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'Treasure Hunt': Tourists Boost Sales at Japan's Don Quijote Stores

Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from compact gadgets to party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists. Richard A. Brooks / AFP
Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from compact gadgets to party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists. Richard A. Brooks / AFP
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'Treasure Hunt': Tourists Boost Sales at Japan's Don Quijote Stores

Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from compact gadgets to party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists. Richard A. Brooks / AFP
Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from compact gadgets to party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists. Richard A. Brooks / AFP

Business is booming at Japanese discount chain Don Quijote, which sells everything from nostril-hair wax to compact gadgets and colorful party costumes, thanks to its cult status among tourists but also inflation at home.

At a large Don Quijote store in Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district, hundreds of tourists rush to fill their baskets with snacks and souvenirs from its heaving narrow aisles.

"I was pretty overwhelmed at first, just because there's so many options, everything's in a different language," 27-year-old Garett Bryan from the United States told AFP.

But "I feel like I bought a lot and it was only like $70" including "a coffee cup for my mom, a fan, some Godzilla chopsticks, just a couple toys".

The chaotic cut-price shops nicknamed "Donki" were founded in the 1980s by Takao Yasuda, who named them after his business inspiration: the idealistic protagonist of the classic Spanish novel, "Don Quixote".

He wanted to shake up Japan's staid retail industry with new tactics including late-night opening hours as well as more varied prices and product lines.

Now a record influx of visitors to Japan, fueled by a weak yen, is boosting sales nationwide.

Revenues at Don Quijote in Japan are "around 1.7 higher than before the pandemic", said Motoki Hata, a manager at the retailer.

Last year its parent firm Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH) saw revenue rise around 12 percent year-on-year for its discount chains including Donki, while tax-free sales beat internal forecasts.

Shopping at Don Quijote is like a "treasure hunt" -- a fun experience that foreign visitors love, Hata told AFP.

"Customers end up buying something different than what they came in for," he said beside rows of cherry-blossom flavor KitKats, a popular exclusive product.

- 'Jungle'-like -

Don Quijote and its sister brands have 501 stores in Japan, where 24 new ones opened during the past financial year.

PPIH Group also runs 110 stores abroad, in the United States and across Asia from Taiwan to Thailand.

California is one place being targeted by the company for expansion, according to analyst Paul Kraft, founder of Tokyo-based consultancy firm JapanIQ.

But that plan could be complicated by US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs -- including levies of 24 percent on Japan, which have been paused until July.

Even so, "I wouldn't bet against them, even in this entire high-tariff environment", Kraft said.

"Nobody adjusts as fast as Don Quijote in retail in Japan -- even faster than convenience stores, because they give so much autonomy to their stores."

They are also "some of the smartest and most aggressive buyers that I've seen", with consistently "the best selection of almost anything".

However, in Japan at least, the shopping experience is "cramped, dark, you know, the buildings might be old" with products seemingly "hanging from everywhere".

Don Quijote's omnipresent Santa-hat wearing penguin mascot Donpen and its "Don Don Donki" jingle on repeat just adds to the "jungle"-like experience.

"It is just almost an assault on the senses," Kraft said.

- Inflation hits -

Still, Don Quijote "has grown to be an extremely important retailer in Japan", Kraft said -- especially as rising inflation ramps up demand for cheaper products.

The country's core inflation rate accelerated to 3.2 percent in March, with consumers feeling the pinch on electricity bills as well as kitchen staples like cabbage and rice.

Household consumption fell 1.1 percent in 2024, with some people making the trip to Don Quijote to save.

"It's less expensive than other shops, and they also have famous brands," said a Tokyo resident who shops at the store twice a week and gave her surname as Kuroki.

Shoji Raku, 20, told AFP she shops at Donki for "shampoo, electronics and everything that you don't find elsewhere".

There is even usually a cordoned off adults-only section at Donki stores selling various sex toys.

Tourist sales remain a key focus for the chain, which plans to open two new stores targeted at visitors in Japan next year, centered on duty-free products.

But one Donki customer, Bruno Bosi from Brazil, said shoppers should tread with caution.

"It is a store for you to buy as much as you want -- but I think you need to ask yourself if you need it," he said.

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Varieties

Burnt-Out Indonesians Beat the Blues with Children’s Games

Members of the "Playing Community" group react as they play an Indonesian children's game at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium compounds in Jakarta on May 22, 2026. (AFP)
Members of the "Playing Community" group react as they play an Indonesian children's game at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium compounds in Jakarta on May 22, 2026. (AFP)
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Burnt-Out Indonesians Beat the Blues with Children’s Games

Members of the "Playing Community" group react as they play an Indonesian children's game at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium compounds in Jakarta on May 22, 2026. (AFP)
Members of the "Playing Community" group react as they play an Indonesian children's game at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium compounds in Jakarta on May 22, 2026. (AFP)

Flushed and sweating, 31-year-old Annisa Enggracia Fidel runs back and forth to defend her fort from invaders -- hundreds of fellow adults all beating the blues by playing a nostalgic Indonesian children's game.

The tech professional is a member of Jakarta's "Playing Community", a group that gathers after work every Friday to let off steam in ways not usually associated with grown-ups.

Similar get-togethers have sprung up elsewhere in the Southeast Asian nation as larger numbers of burnt-out workers seek novel solutions for handling stress and maintaining mental health.

"The more energy we exert, the more we sweat, the more our stress is released," Annisa told AFP at the capital's main stadium, where about 500 people had come together.

"Of course, our happy chemicals are released too -- endorphins -- and that's what makes us feel more energized and motivated," she said after her game, which was enthusiastically cheered on from the sidelines.

Rapid urbanization has transformed Jakarta's metropolitan area -- now recognized as the world's biggest, with more than 42 million residents.

The expansion has brought faster-paced lifestyles, grinding traffic jams, regular flooding, severe air pollution and a dire shortage of public green spaces to unwind.

The Playing Community dates from 2024, when founder Akihiko Akira was battling work pressure and personal problems.

"It started because, like most Gen Z folks, I was stressed out by work, burnt out with life," he said.

The 24-year-old office worker found solace in "lompat karet" -- a game from infancy that involves jumping over a long rope made from braided elastic bands.

Videos he posted were met with a surge of interest from others wishing to join.

"The games make us reminisce about our childhood... not only can we be healthier, but we can also enjoy that nostalgic feeling with our inner child," Akira said.

That "can help release the stress inside of us, inside of our soul", he told AFP.

- Inner child revived -

The concept has since spread beyond Jakarta to other parts of Java island, such as Bandung and Yogyakarta, as well as to the tourist island of Bali.

Participants -- sometimes up to 1,000 per session -- are not charged a fee. They only need to bring their own water bottles and comfortable clothing.

Many activities are high-energy, including Annisa's beloved fort-guarding game -- known as "bentengan" -- and a variant of tag called "petak jongkok".

But some opt for less physically demanding escapism in the form of "congklak" -- a counting game using seeds or stones -- or "bola bekel", similar to jacks.

IT developer Imam Hidayat said he joined the Jakarta group after jogging past a Playing Community session last year.

"I was very stressed out because of deadlines, especially since I work in a corporate bank," said the 27-year-old.

"It makes me so happy. I played two games tonight, including 'bentengan' with many other people."

Initiatives like Playing Community are invaluable as a drug-free anti-depressant, said Jakarta-based psychologist Ratih Ibrahim.

"There's a sense of togetherness; you meet new people, and in that moment, you become human again," she told AFP.

Intan Permata, a 36-year-old homemaker and mother of three from neighboring Banten province, agreed.

"In our daily lives, we get so caught up in school issues, the kids, the house... It really feels like such a refreshing break," she told AFP.

"My inner child suddenly returned, all the sore muscles disappeared, and I feel happy. Very happy," said Intan.

Varieties

Greek Fishermen Struggle to Keep Up with Pufferfish Invaders

This photograph shows a yellow-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus), which are considered to be even more toxic than the larger silver-cheeked pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), swimming in a tank at Cretaquarium Thalassokosmos in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on June 2, 2026. (AFP)
This photograph shows a yellow-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus), which are considered to be even more toxic than the larger silver-cheeked pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), swimming in a tank at Cretaquarium Thalassokosmos in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on June 2, 2026. (AFP)
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Greek Fishermen Struggle to Keep Up with Pufferfish Invaders

This photograph shows a yellow-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus), which are considered to be even more toxic than the larger silver-cheeked pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), swimming in a tank at Cretaquarium Thalassokosmos in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on June 2, 2026. (AFP)
This photograph shows a yellow-spotted pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus), which are considered to be even more toxic than the larger silver-cheeked pufferfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus), swimming in a tank at Cretaquarium Thalassokosmos in Heraklion, on the island of Crete, on June 2, 2026. (AFP)

On his fishing boat moored in the Greek port of Ierapetra in southwestern Crete, Alexis Charlambakis pries open the mouth of a freshly-caught pufferfish to reveal two massive teeth on each jaw.

"If one of these bites you, it will take your finger clean off," the 43-year-old said. "They are the destruction of the sea. They leave nothing behind."

Proof of the damage is visible on a neighboring boat deck: a ray, a common seabream and another fish netted that day lie half shredded.

Pufferfish, a warm-water invasive species, were first spotted in Greek waters some 20 years ago and are wreaking havoc with the country's fishing industry, a pillar of the nation's agricultural exports.

Off the coast of Crete, Greece's largest island, fishermen are seeing their catch dwindle because of the silver-cheeked Lagocephalus sceleratus menace, which typically measures between 40 and 60 cm.

"It's an omnivorous fish that eats everything it encounters," said 65-year-old fisherman Giannis Giankakis.

"Nothing seems to bother it, because it has no natural predators among other fish," he added.

- Southern invaders -

The pufferfish explosion in Greek waters is the latest example of how warming oceans are changing ecosystems and upturning their reliant economies.

Of the nearly 200 species of pufferfish living in the world's warm waters, three are currently found in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Scientists recorded them for the first time in Greece in June 2005, said Nota Peristeraki of the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR).

Present in the Red Sea and in the Indian and Pacific oceans, the silver-cheeked pufferfish entered the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, according to Université Côte d'Azur, which records non-native Mediterranean species.

Originally located near Crete and the Dodecanese islands, it has since spread to other areas, Peristeraki said.

- 'We cannot survive' -

In addition to their powerful toxin that makes them deadly to eat, these members of the Tetraodontidae family have a beak-like mouth strong enough to bite through wood and metal.

They not only ravage the fishermen's daily catch, but leave their nets in tatters too.

"If this wasn't my boat, I'd quit this profession for good," Charlambakis said.

"The situation is dire...we cannot survive," he told AFP.

After five days at sea, Charlambakis said his nets become useless and difficult to repair.

"It took me two days to fix these nets. I took them out this morning, another 20 holes," he said.

Feasting on other fish, crustaceans and squid, pufferfish cause around 8,500 euros' ($9,800) worth of damage and lost income per year to fishing boats, said Peristeraki, the HCMR marine biologist.

The predator also contains tetrodotoxin, "an extremely dangerous toxin if ingested," warns HCMR marine biologist Thekla Anastasiou.

"It causes heart failure and stops the lungs from functioning," Anastasiou said.

- 'Worse every year' -

"It is imperative to reduce their population," Peristeraki said.

That's easier said than done, fishermen say.

"The job gets worse every year," said 53-year-old fisherman Kostis Zevelekakis.

"The state isn't doing enough to help us deal with these fish (...) We can control their numbers if we're given the right framework to hunt them," he added.

WWF in April released a responsible seafood guide with over a hundred species found on the Greek market.

Among them are 13 invasive species which were not on the previous guide in 2015.

The newcomers include the Atlantic shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) and blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the northern Aegean Sea, and the lionfish (Pterois miles) in waters further south.

The fishermen want the state to subsidize them to hunt pufferfish, a program already running in neighboring Cyprus.

"They should give us an incentive to round them up," said 25-year-old Babis Doriakis.

"I have taken on my father's fishing boat, but I won't be able to continue without assistance," he said.

Then deputy agriculture minister Christos Kellas in February told parliament that authorities were examining a support program for fishermen.

- Waste not -

Scientists in the meantime are trying to find ways to neutralize the fish's deadly toxin -- which can cause paralysis, respiratory failure, and death -- in order to make it marketable.

"At present, pufferfish are considered class 1 waste," the equivalent of potentially threatening industrial waste, said Elkethe chemist Manolis Mandalakis.

Under EU rules, the appropriate way to treat this waste is incineration, he said.

"We are trying to find alternative ways...that are less energy-consuming," said Mandalakis.

Potential uses could include fertilizer or fish feed, he said.

Varieties

‘This Is Our Culture’: Japan Fans Clean Up World Cup Stadium

Japan fans clear trash in the stands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)
Japan fans clear trash in the stands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)
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‘This Is Our Culture’: Japan Fans Clean Up World Cup Stadium

Japan fans clear trash in the stands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)
Japan fans clear trash in the stands during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F match between Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Getty Images/AFP)

Japan fans left the stands spotless after their World Cup opener against the Netherlands in Texas on Sunday, saying it was "Japanese culture" to tidy up after themselves.

Spectators stayed behind after the 2-2 draw to make sure they left the stadium as they found it, meticulously picking up litter and stuffing it into blue plastic bags.

It is a habit first learned at primary school and Japan fan Eita Tanaka told AFP that "we have to think about everyone".

"Japanese people think that when we use a certain place, we were told that you have to make that place look tidier when you leave than it was when you arrived," said the 20-year-old, clasping a couple of cups, and wearing Japan's blue shirt.

"For example, at school in our classrooms we tidy it up after ourselves without our teacher telling us."

Japan are appearing at their eighth straight World Cup and their fans' cleanliness has become their international calling card.

NFL quarterback Jameis Winston could even be seen joining in the clean-up after Sunday's game, wearing a blue Japan shirt with his name on the back.

Japan fan Futo Hagiwara said he was proud that the behavior of his countrymen had been recognized in a positive light.

"This is our culture, that means everywhere we go we need to clean it after ourselves, it's our spiritual way, our attitude," he said.

Sociologist and philosopher Masachi Ohsawa believes a mix of social responsibility and peer pressure is behind the fans' behavior.

"While Japanese people tend not to take much interest in justice on a large scale -- issues like global inequality, conflict or climate change -- they are extremely sensitive to moral considerations on a smaller scale," he said.

"When it comes to people who they share the same space with or have direct personal contact with, they feel a strong desire not to cause them any trouble or make them feel uncomfortable."

- School of life -

Cleaning chores are a part of Japanese education from an early age, and children can be seen scrubbing floors and tables at schools every day.

Public waste bins are scarce in the country, and people are expected to take their rubbish home with them.

Getting rid of household waste can be a labyrinthine task that involves separating rubbish into different categories.

Scott North, emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Osaka, said he and his neighbors get together twice a year to pull out weeds and rake up cuttings.

He said such groups are organized into leaders and followers, and operate in a similar way to Japanese football supporters.

"Since everyone comes together, there's an expectation that they'll act as a group," said North, an American who has lived in Japan for about 40 years.

"And when the leaders break out the bags and say here you go, nobody is going to say no."

Sociologist Ohsawa said such behavior could be explained by what Japanese people refer to as "reading the air".

"In Japan, even if one person starts picking up litter, those around them feel they simply cannot help but join in," he said.

"That's because if they don't, the people they are with will think they are a bad person."

He said peer pressure was a powerful social force.

"In this case, the primary motivation isn't so much a desire to keep the stadium clean or to avoid causing trouble for the people who have to clean the stadium afterwards," he said.

"It's more a desire not to be seen as a nuisance in one's own group."

Whatever the reasons, Japan's fans will keep tidying up for as long as they stay in the tournament.

Their next game is against Tunisia in Mexico on Saturday, and fan Hagiwara is happy to keep leading by example.

"We usually don't tell children they should do it," he said.

"We just show our actions and behavior, and other people follow."