Kosutokohōrusērushinmisatosouko

Yes, I am definitely a Costco whore! I have to go to Costco even when I am in Japan. There are altogether 19 Costco in Japan. A new one in Izumi (outside of Osaka) is opening up soon. There isn’t any Costco in metro Tokyo itself, but there are a few in the surrounding areas. The one that I went to is in Shinmisato. It is about 22 miles NE of Tokyo. The setup of the store is just like the ones in USA and Canada. Their familiar Kirkland brand is prevalent throughout the store. The major difference between this one and the ones in the U.S. is that this place is even more busy and crowded than a busy Saturday afternoon in a U.S. Costco store. And you think the busiest Costco is in Honolulu. Wait till you check out this one! People line up 20 deep for the free samples. I was stuck with my cart in the meat section for a good 10 minutes before I could get out of that area! I don’t see the local Japanese eating much meat, so to see them lined up to purchase warehouse quantities of meat is quite peculiar to me. The rotisserie chicken is $ 7 US each. Regular membership is $ 42 US. I am thinking of renewing my membership next time while I am there just to save me a few dollars! ^^
Btw, there are also an IKEA store and Lalaport right next to this Costco.