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Sayonara Sales
Target: You are in Japan for anything less than 5 years.
Japan is reputed to be one of the most expensive countries in the world, and there is truth in that statement. However, bypassing this hurdle can be surprisingly easy by keeping your ear to the ground.
Today I’m gonna tell you about 2 miraculous benefits of a transient wealthy foreign community and a culture of looking after things really well, that will save you tens of thousands in cold hard yen.
Freecycle
You may have heard of Freecycle, a worldwide, yet localized network of people giving away their stuff because it’s better for the planet that way. In the 7 years since it started, over 7 million members have been stemming the landfill tide and getting free stuff in the process.
Some of the groups across the world have been touched by infighting over moderation and management issues, but the Tokyo Freecycle group gets along well, and about 1500 people across the city exchange primarily furniture and books in English through a mailing list.
To give you an idea, these are listings from a single random week in June.
• OFFER: baby bouncer, mobile for crib, memory mold
• OFFER: 180 lt refrigerator
• OFFER: folding chair
• OFFER: Double Bed
• OFFER: Shelving
• OFFER: cameras
• OFFER: Books
• OFFER: small fridge
• OFFER: digital alarm clock
• OFFER: desk lamp
• OFFER: Kitchen Table & 2 chairs
• OFFER: 3 piece desk set
• OFFER: Kitchen counter
The stuff is almost always in good / like new condition because most foreigners in Tokyo are passing through and selling it is a hassle. In a single week, taking this as an example you are likely to be able to kit your whole apartment for just the cost of getting it home. For smaller items this can be done by picking up from the owner, occasionally people with bigger items also have transport. For other ways of transporting see Claudia’s post on Convenience Store >>to>> Home Delivery, or my forth coming post Hiring a Van / A Man with a Van.
Stick to the etiquette of the group: no spamming; no posts other than those with the headings OFFER, TAKEN, WANTED; Don’t post loads of wanted ads, it’s annoying. 1 or 2 is ok though, try something broad like WANTED: basic household items; Don’t forget to freecycle back when you leave, especially since it might be the cheapest way to get rid of bulky items like your fridge.
Get on Tokyo Freecycle by joining the (non-Japanese) yahoo group: here.
(requires free account signup)
Sayonara Sales
Sayonara Sales are the lifeblood of the foreign community in Japan. A google archive search reveals the phrase starting to turn up around 1998, but methinks it was there far before then. It is almost a ritual for short and medium term residents to open their apartment up and sell off their crap. A cleansing ritual that turns the mind back to the mother country, or wherever else they are drifting off to.
What to expect
The subtypes of Tokyo foreigner are numerous and biodiverse, however witnessing them at the time of their Sayonara Sale is an interesting anthropological litmus test. Whether they are young care-free English teachers, Roppongi ex-pats with brats screaming and running around, or any other variety of stereotype(!) they share one thing in common…. They are very stressed out!
Don’t let this put you off, sure you are walking into their living nightmare, but by taking their stuff away you are lessening the pain and you are even in an excellent bargaining position since everyone leaves it until the last minute and has no choice but to sell cut price.
You can also expect some very decent stuff. Most people didn’t know how easy it was to get free stuff when they first got here so there is usually a lot of unoffensive Muji / Ikea furniture. Other stuff obviously shows signs of wear and tear – books and clothes etc. But this is the perfect place to come and get your first haul to kit out your entire apartment at a fraction of the real cost.
Where to find them
My favorite places to find Sayonara sales are:
The ever popular
GaijinPot.com
This link will take you to sales tagged “Sayonara”. From there you can choose a location convenient for you to pick up from. (BTW if you don’t know better already, DO NOT go reading the forums on Gaijin Pot, aka the quickest way to turn into a racist and plunge yourself into clinically recognized TokyoDepression)… you’re gonna read it now ain’t ya
The true and steady
Metropolis.co.jp
Metropolis, the biggest circulation English language magazine also has all it’s ads online. No function to narrow your search by area, but these ads are always up to date and numerous.
The untested but interesting
SayonaraSale.com
I haven’t actually used this, but some bright spark has made a website devoted to sayonara sales in Japan. Have you used this site? How did it work out?
Conclusion: You’re nuts to spend money on furniture in Japan when there is so much free and nearly free stuff out there. Don’t bother buying new stuff unless you are here for 5 years or more…
