Buying Guide Buying “Junk” Cameras in Japan: What the Word Really Means, and What to Check
If you shop for used cameras from Japan, sooner or later you will see the word junk. On a shelf in a Tokyo shop, on a p...
Aki
Buying Guide 
Shop Guide A Full Camera Day in Akihabara: My One-Day Itinerary (Shops, Coffee Breaks, and a Beer)
I already wrote a shop guide for Akihabara's used camera stores. That article is a list: what each shop is like, what t...
Shop Guide Used Camera Shops in Akihabara: I Walked All 6 in One (Very Hot) Day
When people think of Akihabara, they think of electronics, anime, and maids handing out flyers. Cameras? Not so much. B...
Buying Guide After the Box Is Sealed — What Happens to Your Camera on Shipping Day
Last time I wrote about how I pack a camera, and I stopped at the moment the tape goes on. The box is silent, it passes...
Buying Guide What I Check Before Listing a Camera — And the 10-Minute Check You Should Do When It Arrives
When you see a listing from Japan that says "Exc+++" or "Near Mint," have you ever wondered what actually happened befo...
Buying Guide How Japanese Sellers Pack a Camera — A Look Inside the Box
If you have ever bought a camera from Japan, you may have had this experience: the box arrives, you open it, and there ...
Buying Guide How to Buy from a Japanese Seller on eBay — Tips from the Other Side of the Screen
Last time, I explained how I actually grade cameras as a Japanese seller — what "Exc+++" and "Junk" really mean when I ...
Buying Guide “Near Mint,” “Exc+++,” “Junk”: How I Actually Grade Cameras as a Japanese Seller
If you have ever browsed Japanese camera listings on eBay, you have seen the words: "Near Mint," "Exc+++," "MINT," and ...
Buying Guide Tax-Free Camera Shopping in Tokyo: A Quick Reference for 3 Shops (Nakano & Shinjuku)
This is a quick-reference article for one very practical question: "Which Tokyo camera shops can I buy tax-free at, in ...
Buying Guide Japanese Camera Shop Etiquette: A Relaxed Guide for First-Time Visitors
Over the past weeks I wrote about three Tokyo camera shops — Fujiya Camera's junk annex in Nakano, Lemon Company in Shi...