Summary
A trip to Costco wholesalers in Saitama. A shopping experience unlike anywhere else in Japan: Rotisserie Chicken, huge pizza, freshly baked apple pie, wine, clothes, toys, books, electronics, frozen food, fresh food, cheese, meat, Mexican, Korean, Indian and much much more,
**Has parking**Saitama Prefecture**Any age**Half day Activity**Admission free (For members) **10:00-20:00**No holidays**
Website
Website - English
Location/Access
3-1-2 LaLaCity, Shinmisato,
Misato-City, Saitama,
341-0009, Japan
81-48-950-0800
Directions/Map
By Train: The closest station is Shin-Misato 新三郷 on the JR Musashino Line. 武蔵野線.
By Car: By car, head for the Smart IC if coming from the Kashiwa/Tsukuba direction 柏・つくば on the Joban expressway, or the Misato IC 三郷 if coming from Tokyo.
Important note: membership
If you wish to shop at Costco (or even enter through the door), you'll need to become a card carrying member of the store. The queue to sign up is always long on the weekend, so make sure you come early. You will find the sign-up area in the car park on the 1F.
The details can be found on the website here.
Activities
Shopping, shopping and more shopping! There is an Ikea next to Costco, so why not make it a day trip of it and shop for some furniture as well?
The range of products available is very impressive, and also somewhat biased towards goods of American origin, which is great for us foreign folk living in Japan. (The Author is not actually American, but years in Japan have led me to accept Americana as an acceptable substitute for my own culture).
Remember, Costco is not all about food, and there are many 100s of items including electronics, fashion items, clothes, cosmetics, medicines, DVDs, toys, alcohol amongst many others. Make sure to take plenty of cash with you, as non-Costco-branded credit cards are not accepted at the till!
Also, don't be afraid to give in to the "impulse purchase" at Costo; their 100% satisfaction guarantee means that you can simply return any item you are not completely satisfied with for a full money back refund.
Food There is a huge amount of both fresh and processed food. The highlights for me were: Giant Pizza, Rotisserie Chicken, freshly baked Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Cookies, Croissant, Pain au Chocolat, and Tiramisu.
After shopping, there is the option to purchase whole Pizza, hotdogs, Ice cream and other fast food to eat at the seating areas provided within the building. There are also drinks machines dispensing soda.
Cost
The cost is in-line with what you would expect from a Wholesale store. This means that things are certainly cheaper than buying the equivalent in central Tokyo, but also remember that the volume is large, as the business model is to sell in bulk.
Note that there is so much here, at such good prices, that you may load your trolley to such an extent that you could easily get up to the 50,000-60,000JPY mark at the till. Once again, don't forget to bring plenty of cash!
Rating
A great shopping experience; something for all ages.
Pros: Loads of goods at reasonable prices. Goods from back home that are not available in other parts of Tokyo. A great returns policy allowing you to shop without fear, as you can take back anything you are not 100% happy with for a full refund.
Cons: A little far from central Tokyo, and not really an option for those without a car. You need to pay a yearly membership fee before they'll let you shop.
Rating: 8/10
