Speaking of discount store in Tokyo…
Posted by: kirin on 
Oct 30th, 2010 | 
Filed under: RamblingDon Quijote is a well-known discount store in Tokyo. But how about Takeya? I’d like to introduce Takeya here briefly in case my readers are not familiar with it yet.
★Discount store that covers everything we need★
Takeya
address: 4-33-2 Taito, Taito-ku
nearest station: Okachimachi
phone: 03-3835-7777
open: 9:30am – 8:30pm (Closed on 1st January and the third Wednesday every month except December.)
My grandparents had knewn Takeya for a long time. Takeya has been there since 1947! My family liked to shop at Takeya anytime we needed new furniture or anything pricey. My father, who is from Osaka, liked to ask for a further discount at Takeya, which made me feel ashamed when I was a kid. Born and raised in Tokyo, I totally misunderstood him and thought that we were so poor we had no money to buy things for the price on the tag, even at a discount store like Takeya! lol That’s why Takeya somehow gave me some complex feelings in my childhood, which is why I stayed away from it for a long time since I grew up… :p
However, I remembered Takeya when I had to buy some kitchen tools when I got married. They have increased their sales area and buildings and nowadays they became so popular. When I was a kid, Takeya was sort of…people who know it, love it kind of store. I happened to read a diary while ago that I wrote when I was about 10 years old. I was writing, “We went to Takeya the other day to buy discounted goods.” The teacher commented, “What is Takeya? Where is it? Please tell me about it.”
The purple colored buildings are so outstanding from distance. Such thing is possible because it’s Japan. We basically have no rules against signs or colors of buildings to maintain landscape design. This gives Japanese cities a feeling of messy.
They have grocery sales floor, too.
If I ever live in other country, I’d bring Japanese mayo with me!
These signs could make me a bargain-hunter who just came over to buy a salt and pepper mills. lol
I was too tired to make a long line at a cashier. I didn’t buy anything but the mills after all.
Inside the Lady’s building.
The sales area was not large and the products seemed to be limited. Don Quijote would have more products in variety but I’m sure Takeya is cheaper. 1400yen eye shadow was discounted to 980yen. Not bad, huh?
I didn’t check out the price but beauty goods can also be well discounted. Thanks to internet, I actually shop from online most of the cases. Speaking of online shopping, Takeya has their online store through Rakuten.
The floor guide was translated into English, Korean and Thai. Besides, there was a leaflet all in Chinese. Takeya can be even more popular than Don Quijote to international tourists today. Have you heard of it or have you actually been there yet?
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October 30th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
wow Kirin! I've never heard of Takeya…so thanks for introducing it to us! ^^
I know Don-Q because it is always featured in guidebooks.
I find that I don't really like to go to stores like Don-Q though…it's very messy to me, the queues are long, and I could find cheaper goods elsewhere sometimes!
October 30th, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I love Donki since there are so many interesting things to see in one store. It has been three months since I've been gone from Japan in Sydney and then Seattle. I finally get to come back at the end of next week and I'm looking forward to getting home again.
October 30th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Wow, me and my husband want to go to Tokyo pretty soon!
Now I have another place that I want to go!
I want to check the make up part there!!
Thank you so much for your useful tips!!
October 31st, 2010 at 12:08 am
Hi Kirin,
Thank you for the tip on Takeya
haha you would take Japanese mayo with you ? You can get it here at the Chinese supermarket in the Japanese section. I tried it, it is rather more sweet than sour compared to our mayonaise , which comes basically in two flavours , with fresh egg or with lemon taste. Japanse mayo is more like the egg taste.
The pre-mades mayo you buy in the shops here is very good, but nit quite as tasty as the one you make yourself from vinegar, mustard , egg yoke and oil. Freshly made it has a fuller and richer taste;
That's Belgians for you, we are even choosy about our mayo.
Your father asked for a further discount at a discount store. Haha I like his style ! But yes , it must have been embarrassing for you.
October 31st, 2010 at 12:45 am
Actually I had the same feeling that I didn't like to go to Donki for the same reason. I felt the messy, crowded, and small space without even a window made me feel sick. I think it's only recently that I start to feel OK but if possible I try to go to the one not in Tokyo because it's more spacious.
Especially once there was a fire (a customer set fire to the blanket sold at the store) at the Donki near my parents house. She was arrested but I felt that anything can be possible at such a messed store behind the piles of products.
The donki on fire was gone! It was a horrible incident.
October 31st, 2010 at 1:05 am
If you are looking for makeup goods, Don Quijote may be better. Takeya does not have wide range of cosmetics, but I think they can be cheaper than Don Quijote. If you ever go to Takeya, I suggest you can drop at there when you ever have a chance to go to Ameyoko. (http://tokyokawaiietc.com/archives/5612) Ameyoko and Takeya is very close each other.
October 31st, 2010 at 1:09 am
Wow, I've never thought of making mayo by myself! It sounds not so difficult to make it at home! Thanks for sharing. But I don't know if I will actually make it while I'm in Japan, because somehow I make myself busy with all the things except for cooking when I'm in here. I even feel like hiring someone who cooks for me, if I had more money. lol
October 31st, 2010 at 3:47 am
This is the first time I've heard of Takeya! o.O I know Donki very well, and frequented it often in Osaka. (There was always something new to discover if I needed to kill time waiting for friends to show up or something ^^) They actually had a great selection of false eyelashes now that I think of it!
Thanks for the tip though, I'll definitely have to check out Takeya sometime! ^^
October 31st, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Mayo is very easy to make at home. The downside is that you get to find out the disgusting things that go into it
November 1st, 2010 at 2:49 am
Takeya is not be as fun as Donki, if you look for lashes. ^ ^;
I think Donki definitely target young people, while Takeya does wide range of generations. I can see not many old people shopping at Donki while many ojisan, obasan, ojiisan and obaasan come to Takeya, too.
For us to shop daily grocery or any goods that are not necessarily targeted for the young but for anyone maybe good.
December 6th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Guys…. For me Takeya is the Cheapest shopping place in Tokyo when it comes to Chocolaite,seafood noodles,grocery items, Perfumes, Branded watch,jewelry,necktie,polo short,polo sleeves, Branded Bags, Make Up…..there’s no Other cheaper shopping place for Me for 8 yrs. Just TAKEYA
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