In Japan you have a huge variety of stores and shops scattered across the country. This sounds obvious but it is nothing like the west, here you can find stores of every size and type; selling everything from laundry detergent to robots that clean for you. This can get confusing, but in Japan there is one super mega store where you can find it all: Don Quijote, also known as Donkey among the residents of this beautiful country we call Japan. Don Quijote has been around for around 45 years, during this time Don Quijote has cemented itself in the history books of Japan by being the dominant super mega ultra store in the entire history of Japan.
Don Quijote is known by young and old, by male and female, by human and animal. Don Quijote is a store franchise that are basically superstores that usually consist of around 7 – 10 floors were you can literally by everything you need: they have a food section, kitchen appliances, clothes, gadgets and this is only the tip of the iceberg that consist of the beautiful creation that is Don Quijote. Don Quijote offers a wide amount of kitchen appliances and utensils that are used in everyday cooking, they also offer a large variety of food on the first floor where you can buy all kinds of drinks and food. Everything here has a low price as well as the high quality Japan is renowned for.
Don Quijote has been operating in all of Japan, but it is most common in the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, it currently has over 160 stores scattered across all of Japan. You can find a Don Quijote everywhere in the cities and towns: I have one in my town, you have one in your town, our parents have one in theirs and so on (at least in our hearts). It is such an iconic store in Japan that Japan depends on it to survive (don’t quote me on that). Every time you are in the city you basically have to stop at a Don Quijote, this is an unwritten rule in Japan that everyone lives by and follows (as they should). Don Quijote is one of the few big chain superstores that is scattered across all of Japan.
When I arrived in Japan it became very clear what this society was built on: Don Quijote.
Don Quijote is comparable to a super-warehouse where you can buy everything for a cheap price, hence it’s popularity: you can walk in with the idea that you are going to buy a shower curtain and nothing more, but you may end up with 2 bags full of stuff that you didn’t know you needed. It is a surprise what you are going to walk out with and that is what makes it so much fun.
Don Quijote has become an iconic store in Japan and you should 100% visit it when you are in Japan. Don Quijote will offer things you didn’t even know you needed and that is exactly what makes it so beautiful. The store is really family friendly with products for the entire family. I’m pretty sure that Don Quijote is the only store that makes going shopping with your mom fun and that says a lot if you ask me.
To sum all the greatness that comes with Don Quijote: Don Quijote is a chain of megastores that offers anything you can think of for every audience for a reasonable price. Don Quijote is the embodiment of convenience and that will always be the case in Japan and maybe even in the rest of the world in the future.
