home. They can be sold for a much higher price in China (he said).

Actually the best brand of diapers weve found were pampers. They dont leak even when your kid has done a bath sized pee. And they dont they breath better dont leave a rash. Weve tried they all on our two kids and pampers won easily

Merries are availble in China, but the Chinese figure that the ones made in Japan are better quality.

But are they? I can't help think this is just snobbery.

Thank God for foreign capital

I am heartened to see that several comments have seen through the paper-thin veneer of nonsense articles like this and highlighted the tawdry sub-text.

It is just embarrassing now.

Can't say I've ever heard a J mom say Merries is better. Perhaps Chinese snobbery as pampers is available there? (I'm guessing Merrues is not)

Merries are availble in China, but the Chinese figure that the ones made in Japan are better quality.

"What Chinese tourists are buying in Japan" Japan

Japan is just getting a taste of what it did in other places during the bubble years.

Garth, if true, hilarious. This is the same country that hoards butter and toilet paper but I guess since its Chinese folks doing the buying...

Can't say I've ever heard a J mom say Merries is better. Perhaps Chinese snobbery as pampers is available there? (I'm guessing Merrues is not)

"What Chinese tourists are buying in Japan"

Japan

Tmarie

There was an article a while ago about this. It said that Chinese would go to a pharmacy and buy them in bulk to then resell them in China. While leaving the locals, who really needed them, unable to buy diapers because the Chinese bought the entire supply. Why Merries? Don't personally know.But according to the article, in China people think they are far superior than whatever brand they have over there.

I hope they were IMPORTED Tylenol(there are J-Tylenol) 0therwise you need to take 5-6 pills & pray for relief!

Yes they were, and I would probably need a whole bottle! Japanese over the counter meds are a literal joke.

I fell off my chair laughing at this one. (And then took 2 Tylenol!)

Yubaru,

I hope they were IMPORTED Tylenol(there are J-Tylenol) 0therwise you need to take 5-6 pills & pray for relief!

All they have to do is open up their stupid country to foreign made goods.

Might I ask what "stupid" country you were educated in, or wait, no education right?

Who cares? Let Chinese people and anyone for that matter shop in peace. Do they really need so-called journos with cameras following them from store to store?

tmarie

Can I ask why the media is so obsessed with what Chinese tourists are buying? I keep seeing TV shows about it. I get companies caring but locals not involved in this? Why? It just seems more "us" and "them" crap.

So that people will hate them more while their businesses are making money from them. Killing 2 birds with one stone. This is Abe type of stuff.

One thing not mentioned in the article is that many Japanese drug stores now also have duty free services that allow tourists to get the consumption tax refunded to them for just about all the products that they purchase, including tobacco and alcohol. That 8% is pretty big when buying in bulk.

In Okinawa foreign tourists rank Kokusai St as the No. 1 location (shopping) No. 2 are department stores (more shopping) No. 3 are convenience stores (more and more shopping) and No 4....drug stores. Shopping, go figure.

I often see Chinese tourists getting off the monorail with empty suitcases and getting back on, heading to Naha AP loaded down with all sorts of stuff. They are literally keeping one local drug store in business.

Chinese products don’t work at all

Hmm, I once bought some Mr. Wang solution from a traditional herbal store in SF china town. This product worked just fine.

"Chinese products don’t work at all, whereas Japanese items, especially painkillers, are really effective.” Blimey, Chinese aspirin must really be bad to think this! Most westerners living in japan assume that Japanese painkillers are basically placebos.

*mistreated

Japanese pain killers always work fine for me but I am shorter than your average foreigner. @tmarie Because Merries diapers are better than Pampers apparently. Very soft, breathable so babies don't get diaper rash and the capacity to hold a large amount of urine so they need to be changed less often.

"It may seem strange for eye drops to be at the top of the list,..."

Eye drop sales are probably due to the nasty air pollution in certain areas of China.

Probably tourists number will increase even more ...year by year in Japan ... because : Japan is one of few first world countries ... where the tradition is still intact since centuries ... and chinese tourists are tired of being distract in Paris and Europe ...and today , Japan is much cheaper than Europe for the chinese people ...

Can I ask why the media is so obsessed with what Chinese tourists are buying? I keep seeing TV shows about it. I get companies caring but locals not involved in this? Why? It just seems more "us" and "them" crap.

And what is with the diaper bulk ban? And why Merries and not Pampers?

Japanese items, especially painkillers, are really effective

I fell off my chair laughing at this one. (And then took 2 Tylenol!)

Sorry, but Japan still has a long ways to go to match the top five ranked countries in tourism.

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/03/most-popular-cities-for-tourists-in-2015.html

Maybe something to do with their similar body sizes?

It's like this, indeed.

They're mostly for resale, from what I've heard. Would explain the hordes of Chimese tourists you see in Matsukiyos around Tokyo's more central parts.

There's a sign up in my local Home & Garden shop (which also sells pharmacy products) warning shoppers that children's disposable nappies cannot be bought in bulk.

Wow, there's a new perspective.

I agree, it's hard to believe. Maybe something to do with their similar body sizes? Personally I have to take twice the recommended dosage to get any effect.

Japanese items, especially painkillers, are really effective

Wow, there's a new perspective.

Why aren't Merries diapers on the list? I often see groups of Chinese buying them en masse