Costco Japan Christmas Shopping Spree
Costco Japan Christmas Shopping Spree
Overview
In this festive episode, John Daub is joined by his friend Peter von Gomm for a special shopping trip to Costco Makuhari in Chiba Prefecture. With Christmas approaching, they set out to find holiday spirit within the aisles of the American warehouse giant, comparing the selection to what might be found in the United States. The video captures the unique blend of Western and Japanese consumer culture, from Christmas decorations to traditional Japanese school supplies.
John and Peter wander through the store, examining everything from randoseru (Japanese elementary school backpacks) to Christmas trees and decorations. They discuss the pricing and quality of items, noting the presence of Kirkland Signature brands and how Western holidays are adapted in Japan. The tour concludes with a promise to return for a taste test of the famous Costco food court, specifically the sushi and pizza options available in the Japanese locations.
Highlights
- 00:00:03 John introduces the mission: finding Christmas spirit at Costco Japan.
- 00:00:40 Peter von Gomm makes his entrance with characteristic humor.
- 00:03:27 Examination of randoseru (school backpacks) and discussion on pricing.
- 00:05:06 Exploring the Christmas decoration aisle.
- 00:07:30 Discovery of a Kirkland Signature nativity scene.
- 00:10:16 John struggles to recall the name of aojiru (green juice).
- 00:11:30 Heading downstairs to the food section.
- 00:12:58 Promise of a future Costco sushi taste test.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 - Intro & Mission: Finding Christmas spirit at Costco Makuhari.
- 00:40 - Meet Peter: Banter about clothing and comfort.
- 03:27 - School Supplies: Looking at randoseru backpacks.
- 05:00 - Christmas Aisle: Trees, lights, and decorations.
- 07:30 - Kirkland Brands: Nativity scene and store brands.
- 10:15 - Health Products: Discussing barley grass and aojiru.
- 11:30 - Food Court Prep: Moving to the first floor for food.
- 12:50 - Outro: Teasing the sushi and pizza taste test.
Japan Travel Tips
- Location: Costco Makuhari is about a 30-minute train ride from central Tokyo, located in Chiba Prefecture.
- Membership: You need a Costco membership card to enter and shop.
- Food Court: The food court is often located on the first floor (ground level), separate from the main warehouse shopping area.
- Christmas Items: Selection may be smaller than in the US; Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, so decorations are often seasonal displays rather than deep inventory.
- Crowds: Expect crowds during holiday seasons and weekends; weekdays are better for shopping.
- Payment: Credit cards are accepted, but check which ones (Costco Japan has specific partnerships).
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Randoseru (ランドセル): Hard-sided leather backpacks used by elementary school students. Traditionally bought by grandparents, high-quality ones can cost upwards of $500 USD. The ones at Costco were noted as cheaper alternatives (~$200).
- Aojiru (青汁): Green vegetable juice, often made from barley grass (mugi). John struggles to remember the name, calling it "aowori" before settling on the concept. It is a popular health supplement in Japan.
- Christmas in Japan: Not a national holiday. Celebrations are often commercial, focusing on decorations, fried chicken, and Christmas cake rather than religious observance.
- Kirkland Signature: Costco's private brand is well-known and trusted in Japan, similar to the US.
Food & Drink Guide
- Pizza: Available at the food court; John mentions it as "world's best" (ironically or sincerely).
- Sushi: Unique to Japanese Costco locations; John promises a future taste test.
- Coffee: Kirkland Signature coffee beans, noted as roasted by Starbucks and good value.
- Maple Syrup: Imported item available in the grocery section.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries are often cheaper at Costco than other retailers.
- Samples: Free food samples are available throughout the store (John tries a sample during the stream).
People
- John Daub: Host, American expat living in Japan for 30+ years. Enthusiastic, curious, and familiar with both cultures.
- Peter von Gomm: John's friend, fellow American expat. Provides comic relief, candid opinions, and joins John on various outings.
Key Takeaways
- Costco Japan offers a mix of American bulk goods and Japan-specific items like sushi and randoseru.
- Christmas decorations are available but the selection is limited compared to the US.
- The food court is a major draw, offering items like pizza and sushi not found in US Costcos.
- Randoseru backpacks are a significant cultural item, with high-quality versions being a major investment for families.
Notable Quotes
- 00:00:49 Peter von Gomm: "Kiss my ring."
- 00:02:44 Peter von Gomm: "Well, when you shop at Costco, you don't want to wear your finest."
- 00:04:26 John Daub: "Typically the kids' grandparents buy the randoseru for the child, the grandchild."
- 00:07:26 John Daub: "Costco is kind of one of those places where you come where you have tons of time and money to blow, neither of which I have."
- 00:13:08 John Daub: "I promise. 100% promise. I'm not... You gotta be careful."
Related Topics
- Costco Food Court Japan
- Christmas in Tokyo
- Japanese School Supplies
- American Expat Life in Japan
- Chiba Prefecture Travel
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #costco-japan #christmas-shopping #makuhari #randoseru #peter-von-gomm #costco-food-court #chiba #tokyo-travel #american-in-japan #aojiru #costco-sushi
Full Transcript
00:00:03 John Daub: Ah, Costco Japan. It's that time of year, Christmas, when you have that extra spirit in the air to go shopping. And here in Japan, we have Costco. We've had it for about 10 years now. And it's a place I like to come when I want to feel back home a little bit. Because everything's just a little bit bigger here than it is in the rest of Tokyo. But we're here for one mission, and that is to find that Christmas spirit. And see if we can live a little bit more Christmassy here at Costco, an American chain store.
00:00:40 John Daub: And with me is a man who needs no introduction. The Don himself.
00:00:49 Peter von Gomm: Kiss my ring.
00:00:50 John Daub: I'm not doing that.
00:00:51 Peter von Gomm: Kiss my ring.
00:00:56 John Daub: What's that? You got a floor mat? These are so warm.
00:01:00 Peter von Gomm: It is. It looks pretty nice. Is it like a throw rug or something? Is that supposed to put it on your lap?
00:01:04 John Daub: I think so. I think you have to put more passion into your acting, though.
00:01:09 Peter von Gomm: This is like that yak that I rode when I was in Mongolia.
00:01:16 John Daub: You were not in Mongolia, were you? Nobody else's life. So Peter also needs to find some of that Christmas spirit. He hasn't been on one of these live streams in a long time.
00:01:30 Peter von Gomm: Yeah, how are you guys doing?
00:01:31 John Daub: Pretty good. It has been a while.
00:01:33 Peter von Gomm: It's been a while.
00:01:34 John Daub: And you can't talk too much about Christmas. That's one thing I hate. It's people that start putting up their Christmas tree and talking all this festive crap. It's not even the end of October. Or what month are we? Not even the end of November yet. We just finished Thanksgiving in the United States. And traditionally, the end of Thanksgiving means the start of the Christmas holidays.
00:01:57 Peter von Gomm: Right.
00:01:57 John Daub: Right? So basically, we're already in Monday here in Japan. But yeah, this is Cyber Monday. This is a time when we go shopping all over. All over the world it starts. Why not in Tokyo? Why not here in Japan? They actually have a Black Friday in Japan as well.
00:02:16 Peter von Gomm: They do?
00:02:16 John Daub: Yeah. They do. But it's not... All of these Western things are...
00:02:20 Peter von Gomm: This is cool. Look at this.
00:02:22 John Daub: I know. There's a lot of this stuff. Oh man. Are you going to try like you did at Don Quixote to ride this bad boy?
00:02:32 Peter von Gomm: No, no. But look at... Oh my god. The snitch dorm [?]. You can stand up on it and stuff.
00:02:38 John Daub: Why don't you...
00:02:40 Peter von Gomm: I like your sweatpants by the way.
00:02:42 John Daub: Oh, thank you. Thank you. Very...
00:02:44 Peter von Gomm: Well, when you shop at Costco, you don't want to wear your finest.
00:02:47 John Daub: Clearly. Well, you want to be comfortable.
00:02:48 Peter von Gomm: You want to be comfortable.
00:02:49 John Daub: Why don't you turn that camera around and show them what you're wearing?
00:02:52 Peter von Gomm: What is that supposed to mean?
00:02:53 John Daub: What's that supposed to mean? It's what I normally wear.
00:02:58 Peter von Gomm: Oh, look. Stuff that I wouldn't be caught dead in.
00:03:00 John Daub: That's what you usually wear.
00:03:02 John Daub: But I like... They have a lot of the stuff that they have everywhere else. Like this. Crocs. This is fun. Look at that. Padded Crocs. I should love that as a kid. Look at that. Oh, no way.
00:03:12 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. Yeah. Look at that. That is what.
00:03:27 John Daub: Now we're getting into a little bit of the Christmassy stuff. So Costco Makuhari, this is where we are right now. It's about a 30 minute train ride from Tokyo. A little bit further if you live where he lives, in the middle of nowhere. And... He gets lost like I do. He gets lost. A couple of things I want to show you right now. These are Japanese school backpacks.
00:03:47 Peter von Gomm: Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
00:03:49 John Daub: They're called randoseru (Japanese school backpacks). Which must be... Is it like a German name or something?
00:03:54 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. These are kind of cheap looking though.
00:03:55 John Daub: You can tell the quality of the thing. This is the backpack that the school kids have to have in Japan. And they've got this quality. This cut. The cut is similar. The quality is not.
00:04:07 Peter von Gomm: No. It's not leather. Usually they get the leather one.
00:04:10 John Daub: So the way it typically works... This is not like this. This is real?
00:04:13 Peter von Gomm: Yeah, it's real. It's real leather.
00:04:16 John Daub: I don't know. But typically the kids' grandparents buy the randoseru for the child, the grandchild. Before they go to school.
00:04:25 Peter von Gomm: Oh, really?
00:04:26 John Daub: Yeah. These look cheap. And they're about $500 on up.
00:04:29 Peter von Gomm: Well, this one is $200. This is the 2018 model. It does... Randoseru. And it's a Dutch name, I believe. It comes from Dutch language.
00:04:43 John Daub: That's a lot. $300? Right? This is... Well, $200. So, man, this is about $200. But the real ones, I mean, the high quality ones are at least $500. I like the little bike up there.
00:04:50 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. Little chimpanzee bike.
00:04:54 John Daub: A little chimpanzee bike. All right. Now we're into the Christmas stuff here. So what did we... What did we come here for?
00:05:04 Peter von Gomm: For Christmas.
00:05:06 John Daub: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. All right. So they have booze and chocolate. So there really is not that much. Oh, there's some trees over there, but those aren't Christmas. Oh, in the back over there, that's Christmas trees. And we have some chocolate here. This is Christmas. I guess this is part of the Christmas.
00:05:34 John Daub: So you were telling me earlier, Kirkland is...
00:05:36 Peter von Gomm: That's who owns Costco?
00:05:38 John Daub: Kirkland?
00:05:39 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. So that's their store brand. I don't know if they own it. That's just the brand they use for the products.
00:05:43 John Daub: Okay. So you work on the labels?
00:05:46 Peter von Gomm: I think so. But I don't see...
00:05:50 John Daub: Now, this is my style. Oh, the Ferrari.
00:05:58 Peter von Gomm: Peter's... I can't hear you.
00:06:03 John Daub: I'm just gonna keep walking this way. I can't hear you. This is the Christmas area. So we have some... We have some ribbons. It's kind of pricey. And here we have mousse for all you Canadians. And then we have some... Some little mousse action. It's not that big. I'm a little bit shocked. I thought it'd be bigger.
00:06:33 Peter von Gomm: What? The Christmas display?
00:06:34 John Daub: Yeah. This one is... This one is 300... About $300 for that tree. That's kind of... It feels pretty real.
00:06:40 Peter von Gomm: Does it?
00:06:41 John Daub: Yeah. It feels real. But when you get it close, it doesn't... Oh, it does. It does feel real. It's got... Yeah. Very similar to the... It doesn't have that pine smell at the end. You don't get any sap on your carpet.
00:06:53 Peter von Gomm: That can't be real. You need sap on your carpet.
00:06:56 John Daub: Oh, look. They got the carpet. They got the candles. They don't bring this stuff out except for at this time of year. Lovely.
00:07:06 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
00:07:08 John Daub: I'm starting to feel it a little bit. I do feel the Christmas spirit a little bit. We're in the Christmas corner. Actually this whole...
00:07:15 Peter von Gomm: Here you go.
00:07:16 John Daub: This Christmas... You know what? Costco is kind of one of those places where you come where you have tons of time and money to blow, neither of which I have.
00:07:26 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
00:07:26 John Daub: So why am I even here?
00:07:27 Peter von Gomm: I don't know. Here's the nativity scene.
00:07:30 John Daub: That's pretty cool. They have that too.
00:07:33 Peter von Gomm: Yeah, it's nice. And made by Kirkland.
00:07:35 John Daub: Wow. That's pretty cool. They got their hands in everything.
00:07:38 Peter von Gomm: They do. And I like these lights as well. They look like barbed wire with lights. I kind of like that. It's like you... You can wrap it around stuff. You entice people to come to your place but then they get stuck in the barbed wire.
00:07:55 John Daub: Yeah. This is nice too. This is a lighted snowman. You can feel the Christmas spirit.
00:08:07 Peter von Gomm: Hey, can you do this?
00:08:09 John Daub: What?
00:08:14 Peter von Gomm: Where'd he go? Oh. Don't hurt yourself. It's the sound of a madder grasshopper. I have a feeling it's... You enjoying yourself?
00:08:29 John Daub: I don't think so, man.
00:08:31 Peter von Gomm: Bye. See you my son.
00:08:35 John Daub: All right. The Christmas aisle is not that big. Here's a... They have a pomegranate gift... I don't know what that is.
00:08:44 Peter von Gomm: You ever heard of this? It's a cheese ball.
00:08:47 John Daub: It is a cheese ball, isn't it? Isn't that... No, it's... It's bath stuff.
00:08:51 Peter von Gomm: Bath fizz. Pomegranate bath stuff. Bath fizz. For that special lady in your life.
00:09:01 John Daub: Here's some more stuff. This is Christmassy. LED lights, I guess, are really Christmassy. They didn't have this when I was a kid. Lights are pretty boring. Some people still light candles on the tree. Real fire hazard. Oh, this has got to be... Yep.
00:09:26 Peter von Gomm: Yeah, really?
00:09:30 John Daub: They're kind of cool. Look at it. They do every single color. Those are cool. Nice. And if you like jam, you can jam with these.
00:09:41 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. Awesome jars. Colored holiday jam jars. Yeah. With lights. There's LED lights inside the jam jars. Why would you do that? That's extreme.
00:09:58 John Daub: Yeah. That's about it. Costco is pretty lacking in the Christmas department still.
00:10:05 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. I'm not... I'm not really feeling it, Costco. But I can't say that it's a bad display because it's usually not that big.
00:10:16 John Daub: I think so. Is it... This is like wheatgrass. Isn't that what owl... It's called owl... It's called... Oh, shoot. I can't remember the Japanese word.
00:10:29 Peter von Gomm: Barley. Okay. It says mugi in it. Yeah. You need that for your high cholesterol or something?
00:10:37 John Daub: Oh, yeah. Hold on. That's gluten free. See, it's like wheatgrass.
00:10:40 Peter von Gomm: Oh, yeah. Right. I used to grow this stuff. Okay. And then you cut it and you squeeze the juice out of it and drink it. I saw this in Malaysia. They had it growing at the shopping mall in KL town and the KLCC. They had like a juice bar with grass. That was pretty cool. So I guess it's all over Asia. What does that stuff called the owl owl owl aloe? I want to say aohige [?], but that's not. I don't know.
00:11:22 John Daub: Dude, the Metamucil is this way.
00:11:30 Peter von Gomm: I don't see anything up here on this floor. So we're gonna go downstairs to the first floor where the food is.
00:11:38 John Daub: Okay, ooh food. Yeah. Yeah, you promised me. Like the world's best pizza. Oh, the pizza is downstairs in the restaurant. So we're gonna go shopping a little bit more on the first floor. The second floor is at Makuhari. It's mostly like soaps, toys and...
00:12:08 Peter von Gomm: You and your Vaseline. I know you're about to run out.
00:12:18 John Daub: Yeah, so yeah, I think I'm gonna get some maple syrup. There's a bunch of stuff. I usually come here for the coffee. It's really good. It's really cheap. Yeah, coffee is pretty good.
00:12:24 Peter von Gomm: It's roasted by Starbucks. So I mean there's a Kirkland name on it. They put the Kirkland name on it. But I don't mind Kirkland stuff. I don't have a problem with it. They're cheesy. Why don't they. I don't mind the name. Oh, you know, what'd be great name Peter. They should call their brand Peter.
00:12:44 John Daub: You're on to something. Ah. Or you're on something.
00:12:49 Peter von Gomm: Here this is how you know, you're in Japan. You have a massive sushi section down there and we're gonna be trying some of the sushi. Just definitely stay tuned.
00:12:58 John Daub: Stay tuned for another live stream because we're gonna do a Costco sushi taste test Kirkland sushi.
00:13:05 Peter von Gomm: You promise.
00:13:08 John Daub: I promise. 100% promise. I'm not... You gotta be careful.
00:13:30 Peter von Gomm: He's trying to find out the name of that green grass product now.
00:13:38 John Daub: Japan Costco is a little bit more crowded than the other Costcos I like to go to the freezer section. Usually I will usually try to buy blueberries. Oh, no cold in here. I try to buy blueberries. Find the blueberries. Usually they have blueberries fresh and it's a fraction of the cost the other places.
00:14:25 Peter von Gomm: Sorry, what do you got there?
00:14:50 John Daub: Me can't love you Costco sample. Look at the size of that though. That's a big juicy. Mmm, I found out the name of that thing. I was trying to tell you the green. All right, it's called aojiru [?].
00:15:03 Peter von Gomm: How'd you do?