Any component shops in Tokyo.

[niscur24]

Will be heading over to Japan later this month and will be spending a few days over in Tokyo before heading back. I have book marked all the major players (golf partners, jypers, victoria, Nikki etc) in new/used shops to visit but cant seem to find any component shops if any exist.

 

I'm past the point of buying blindly and want to touch and feel some geotech, yururi, muria, a grind, etc. Tourspec has pretty pics but at these prices I wanna see the stuff.

 

Does anyone know of any shops that may cater or sell heads only etc for any of these brands.

[Soloman1]

Usually "Golf 5" shops have some component heads and shafts. You can see Yuyuri and some lower-end Miura heads. There is never a good selection, though.

I would say go to Okachimachi on the Yamanote line (the green line around Tokyo). It's between Akihabara and Ueno. Just go out the west exit and turn right or left and you'll see golf shop after golf shop, one after another.

Okachimachi was the area of Tokyo that was the blackmarket place after the war. There is a long history of bargaining. They'll take out a big calculator and show you the "real" price for anything in the store, if you ask. If you don't ask, you lose.

Added: Geotech is out in Chiba and not easy to get to from Tokyo. There are stores in Tokyo that carry their stuff, though.

Here is a link in Japanese, but you can copy and paste addresses into your map app to find them:

http://www.gs-navi.com/search2.asp?ken=%93%8C%8B%9E%93s

[On The Screws]

Are the prices on JDM irons as inflated there as they are here? I know with car parts, in Japan, they're similar to what American parts cost in America, but JDM parts in America are obscene.

[Soloman1]

Depends on the brand. Not all are expensive and clubs are comparable to $US pricing.

Different cost of living. Obviously, buying something in Japan and shipping it to Florida and adding some profit is going to raise the price.

Right now, the exchange rate makes it harder if you're starting with US dollars. It is about 30% more than a year ago. If you live and earn in Japan, it's the same as a year ago.

Japan is always referred to as the most expensive place in the world, but that's not really true. The US feels very expensive to me now.
- My internet service in Japan is 100Mbps fiber (I've had fiber for 14 years) and it costs about 4,500 yen. That's about US$ 36. But that 4,500 yen feels like about US$ 30 because of higher earning power. Good luck finding 100Mbps fiber in the US for US$ 30.
- Restaurants are much more expensive in the US now. No tipping in Japan.
- More people save money and don't live month-to-month in Japan. The average household savings in Japan is over $US114,000. That's how much cash people have in savings in the bank.

There are other reasons, but that's enough...

[niscur24]

Okachimachi/Ameyoko is on my list as well. I have been reading that some places will charge less than what is advertised etc. I assume the correct phrase/approach would be: Ikura desu ka? Then let them show me? Or politely ask if they can make it cheaper?

I'll look for and add Golf 5.

Everytime Ive been over there I never found it to be expensive. I always go in with the mindset of 100y = $1 and base what I feel is expensive off of that ratio and the exchange rate is what it is. Im always happy when I get more yen for my dollar. Right now its about 117y to $1 at my banks.

[Soloman1]

Yes, "ikura desu ka?" will work, but they can just point to the sign.

You can also say, "Hmmm... chotto takai..." with your voice dropping off. That's a little more colloquial and is saying it's a little too expensive.

"Mo chotto yasui dekimasuka?" is can you do it a little cheaper?

Don't say these things loudly - it's a delicate dance of being subtle. Have fun!

[Teejay68]

Not super high end, but I just bought Srixon z945s at Golf 5 here in Okinawa. Modus 120s shafts 3-p set. Cost was about 160,000 yen, but I paid 95,000 yen that came out to about 770 dollars. Exchange was 122.5 to the dollar last week. golf 5 stores are all different sizes (at least here), so the offerings vary depending on what size store you go to.
Another issue you could face is that they typically have a limited stock on hand. They can order anything to the store,but that takes time. They typically use every inch of space as showroom and have very limited storage space.

Hope that helps a little

Tom

[niscur24]

I think I have 12 golf shops on my map from Shimbashi to Ueno to check out while I'm there. Even will be checking out bic camera in ginza as last time I was there they had some great deals on new stuff.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Just a point on Golf Partner. They are apparently franchises, so prices and customer service can be variable. I've used a couple and found prices to vary a little, and advice to vary a lot!
Also, to add to what Soloman1 said, I've seen Miura heads on sale in one or two shops around where I live, but they're always the lower end stuff. I've seen some pretty good RomaRo heads on sale in local golf shops, but sadly I've never seen any Yururi...

Also, here's a list of Tokyo golf shops that collaborate with Miura. It's all in Japanese, but they should all help you with Miura and beyond.
If you need help finding one near where you are staying in Tokyo, let me know.

Forgot to add the Miura link :
http://www.miuragiken.com/shop_and_events/03_kanto/07_tokyo.html