Shopping in Japan - Don Quijote
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Shopping in Japan - Don Quijote People in Japan love shopping and one shop they love to shop in is Don Quijote. Most people call it Don-ki, which sounds like the word "donkey". Donki is a discount chain store that has over 160 locations throughout Japan, seven in Singapore, two in Bangkok, three in Hong Kong, and three in Hawaii. The stores are very popular with people of all ages, and even with tourists. Each store has a wide range of products, from basic groceries to electronics and clothing. They are stacked high on shelves from the floor to the ceiling. One of the reasons for its popularity is its opening hours. Some stores in the major cities are open 24 hours. Don Quijote opened its first store in Suginami, Tokyo in September 1980. Back then, it was called Just Co. It was originally a retail store but it changed to become a discount store in 1982. The store became very popular at the end of the Japanese economic bubble. People were more careful about money and were on a tight budget, so they started shopping at discount stores. They could always find a bargain at Donki, even after the addition of the 10% consumption tax (known as sales tax in the USA). Many goods in Donki are cheaper than those on sale in department stores. Don Quijote is known for the theme song that plays in its stores. The song is called "Miracle Shopping" and is sung by Maimi Tanaka, who was actually a Don Quijote store employee. "Miracle Shopping" was released as a single in 1999 and entered the Japanese music charts. There is an also an English and Cantonese version. In 2005, the pop idol group AKB48 opened its theater on the eighth floor of the Don Quijote Akihabara outlet in Tokyo. Donki is also famous for its mascot Donpen - a 98cm and 98kg penguin-like bird. The Donki website says Donpen was born in Antarctica and grew up in Tokyo. Source: Adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Quijote_(store) .