Costco Japan and getting foreign goods.

A bit of culture-shock today, going to Costco at Lala-City at Shin-Misato station: oversized carts and absurd portion size surrounded by petite Japanese.  I did not know that there was one just a half-hour train ride from where I am, which is great, because I thought they were all the other side of Tokyo.  Finally found a place to get huge pieces of meat and cake, pounds of frozen fruit, though not of the best quality.  Wish I had a bigger freezer and fridge...  There's also an Ikea there, a bunch of other stores, and best of all for the Ikea and Costco, delivery is normal in Japan!

It's a great deal easier to get foreign goods and food, and far more cheaply than when I last lived here fifteen years ago.  Local supermarkets now carry things that I had to go to National Azabu or Kinokuniya Foods for, though they still do not carry everything (never go to Meidi-ya: prices they pull out of their @$$).  Kaldi has a lot of the rest.  I have another post on things to take to Japan, that are too much trouble to get here.  You can check the Foreign Buyers' Club and Flying Pig for other things, or to deliver if you are too far from a city.

It's still a disappointment after decades of many gaijin living in Japan: still so much trouble to get decent deodorant or condoms!  Even through companies selling foreign goods like the ones mentioned above!  I can do without a lot of the other foreign goods sold, but %$#@ing and not smelling like @$$ are basic, no?  Never mind the 10% of Japanese who need stronger deodorant are SOL (Jomon, or hidden Dutch or American genes?).  Nothing ever makes complete sense in this country...