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Guide to annual clothing sales in Japan

06:18 03/10/2023

Japan is a country with high living standards, and quality goods but mostly on the rather expensive side. Therefore, many international students, as well as workers in Japan try to limit their clothing spending, especially those living in regions such as Tokyo.

However, there are numerous annual sales in Japan, sometimes even up to 90%. In this article, GoEMON will share with you the Guide to annual clothing sales in Japan, so that you can buy your favorite clothes at the cheapest price! 


Annual clothing sales period in Japan 

  • “January - Beginning of year sale”: The beginning of the new year is one of the best periods for shopaholics to make new purchases. Usually, shops in Japan would close from the 31st of December to the 2nd or 3rd of January, thus there would be a big sale after this vacation. This is the best time to buy winter clothes such as sweaters, scarves, wool hats, etc. Clothes are the most purchased shopping item during this period.  
  • In addition, the Fukubukuro lucky bag is also a much sought-after item in big sales occasions like these. Those living in Japan must be no strangers to these bags. The Fukubukuro bag is a great deal from which you can buy multiple items from famous brands at a very cheap price. Thus, Fukubukuro for famous brands would be sold out very early due to high demand. 


  • “February - Winter Sale”: At this time, although the weather is still cold, most stores would have sales simultaneously to clear out winter clothing and start stocking up on clothes for spring. The winter clothing available at this time would not be as diverse as that of January. Most of the clothes would be remaining stock from January, thus there would be fewer items but at much cheaper prices. Those who have yet to buy anything in January, be sure to hurry up! 


  • “March to mid-April - Sale to welcome a new school year and a new financial year”: This sale period is mostly targeted specifically towards students and company employees, with items such as clothes, vests, bags, school supplies, etc very much on sale. However, clothes are still the most heavily discounted, making it a great chance for international students in Japan to save money for new clothes. 


  • “The end of April to the beginning of May - Golden Week”: This is the most anticipated vacation in Japan, starting from the 29th of April to the 5th of May. This is also the period where stores and big malls would have huge sales, which starts even before the beginning and lasts until even after the actual end of the Golden Week. Though there are many sales, the products are not very heavily discounted, so just take time to purchase whatever is suitable for your wallet! 


  • “July to August - Summer Sale”: This is the biggest sale of the year, including big brands. The discounts would usually range from 10% to 80% of the original price. 
  • If you go shopping during the early days of the season, the goods will be available in a wide variety of designs. Thus, the shopping malls would also be packed with people. You can choose from various clothes in different sizes, colors, and styles. Even if you cannot go shopping at this time, rest assured since you can also go near the end of the sales period, though there might be less variety available. However, one bonus point is that the price would decrease towards the end of the sales period! 
  • August is the best month to shop for summer fashion and merchandise. Summer in Japan is humid but very hot, so make sure to take advantage of this sale to buy necessary and favorite items to enjoy these vibrant summer days! 


  • “November - Fall Sale”: November is when the weather slowly shifts to become more chilly. With a plethora of fall-winter clothing items on sale, shops would hold huge sales events to attract customers. This makes it the perfect time for you to purchase thick clothing at the cheapest price!


  • “December - End-of-year Sale”: You know that a new sale is coming when Christmas songs can be heard playing on the streets of Japan. This end-of-year sale can also be known as a “liquidation sale,” and so the discounts are very heavy. Thus, many people wait a whole year long for this sale, not only to shop for clothes but also for other products such as electronics, home appliances, etc. 


What to prepare before the sale season: There are some things that you should prepare beforehand to “hunt” for sales effectively: 

  • “Money”: Inarguably the most important thing when it comes to shopping. Though both cashless and cash options are available, it might be best to prepare cash since there would be stores where cashless options are unavailable.
  • “To-buy list”: Before going shopping, you should list out all the things that you want to buy so as to not waste time looking at unnecessary products.
  • “Where to shop”: Rather than looking for it on the go, you should identify the locations where there are big sales happening. This would help save you a lot of time and effort. 
  • “Passport”: Acts just like a sales voucher that you can use for any tax-free shops, which will give you an 8% tax deduction! 


What to do when you accidentally overspend on sales: For those who love shopping, it is very easy to accidentally overspend during sales. And as they bought too many, a lot of the products end up not being used, becoming such a waste. In that case, one solution is to resell those items on secondhand online marketplaces to get some money back.  


Online marketplace suggestions: 


Isn’t seeing something you just bought at full price recently suddenly go on sale shortly after the worst feeling ever? To prevent that from happening, make sure to keep an eye on these annual sale periods to get the best deals on clothing items! 


GoEMON hopes that the above article on annual clothing sales was able to help you know more about when to get the best clothing deals in Japan.


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