Shopping at Don Quijote (Donki) in Japan | Tax-free conditions, the refund method from November 1, 2026, how to use the 5% and 7% OFF tax-free coupons, 24-hour stores (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Osaka, Fukuoka), payment methods, and return rules

Overview

Don Quijote (Donki) is a Japanese discount store chain. In Japan, people call it “Donki” for short. One store sells a wide range of goods: food, snacks, cosmetics, medicines, daily necessities, clothing, home appliances, suitcases, souvenirs, and more. Many stores stay open until late at night, and some are open 24 hours. The words “驚安の殿堂” (Kyoyasu no Dendo) on the signs are a phrase coined by the company, meaning “a store with surprisingly low prices.” This article explains what is useful to know when shopping at Don Quijote stores in Japan, based on the official information from Don Quijote and its operating company PPIH (checked on October 18, 2026).

• Don Quijote says that tax-free procedures are available at all of its stores. Your purchase is tax-free when the total you buy at one store on the same day is ¥5,000 (tax excluded) or more.
• There are coupons for tax-free shoppers. You get 5% off when one tax-free transaction comes to ¥11,000 (tax included) or more, and 7% off when it comes to ¥33,000 (tax included) or more.
• Japan's tax-free system changed on November 1, 2026. You pay the tax-included price in the store, and you receive a refund of the consumption tax when you leave Japan. At PPIH group stores, no refund fee is charged (except when you receive the refund in cash at the airport).
• All stores have translation tools.

The signs and banners show a penguin character named Donpen. Donpen is the official character, and the story is that he has been helping out at Don Quijote stores since 1998.

Conditions

Who can buy tax-free, and the conditions

According to Don Quijote, the people who can buy tax-free and the conditions for the purchase are as follows.

• People who do not live in Japan. For foreign nationals, this means people who entered Japan for a short-term stay such as sightseeing and who have been in Japan for less than 6 months since entering. For Japanese nationals, this means people who can show original documents proving that they have lived outside Japan for 2 years or more, and who have been in Japan for less than 6 months since entering.
• You must buy tax-free eligible items totaling ¥5,000 (tax excluded) or more at the tax-excluded price at one store on the same day.
• If you have items you will use while you are in Japan, you must tell the staff before you pay (according to Don Quijote). Items used in Japan are not eligible for a refund (according to the Japan Tourism Agency).
• You must show the original passport of the person making the purchase at the store. Copies and photos cannot be used.
• If you pay by credit card or a similar method, the name on the card must be the same as the name in the passport.
• The tax-free procedure at the store can be done only on the day of purchase, and only at the store where you bought the items. One person cannot buy for several people together.

How to receive the refund

• You receive the refund not from the store but through the company that handles the refund. Register how you will receive the refund within 180 days of the purchase date. You can also register from the QR code on the receipt.
• You can choose to receive it by credit card, mobile payment (Alipay, WeChat Pay), or in cash at the airport.
• At PPIH group stores, no refund fee is charged. However, if you receive the refund in cash at the airport, a fee charged by the company that handles the refund applies (according to Don Quijote).
• The refund is made after the customs check when you leave Japan and after you have registered how you will receive it.
• The company that handles the refund differs from store to store. If you register on the website of another store's refund company, you cannot receive the refund for what you bought at Don Quijote.
• When you leave Japan, show your tax-free purchases and your passport at customs. The customs check is done for each transaction.

Items that are not tax-free

• Goods bought for resale or for business.
• Purchases paid for with gift vouchers, gift cards, or regional coupons.
• POSA cards (prepaid cards), bicycle anti-theft registration, repair charges, Ichiban Kuji (a prize draw in the store where you draw one ticket at a time and can win character merchandise), and the like.
• Some products have a limit on the quantity you can buy. Depending on how you buy, the store may refuse to sell them tax-free.

The system from November 1, 2026

Japan's tax-free system changed on November 1, 2026 (according to the Japan Tourism Agency). According to Don Quijote, the new system applies to purchases made from the business day of November 1, 2026. At stores open late at night or 24 hours, the date and time printed on the receipt may differ from the point when the new system began.

• For purchases made on or after November 1, 2026, you pay the tax-included price in the store. When you leave Japan, you receive a refund of the consumption tax after having your purchases checked by customs at the airport or seaport. To receive the refund, you must leave Japan within 90 days of the day of purchase and have the customs check at that time.
• If the deadline for the customs check has passed, or if customs decides that “no refund can be made,” you cannot return the items for your own reasons and get your money back (according to Don Quijote).
• As of November 4, 2026, Don Quijote's tax-free page still has a separate section explaining purchases made up to the business day of October 31.

The procedure when leaving Japan is explained in Tax-Free Shopping in Japan | The Refund Method from November 2026 and What to Do When You Leave Japan.

Highlights

Coupons for tax-free shoppers

Don Quijote has discount coupons for tax-free shoppers. You display them on the official coupon website (in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Thai). The following is the information on the coupon website as checked on November 4, 2026. In November 2026, the discount conditions changed to be based on the total at the tax-included price.

Here is how to use them.

1. On the coupon website, tap the coupon banner to open the barcode screen.
2. When you pay, show that screen to the cashier. If you show it after you have finished paying, you cannot get the discount.
3. After showing the screen to the cashier, follow the steps that appear on the coupon screen (STEP 1 to STEP 4) yourself, as guided on the screen.
4. Finally, press the “閉じる” (Close) button.

The conditions are as follows.

• The coupon can be used only for a tax-free transaction. One coupon can be used only once.
• A saved image of the screen (a screenshot) cannot be used. Show the actual screen of the website.
• The coupon cannot be combined with other discounts or services. The coupon website also states “cannot be combined with the majica card,” but it does not say whether this means “you cannot pay with majica” or “it cannot be combined with majica benefits.” If you plan to pay with majica, Don Quijote's electronic money, ask a staff member before you pay.
• Alcohol, tobacco, game consoles, products not subject to consumption tax (such as POSA cards), products with price restrictions, and single items priced at ¥100,000 (tax excluded) or more are not eligible for the discount. The amounts of these products are also not counted toward the total required for the discount.
• The coupons can be used at Don Quijote stores in Japan and at Apita and Piago, which belong to the same group. However, there are stores where they cannot be used.

Types of sections

Don Quijote stores are known for their narrow aisles and displays with products piled up almost to the ceiling. Don Quijote describes its stores as feeling like being “lost in a jungle.” The illustrations of the sections in this article are based on the sections that the operator of this site saw at Don Quijote stores. The arrangement of the sections and the products differ by store and by time of year.

• Cosmetics: In addition to Japanese brands, some stores have a section for Korean-brand cosmetics. The shelves hold eye makeup such as mascara and eyeliner, base makeup such as foundation, hair color, hair care, facial cleansers, and mouthwash.
• Medicines: Sold only during the hours when a pharmacist or a registered seller (a Japanese qualification for selling non-prescription medicines) is present (Don Quijote store pages).
• Food, snacks, drinks, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Daily necessities: cleaning supplies, detergents, and hygiene products.
• Clothing, wallets, bags, suitcases, home appliances, toys, and party supplies.
• Colored contact lenses: Some stores have a sign for this section. Contact lenses cannot be returned (see “Return rules” in this article).

How to read the price tags

Don Quijote's price tags are often yellow paper with large black numbers in a handwriting-style font. Both the tax-excluded price and the tax-included price are written on them. When you are not buying tax-free, what you pay is the tax-included price (how you pay when buying tax-free is explained in “Who can buy tax-free, and the conditions” in this article). The tags may also carry words such as the following.

• “ドンキ限定” (Donki exclusive): Products sold only at Don Quijote stores.
• “マジお得” (seriously good deal): Discounts recommended by the store, or discounts for buying several items together.
• “情熱価格” (Jonetsu Kakaku; JONETZ in English) and the “ド” logo: Don Quijote's private brand. It has been produced since 2009, and includes food, daily necessities, cosmetics, clothing, home appliances, bedding, bicycles, toys, and more.

Paying

How to pay

Don Quijote's store pages list the payment methods accepted at each store. Many stores accept the following (checked on October 18, 2026 on the pages of the main stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo).

• Cash, credit cards, and UnionPay cards.
• majica, Don Quijote's electronic money.
• Japanese electronic money: QUICPay+, iD, Rakuten Edy, and transit IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, and others).
• Smartphone payment services from outside Japan: WeChat Pay, Alipay+ (Alipay, as well as Kakao Pay, NAVER Pay, Toss Pay, TrueMoney, GCash, Touch 'n Go, and others), and JKOPAY.
• Electronic money other than majica can be used only at certain registers. The smartphone payment services from outside Japan listed above also count as this electronic money (the store pages say “electronic money (excluding majica): some registers only”). Before you line up, check the signs at the register or ask a staff member.
• If you pay by credit card, UnionPay, majica, or a similar method when buying tax-free, the name on the card must be the same as the name in your passport.
• Some stores have foreign currency exchange machines.

How to use cash and cards in Japan is explained in Do You Need Cash in Japan? | Where Cards Work, ATMs That Accept Overseas Cards, and Currency Exchange.

Where to buy

Stores that are easy for travelers to visit

Don Quijote has stores all over Japan. Here are stores in places that many travelers visit, taken from Don Quijote's store pages (checked on October 18, 2026). Don Quijote says that all of its stores offer tax-free procedures, and the store pages for the stores in this table also state that they handle tax-free shopping.

• The stores marked “Open 24 hours” are open 24 hours every day. However, on stocktaking days, a store may close for several hours late at night (notices on each store's page).
• Stores whose closing time is late at night or in the morning, such as “2:00”, “4:00”, or “5:00”, stay open continuously from their opening time until that time the next morning.
• Stores with “MEGA” in their name are large-format stores. MEGA Donki Shibuya Annex has been open 24 hours since August 1, 2026, and the colored contact lens section has moved there from the Shibuya Honten (store page).
• To find a store, use the store search on Don Quijote's official website. Each store page lists the opening hours, whether tax-free is available, the accepted payment methods, and the nearest station. The official website also has English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Thai versions.

Checkout and store

Tax-free registers

• Where the tax-free procedure is done differs by store. There are signs inside the store pointing to the tax-free registers or the tax-free counter, so if you are not sure, ask a staff member. Don Quijote says that it has translation tools at all of its stores.
• When you buy tax-free, gather all of the items you want to buy tax-free and present them at the register together with your passport. The procedure can be done only on the day of purchase and only at the store where you bought the items, so complete it before you leave the store.

Rules inside the store

Don Quijote asks customers to follow these rules inside its stores (tax-free page).

• Do not eat or drink inside the store. At stores with an eat-in space, eat and drink only in the designated area.
• Do not open, drink, or eat products before paying for them.
• Do not take photos or videos inside the store without permission, and do not post what you have taken on social media or elsewhere. If you want to take photos or post them, make an inquiry through Don Quijote's application form.
• Refrain from loud conversations and phone calls, and from blocking the aisles.

Delivery and taking items home

• Tax-free purchases can be sent from the store only to hotels and some airports in Japan. They cannot be sent to private homes or private lodgings (minpaku) in Japan. Whether they can be sent outside Japan is not stated in the information.
• Alcohol, liquids, food, and tobacco may be subject to restrictions when you take them home, depending on the rules of your destination country and of the airline. Items that can neither be carried into the plane’s cabin nor checked in are not eligible for tax-free purchase. How much alcohol and tobacco you can take home is explained in What to Declare at Japanese Customs | Duty-Free Allowances for Alcohol, Tobacco and Perfume, Cash over 1 Million Yen, and Prohibited Items.

Good to know

Return rules (tax-free purchases)

According to Don Quijote, the rules for returning tax-free purchases are as follows.

• Returns due to an initial defect in the product or a mistake by the store: accepted within 90 days including the day of purchase. Before you leave Japan, complete the procedure at the store where you bought the item. After you have left Japan, do not go to a store. Instead, contact Don Quijote through its inquiry form and describe the initial defect or the mistake. However, for an initial defect in a home appliance, as a rule, the item must be brought to the store, so after you have left Japan, returns or exchanges of home appliances are not possible.
• Returns for your own reasons: within 30 days including the day of purchase, before you leave Japan, by the purchaser in person, at the store where you bought the item.
• Items that cannot be returned: expensive brand-name items such as watches, wallets, bags, accessories, perfume, cosmetics, and premium alcohol; contact lenses; and items that have been opened or used.
• What to bring: your original passport, all of the receipts, the card or smartphone you paid with, and all of the items you bought.

Other notes

• When buying medicines, go during the hours when a pharmacist or a registered seller is present. The rules for taking medicines out of Japan are explained in Bringing Medicines into Japan | Quantities Allowed Without Procedures, Applying for an Import Certificate, and Medicines That Need Permission or Are Banned.
• All of the images in this article are AI-generated illustrations, not photographs. The actual stores differ in details such as the building, signs, products, and displays.
• Staying connected during your trip is explained in eSIM, SIM Card or Pocket Wi-Fi in Japan: How to Choose | 5 Ways to Get Online Compared, What to Check First, and Airport Pickup.