Manila, Philippines; March 2023 – Around 4 hours away from Manila by plane, Japan is a small island, but packed with so much to do and so much to see—some of those who have been swear by the fact that spending 3 days and 2 nights in its capital, Tokyo, is not enough. To do the country properly and give justice to it, a week might just be enough, but that will all depend on how much you would want to immerse yourself into all things Japanese!
One thing’s for sure, it’s easy to get carried away with spending Yen when you’re there. Besides the classic YOLO mentality, there’s simply a lot to eat, shops to visit, and places you won’t find anywhere else. Good thing GCash is now present in prominent shops and destinations all over the island—you can take a hold of your budget by spending less on foreign exchange fees, stay safe with cashless transactions, and enjoy exclusive promos while having fun.
Shop!
Bic Camera
Welcome to Bic Camera, the one-stop shop for popular Japanese products! Bic Camera is a famous shopping mall in Japan. Apart from electronics, it deals in a wide variety of products such as watches, medicine, cosmetics, snacks, contact lens, toys, and liquor. Headquartered in Japan, it operates more than 200 stores across the country in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, and Okinawa for example.
Don Quijote
Don Quijote is the biggest discount store and one of the most popular shopping malls in Japan where it has more than 500 chain stores. It can serve as a one-stop shop to meet all your purchasing needs and it is packed with many novel and interesting items for you to explore. Here in Donki, Chinese-speaking sales staff, Alipay, and other mobile payments are in place to bring you a wonderful shopping experience.
Isetan Mitsukoshi Group
Isetan Mitsukoshi of Japan is an international department store group. Isetan Mitsukoshi has around 50 stores in countries all over the world. In Japan, there are 20 stores and in central Tokyo, there are stores in Shinjuku, Ginza, and Nihonbashi. At Isetan Mitsukoshi, you can discover the spirit of Japanese culture and the creation of the Japanese way of life.
Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores
From its humble beginnings as a kimono store during the Edo era, Daimaru and Matsuzakaya has grown to become one of the most recognizable department store brands in Japan with its wide selection of products ranging from everyday items and food to high-end luxury products. In Tokyo just outside the Tokyo Station’s Yaesu North Exit, there’s a sprawling 13-level Daimaru store. At the basement floor, there is a food section called “Depa chika” with an overwhelming selection of boxed lunches, while the ground floor has a confectionary section called “Depa Ichi”, famous for the many sweets, ideal for souvenirs.
Kintetsu Department Store
In Osaka, Kintetsu Department Store is a destination of its own where you can have a shopping spree. Find your style in its wide range of retail items such as clothes, cosmetics and accessories. There are also dining spots that offer a menu of various Japanese dishes.
Tokyo Solamachi (shopping centre at the base of TOKYO SKYTREE)
TOKYO Solamachi, which spreads out at the base of the TOKYO SKYTREE, is one of the largest shopping centres in Tokyo. With easy access to Narita and Haneda airports, and more than 300 shops, you can spend all day here browsing through gourmet food, fashion, home appliances, souvenirs and cute sundries. Enjoy the view from the TOKYO SKYTREE and shop at TOKYO Solamachi.
Eat!
Kura Sushi
Eat in the restaurant that started the revolving sushi concept. Kura Sushi has the freshness, quality, and taste that you expect from Japanese food, but is served in an entertaining, memorable experience! Anything you get from this revolving sushi bar is guaranteed delicious, with crowd favorites mixed in with something new and exciting to try.
With the concept of “safe, delicious, affordable, and fun”, the leading conveyor-belt sushi chain in Japan created the current conveyor-belt sushi restaurant’s standard. A global restaurant brand that combines safety and experience-oriented entertainment, focusing on healthy sushi that is free of the four major additives” – chemical seasonings, artificial sweeteners, artificial colorings, and artificial preservatives – in all of its more than 200 ingredients, as well as a wide variety of side dishes.
Matsuya Foods
Matsuya is a well-known beef and rice bowl fast food chain with about a thousand stores across Japan, and most open for 24 hours. Opened since 1966, Matsuya is known for gyūmeshi: a savory, sweet dish made of tender beef and onion cooked in dashi and served over rice. It’s very filling and very comforting, while also being low-priced with quick service.
Airport
Narita International Airport
Before your flight home, you might want to wander around Narita International Airport. With its extensive restaurants offering Japanese, Chinese and Western cuisine to choose from to appease your cravings. There are also cafes and light meals for some quick bites. You can also check out their Duty Free and boutiques for last minute retail shopping.
Aside from these shopping havens and dining destinations, you can also pay with GCash in nearby convenience stores around Japan such as Lawson and FamilyMart. Ran out of travel essentials? Easily buy it there and replenish. You can also stop by for some snacks and drinks while en route to your next destination. For those looking for medicines, makeup and daily necessities, you can drop by at Sundrug or Tsuruha Drug.
Pay with GCash
Pay your way through these places with GCash which is now available in over 2.5 million Alipay+ merchants across Asia and in key countries including Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Qatar, the UK, France, Italy & Germany. GCash is the way to control your budget when you’re outside the Philippines—enjoy real-time forex, zero service fees and get access to exclusive deals all inside the app!
Simply look for the Alipay+ sign and you can pay with GCash! After logging into the GCash app, select the QR or PayQR button at the bottom of the screen. Scan the merchant’s QR code, or tap “Pay Abroad with Alipay+” to have the merchant scan your generated QR. Then check the amount, and click Pay to see the receipt. No more traveling with large sums of money—you get to travel light and get deals and discounts from different places, but with the same payment. Just find the Plus, and Pay with GCash!
To learn more about paying with GCash in Japan, tap the “A+ Rewards” page in the app and select Japan as your destination.
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