If all the influencer videos have made you want to go to Donki in Japan, but you don’t know what to get, this What To Buy At Don Quijote In Japan post will help.
For more help planning your trip check out all of our posts about Japan.
If you’re planning a trip to Japan, and you’ve looked at anything on Instagram, there’s a very good chance that the algorithm has shown you someone’s Don Quijote post playing that song in the background.
You know the one.
Don Don Don, Donki. Don Quijote.
So, you decide that when you’re going to Japan, you need to go into Donki for the song.
But, so many of the videos make it seem like it’s chaotic, overstimulating, and a place where you need a plan.
I do suggest going in with the plan, but mostly because Don Quijote sells a ton of items. So if you just go in there, expecting that it’s like Target, which will tell you what you need even if you don’t know what you need (IYKYK), it’s not like that.
It feels disorganized inside, even if it’s not, so you want to know what to look for before you go.
So we’re here to help. Absolutely check out Donki and wander around for a little while. Something may find you. But also, look for all of the things on our list.
This post is filled with everything I would buy at Don Quijote, but there are some things that I would buy at Daiso instead because they’re cheaper there.
Find out what to buy at Daiso in Japan, and more about the store itself, when you click that link.
What To Buy At Don Quijote In Japan
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Souvenirs
Donki really caters to visitors. You see more travelers than locals shopping there. So, it has a ton of souvenirs.
You’ll find items like blueberry Kit Kats in a Mount Fuji-shaped box, okonomiyaki-flavored Pringles, and cute Sanrio items that are the perfect souvenirs for your friends at home.
You can find unique Kit Kats and chips at the local grocery store, but the ones at Don Quijote are packaged in cute souvenir boxes, making them really great for gifts. So, definitely do a lot of your generic souvenir shopping there.
Furikake Seasoning
One of my favorite things that we brought back from Japan this time is furikake seasoning. It’s a blend of seasonings that you put on rice. It’s a great way to get some extra grains into your day.
I like shopping for this at Don Quijote because it has a large variety of options. Daiso does too, just an FYI.
I also stocked up on togarashi seasoning. There were refills for the bottles that we have at home and they were so incredibly cheap at Donki.
Beauty Products
Don Quijote has a huge selection of beauty products, including shampoos, lotions, sunscreen, and all the products that influencers tell you to buy in Japan.
You can find them at drugstores in shopping streets as well, but the selections aren’t as vast as you find in Don Quijote.
So, if you’re looking for something specific, or if you’re just looking for a bunch of random things to bring home to try, this is where you’re gonna wanna shop.
Socks
I bought so many pairs of socks when I was in Japan last time. I found a bunch in Daiso at 100-yen stores, but I found the largest variety of Sanrio and other character socks in Don Quijote.
They are a little more expensive than if you were to buy them in a 100-yen store, but the ones there are pretty generic. Donki has ones with all your favorite characters, like Cinnamoroll and Hello Kitty with designs that I didn’t see anywhere else.
What was interesting to me was that these were pretty much the only character-themed clothing items at Don Quijote. I found things like New Era MLB baseball caps and Nike T-shirts for men, but very little character clothing.
I was shocked to find a Donpen and Donko character sweatshirt with Little Twin Stars on it. It was on clearance, so it was just luck that I found it.
Rice Face Mask
Every influencer video will tell you to buy the Keana Nadeshiko rice face mask at Don Quijote. So, of course, when I was there, we were influenced to buy it. Every day, my poor face would be so sweaty from sightseeing in the summer heat, I said I was going to come home, shower, and rest with the face mask.
I never did. But it was always my intention.
Anytime we did go out shopping, I saw at least one shop selling the same exact pack of rice face masks for the same exact price.
So, it was good to know that the pack I bought at Don Quijote wasn’t marked up. And actually that’s a pretty impressive thing about Donki. It is known for being a tourist destination, but it doesn’t charge a premium to price gouge tourists. So, if you are doing shopping in there, you don’t have to worry about being overcharged.
Doshisha Gorilla Series
Another thing that influencers will tell you to buy at Donki are the products in the Doshisha Gorilla series. In some of the stores there’s a huge display for it because they know that vacationers are looking for it.
The line is filled with wrap-around Velcro products, which are high-power compression and squeeze massagers that give you a deep tissue massage at home. Since you’re going to be walking over 15,000 steps a day in Japan, influencers suggest these.
I was excited when I found it and then not excited when I saw the price. There are a few (some for calves, hands, and more) and they’re all pretty expensive. I wasn’t sure how it would be for my aching calves, so I left it at the store. But, now that I’m home, I’m having non-buyers remorse.
Japanese Snacks
Don Quijote has a huge variety of Japanese snacks. I found almost all of my favorites there, from the Meiji Chocorooms to Macadamia Nut Chocolates.
There is a huge section in store with shelves filled of packaged snacks and drinks.
This is separate from the souvenir section, which has similar snacks, but in fancy packaging. These snacks are packed just as you get them in a grocery store and actually, the boxed sweets that I stocked up on were cheaper in Don Quijote than in the grocery store near our Airbnb.
There are also snacks you can enjoy that day, like the popular yaki imo (Japanese baked sweet potato) as well.
Japanese Alcohol/Drinks
Many (but not all) Don Quijote stores sell alcohol. If you happen to find one that does, it’s usually a huge selection of everything from fruit wine to whiskey.
What’s fun is that some of the items come with a bonus gift. We found Johnny Walker blue label (with a souvenir fan), Suntory whisky (with a souvenir glass), and a six-pack of Asahi with a package of ramen on it. Not all of the drinks comes with a souvenir, but I did like noticing the ones that did.
You can also find coolers with cold single drinks, like beer and lemon sour, which you can buy if you’re of legal drinking age. There are also rows of cold coffee and non-alcoholic drinks too.
If you’re going to be staying a while, you might want to look in the grocery store for better prices, but Donki does have a great selection.
Hanabi (aka Japanese fireworks)
You can find packs of hanabi, which are Japanese fireworks, all over Japan. We saw them in all the konbinis, like 7-Eleven. But, we were on the hunt for very specific hanabi for my aunt, and we were only able to find them in Donki.
You can’t bring hanabi back on the airplane, so don’t think that you’re gonna go to Donki to stock up on them for your friends back home. But, they are really fun to buy for one of the nights you’re on vacation.
We lit a bunch of them the night we had family over for a party and all of the kids really enjoyed them.
That’s actually something we’ve done every time I’ve gone to Japan so hanabis are a really special experience for me.
Adult Novelty Items
What you do in your bedroom is up to you. I don’t wanna know anything about it.
But, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Don Quijote has a very large adult section in it. The section is just … there.
In America, adult sections are sort of taboo. They’re either in their own specialty store or in the back of a store behind a curtain so you know what’s back there. But in Donki, it’s just there, out in the open.
In the store in Umeda, it was the first section you reached as soon as you walked to the second floor. There’s no missing it.
So, I mention this so you can either buy your adult products if that’s what you want or you can be prepared to see them because there’s no way to escape them.
Things To Know Before Shopping At Don Quijote
Tax-Free Shopping: Don Quijote offers a 10% consumption tax exemption on pre-tax purchases over ¥5,000. You have to have your passport with you (showing you’re a temporary visitor) and check out at specific registers or on specific floors.
Certain items (consumables like food and medication) will be packed in sealed bags that you can’t open until you’re out of Japan. So, if you’re going to want them when you’re on your trip, you’re better off just paying the tax.
Quick note: This was how it was when we were there in August 2026. Tax-free shopping in Japan is changing in November 2026 when it will switch to a refund system.
Not everything is a bargain: If you’re shopping at Don Quijote, you want to check the prices of things. I found snacks to be priced well, but some items, like towels, weren’t a great deal (although I did buy a cute face towel because it was Hello Kitty with my birth year on it).
So, when you’re shopping, don’t just add everything to your basket. You might end up overpaying.
Stores vary: Not every store sells every item. The Don Quijote Dotonbori Store has six retail floors, plus the famous Ferris wheel. The one in Juso is just two floors. So, of course, the Juso store is going to have less inventory.
So, if you see something in a Don Quijote that you really want, buy it then. You might not find it in another location.
Don’t assume you need to buy everything there: Don Quijote is fun to shop in because there’s so much there. But you don’t have to buy everything at Donki.
Daiso and Can Do are both great stores where the majority of items are 100 yen. That’s much cheaper than you’ll find at Don Quijote. Those stores are where I bought my beauty items, socks, and kitchenware items. Plus, most Daiso stores have a really large snack section with items that are cheaper than you’ll find at Donki.
Don Quijote Ferris Wheel
The Don Quijote Dotonbori Store is the most recognizable location because it’s home to the Ebisu Tower Ferris Wheel. That’s its official name, although the U-Shaped Ferris wheel goes around the discount store, which is why it’s colloquially known as the Don Quijote Ferris Wheel.
It costs 1,000 yen to ride and takes about 15 minutes total.
The Ferris wheel has scheduled maintenance every Tuesday, but will also randomly close for maintenance. We arrived around 1:30 pm on a Wednesday, ready to ride, but it was closed for maintenance until 5 pm, which was such a bummer.
The pods don’t swing, like a traditional Ferris wheel. They’re fixed pods that rotate horizontally with glass windows that allow you to overlook Dotonbori — at least, part of it. Since the pods are fixed, so are its windows and its view. It’s not like the Orlando Eye, which allows you to walk around and get a 360-degree view of the city.
If you get the chance to ride it, definitely do it. It’s a fun Osaka bucket list thing to do. Plus, it’s the world’s first oval-shaped Ferris wheel, so it’s cool to ride it for that distinction.
Get the most up-to-date information at the Ferris wheel’s official website.
Have you been to Don Quijote when you visited Japan? What did you buy there? Let us know in the comments.