Japan Trip - Looking For Shopping MC Cartridge Recommendations

Yes, but you can buy second hand, i've seen it for about $5000 in mint condition, amazing price for SP-10R, this is only possible in Japan :)) 

I just came back from Japan and China....   Prices are high and you have no assurance that you get the real thing

First, at yodibashi you pay no Japan tax if you present your foreign passport. Second, I saw the SP10R and the SP1000R for sale at yodibashi. After the discounts for passport and using a credit card the net cost would represent a 30 to 40% savings vs US prices. Closer to 40%. Third, my guess is that yodibashi could arrange direct shipping to your door. If they wouldn’t then there are shippers in their area in Akihabara. Piece of cake.

Not all audio stores will go to the trouble of helping customers  to avoid the Japanese VAT, which is one reason I like Yodibashi. The immense size of their business in comparison to the average audio salon permits them to do that, I guess.

One further thought. Since the introduction of the new Technics turntables there has been some rollback of list prices. Or for sure some US based dealers are now willing to give modest discounts. For that reason the margin of savings that one can achieve by shopping in Tokyo may be narrower today than it was last year when I last visited Tokyo. For example, I think I calculated that I could walk out of Yodibashi with an SP10R for the total cost of about $6700. I hope that helps.

Stringreen, Of course you ARE getting the “real thing” at stores in Tokyo. And it certainly would be silly to buy Japanese products in China, especially since the stores in Tokyo are mobbed with Chinese customers who travel there to shop. Funnily to me, the clothing stores are also full with Chinese, buying clothes that are mostly made in China.

The thing described by @lewm is probably what in every country called Tax Free Global Refund read more about it HERE, but as far as i know you will have to show the goods on the Global Refund office in the airport before departure to get TAX back in cash or on card. You can do the same in every big store all over Europe if EU is not your country of origin.

@lewm did you ever bought anything in Yodibashi yourself ? Just curious how it really works. Maybe they can ship it outside of Japan, but they can’t lower the actual cost in custom declaration, for the item with over $7-9000 custom value there must be an import TAX in every country, so your local custom will charge you anyway. Right ?

According to US Custom: "Thus, any articles imported under this section for personal use with a value of under $800 can be imported duty free, and any articles imported for personal use with a value between $800 and $1800, will be subject to a flat 4% duty rate."

What about an item with value over $7000 then, probably higher import tax ? 

Consumption tax in Japan, known in other countries as VAT, GST or sales tax, is a flat 10% on all items except food, drinks and newspaper subscriptions for which it is 8% (not including alcoholic drinks and dining out).

The only way to avoid import tax is physically imported good in your personal luggage on the plane.

ANOTHER problem:
The weight of SP1000R is approx. 40.2 kg (88.7 lbs)
and the weight of SP-10R is approx. 18.2 kg (40.2 lbs)

Normally free luggage limit on the plane is $20-25kg (44 - 55 lbs), most likely you will have to pay extra if your own luggage contain more than just one SP-10R. And you will definitely must use a taxi to the airport in Japan which is extremely expensive.

When you will put together all the expenses then you will realize it is not that easy.

*********** Official prices in USA: *************************

Ask Neil at Sunny Audio Video:

SL1000R is $18K

SP10R is $10K