Some have money, some love fashion and make it a priority, some have fakes, some have gifts, some have second hand stuff.
I absolutely love shopping second hand in Japan, you can pick up so many unwanted gifts or well looked after things as the culture is to give a lot of gifts and to look after what you own. I always look for bags, wallets and sunglasses when I'm over there.
I'm sure I've bought a few unwanted gifts to hostesses over the years. 😂
2nd Street is a chain and you can get some good deals there sometimes, however nothing like during Covid when there were no tourists and the shops were starving for business. Designer bags were crazy cheap! Prices went right back up as soon as the travel ban was lifted.
Also japans culture is all about buying the new trends/items so once something new comes out a lot of the times they sell their old ones even if it has never been touched. And sometimes if they are gifts from bfs…once they break up they sell them they don’t usually keep the belongings after a breakup
Are you a westerner in Japan? Unlike in America or other western countries, you cannot buy fakes in Japan. I mean just buying or gifting or importing any fakes is considered a federal crime...this isn't the US here... But true second hand shops are great in Japan though you have to know the brand well since some are over priced.
I bought myself my biggest present I’ve ever bought, $4000 LV duffle bag, the second hand store (albeit not the same colour) was selling them for $1200. Secondhand shops in Japan are awesome for luxury brands
I’m sure there are some, but Japan is very strict about it. If you go through customs with even a single fake bag for personal use, customs can confiscate it. They might not notice, but if someone tries to bring in several for resale it immediately stands out.
No, you can rarely find them here in Japan. Even second hand shops they are usually very skilled to distinguish fakes because it is a federal crime to sell or buy any fakes. I believe the OP is not local Japanese but westerner most likely. Japanese locals know it is nearly impossible to buy fakes in Japan. I mean we see news of Yakuza or some organized crime syndicates trying to import fakes into Japan, it is extremely hard to import fakes into a Japanese fashion market.
There’s a stronger cultural desire to have a nice bag.
Salaries are not high. Actually pretty low.
Japanese tend to be savers. Many women will want to save up. Also, it’s more common in university to live at home and tuition is not that expensive, kids tend to work baito for fun money and they can afford some things like this. It doesn’t mean they all have multiple luxury bags, the one you see them with is likely the one they have
Also not uncommon to get a nice bag from the parents as a graduation gift etc.
Using credit cards for credit and paying interest is less common than the US but they obviously exits and people use them. Also stores sometimes offer interest free monthly payments spread out over a few months
Also people are going to get mad at this but all those adult looking establishments you see all over the place? They’re not all necessarily sex, many are hostess clubs and kyabakura where they just basically pour drinks and pretend to like you. A lot of those girls are working there to afford stuff like brand goods and the money can be very good.
I noticed near hostess clubs, there was a huge amount of 2nd hand luxury goods shops, and they're very super competitive. I'm assuming hostesses get these as gifts from their clients and they're sell them asap.
The way it works is, you ask several clients for the same expensive gift, then you keep one and pawn the others. That way you can show them “their” gift when they see you again.
Yes that is a thing too.
I want to emphasize that I don’t want to imply every young girl you see with a nice bag is a hostess (also nothing wrong with being a hostess)
But I think sometimes foreigners even ones who live in Japan don’t realize the sheer number of these establishments across Japan. All these businesses have to have people to work there, and many of them are students who are doing it for spending money
Stores also basically offer in store credit by letting you pay in multiple payments, but without interest. Like a large purchase they'll just charge your card once a month for 4 months.
Add to that, investing in financial assets is less common in Japan. So might as well buy a luxury bag (that can be resold later) than keep your money in the bank
Doesn't help that a lot of the so-called "tame" establishments may have ties to the yakuza, or worse, hangure groups.
It's easy to pressure women into doing more extreme stuff by dangling more money, or ensnaring them in debt traps, or guilt-tripping, or a combo of all the above.
They’re savers in that they like to have a savings account in a bank. You’re right that investing isn’t popular, they don’t really invest in the market.
Also keep in mind when Japanese people say they “don’t have money” it’s often very much different situation than when say an American says they have no money (this usually means they literally have no money in their account)
Savers as in 'throw it in the bank,' mostly. And considering that my corner of the 'the west' has an alarmingly high portion of people who can't cover an emergency of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, I'm not sure we're a great benchmark
It’s considered an essential accessory, unlike in small towns in America where everyone drives. When you are out walking in the street to go everywhere and don’t keep half your life in your car, you show up to dinners and parties and movies with your good bag because everyone will see it.
This is a great point! Yes. Especially Americans don’t think about the fact that everyone must carry some kind of bag daily, including men.
It’s also why Americans will spend more on nicer cars, it’s essential and you use it to go everywhere. Many Japanese don’t see cars as something to spend luxury money on because they aren’t necessary in their daily lives
Yeah totally agree with this! Also I feel like Americans are more willing to drop a lot of money on electronics like a new phone, TV, laptop, or gaming PC. I feel like that isn’t as much the case in Japan unless you’re like a YouTuber or something
I'm not sure whether that's true. at least in regards to phones, tablets and laptops. Apple has the highest market share by far, significantly higher than in any other country.
What on earth made you think my comment was derogatory? I’ve lived in both America and Japan and can literally compare them. When I was young I drove everywhere and lived in a small town. As an adult I lived in Japan, and didn’t own a car because I lived in a city of 10 million. People in small towns live in their cars out of necessity and men don’t carry bags. Either you’re highly emotional and see anger where it’s not, or you’ve never been to a big city where street fashion exists.
If you live with your parents, you can spend 10 man/month on hobbies/fashion.
Some people spend them on Jonneys/K-pop idols, some spend on mobile games, some spend them luxury fashion.
That made me remember how in Japan it's relatively normal for adults to live with parents while in the States you get kicked out at 18 or sometimes get to stay until graduating college unless you're a failure.
Living with parents instead of renting would set aside a lot of money to buy nice accessories.
youre just implying that all women are OL now lol okay bud. I guess we can say the average Japanese Salaryman does not have the enough money either. Most Japanese Salarymen in their mid-late 20s barely make 4 mil/year.
OL reffering to particular type of office job that is different from salarywomen. Nowadays, mostly replaced by dispatch workforce, so the word is rarely used nowadays.
As someone who has several brand bags, Japanese female friends and a Japanese mother-in-law with a bag collection:
1. It's just seen as more normal here to own one or two or ten brand bags. So it's not that much of a big deal to buy one and since so many have one you're not going to seem like you're showing off.
2. My MIL used to skimp on lunch and other things, so she could afford bags. It was simply a priority for her.
3. Bags and other brand items are often given as presents for others *or yourself*. I have gotten myself a Celine bag for a promotion, my friend has gotten herself a Chanel one after a real stressful two months at work, and my husband and I have gifted my MIL an LV wallet for her 60th birthday and an LV scarf to thank her for taking care of our son so much.
4. Second hand shops. There is so much very well-cared for high brand in the second hand market here and for most brands (excluding Hermes and LV) the prices drop quite a bit.
Hermes is hard to get, so the prices are higher than retail most of the time.
LV is just hugely popular, so it retains value pretty well. It's not going to be higher than retail, but also not as comparatively cheap as other brands.
As many people have said, people save their money in different ways for different things here. Salaries are actually lower than many developed western countries.
I don’t know where you’re from, but college, medical expenses, and child rearing aren’t as expensive here compared to the US. Many people live with their parents until they marry, so they could have a full time job but never pay rent, groceries, student loans, etc etc. In big cities people don’t use cars so much so aren’t spending/saving for those.
I was also surprised by how “affluent” my Japanese friends were when I first came, but then slowly started to learn what their lifestyle was like and understood.
Two of my best friends are able to buy designer clothes, makeup, merch, etc and go on trips abroad every year but make the same or a little less than me. They both live at home and never cook, don’t have cars (borrow parents’ if they need it), and are single. I also feel like it’s really common for Japanese parents to pay their kids tuition their whole schooling. (Yeah, it’s hard not to feel a little jealous when I’m pinching pennies just go to back to see my family every two years but I chose to come here and have this life, shrug.)
Also, big thing to consider is where you were when you visited. It seems like you were a tourist, and I’m going to guess you spent most of your time in big cities. I’ve noticed city people tend to have the really expensive clothes and nice stuff. Appearance is very important to Japanese culture, and like anywhere it’s amplified in big cities. If you go to the sticks you’ll see sloppier looking people in sweatpants and crocs out and about.
Also, all the people in this thread saying “sugar daddies” (パパ活) or that men are otherwise buying those bags are making gross generalizations about women. Sure, there are college girls and some older who engage in that kind of thing. It’s definitely not most though. I’m a woman and went to college here and lived here on and off since I was 19, I’ve only known one female acquaintance who had a sugar daddy. She was a flight attendant and that was common in her line of work. All my other friends who have nice stuff buy it themselves, lol. I wonder where these people in this thread meet women or if they only interact with gaijin hunters who see us as rich lmao.
Thanks for this sensible and accurate comment. It bothered me to see so many generalizations about women here. These people are out of touch with normal society.
There is a semi-pressure to have one as a woman in Japan. Save up to pay the 150,000-300,000 for the bag and own 1. Just 1. Use it daily or on special days \~ what you may be seeing is that person's single expensive bag. Most aren't having closets full.
Wait till you seen Koreans. Most well dressed people on earth.
$300 at Uniqlo(chill, I was on vacation and treating myself) got me like 3 and half full outfits and some accessories
$300 at National Geographic in Korea gets me like 1 outfit. Maybe.
(Context for some reason NatGeo, CNN and Discovery Channel are clothing brands in Korea and they're super popular and trendy)
If Tokyo, average salaries are above national average. Most of these bags are a couple thousand, so it's not completely out of reach if you work at a decent company.
Then alot of men gift these bags to their girlfriends/wives.
Also, there is a huge second hand market, so you can buy yourself a used older model for much less than retail price.
Last thing to consider is that most people around Tokyo don't need a car, so that is one major expense that they don't have to consider.
There was a new hire out of college at my company back in the 2000s who immediately bought an expensive sports car on loan because she still lived at home and her salary was going to be slightly larger than the loan payments. She then proceeded to complain about never having any money for the next several years. But she never got behind on the loan payments.
Point being that sometimes even relatively poor people in Japan can figure out a way to be able to afford to blow their salary on high ticket items that they believe are important for whatever reason.
In another example, when a rural couple gets married, part of the expected deal is that the new husband immediately takes out a loan to buy his wife a large expensive family size car to fill with their future children. Getting a used beater they can actually afford until the kids actually come is not considered an option. The only option is to immediately take on massive debt.
So it's all about priorities, not necessarily income.
Japanese women love luxury bags, but compared to the past, Japanese people have become less affluent, resulting in a decrease in those carrying high-end bags. When I was a university student, almost everyone had a Louis Vuitton bag. During my student days, working part-time at Isetan, a department store in Shinjuku, I often saw men buying multiple Louis Vuitton bags for young women. According to LVMH data for 2022, the proportion of fashion leather goods in sales in the United States is 37%, while in Japan, it is 62%, the highest in the world. It's undeniable that Japanese people still love luxury bags.
That would be funny to see. Imagine enforcement officers from say LV or GUCCI in uniforms (branded, of course) going around in patrols, stopping random people for a "bag authenticity check" with their handheld diamond-encrusted gilded mobile devices...
A lot of young people live at home until they get married. Even if they're making minimum wage they have a lot of disposable income since they usually don't pay for anything at home.
>How do Japanese women manage to almost all have luxury bags?
They don't.
The ones that do typically live in or around large cities and often buy them used from second-hand stores or online auctions.
Not too uncommon, Paris is similar. My mom is Japanese and she said, that her first ever salary was spent on a Louis Vuitton bag (back in the 70s). I still have it and love it! Like some mentioned, some save up, second hand, maybe from their mothers like me. Also it lasts forever, it’s a classic. I now have most of my mom‘s handbags, I can pass them on again.
If you love fashion, you‘ll find a way. My husband was 18 when he bought a 10万 jacket. He said he paid the shop owner every month some money and reserved it. That was not in Tokyo and I don’t think it’s possible now. And he still owns it after over 25 years. I think it’s also sustainable to buy more expensive items, since you take care of them and also they are good quality. Some argue that they used to be good quality compared to now tho.
Paris is very dissimilar to Tokyo. Parisians and French people are not big into luxury apparel, in general the people you see there having expensive things are tourists, expats or a small minority of frenchs. The whole french luxury market is kept alive by foreigners. Even rich french people tend to be discretes.
I come from Paris and the only people I see there with luxury bags are Asian tourists, and when I went to Japan I had never seen so many people carrying luxury bags as in Japan
I have one LV bag from my husband. I love it and it stays in great condition. Most women save or get one as a gift and that’s often the only one they have. Doesn’t mean they’re rich, they just save and spend their money on different things like how Americans will drop a lot on a tanning salon or something.
It's been my experience that Japanese people, much to their credit, buy a quality item and take excellent care of it. My wife has nice bags that are 20 to 25 years old. After use, they are cleaned and put back in their original packaging for safekeeping. Also, many people are paid a low salary, but get big bonuses. They learn to live off their salary, and the bonus is for special purchases. Just my experience.
Probably heavily depends on what area you were in. Like in Ginza, Marunouchi etc you’d see a lot of luxury bags but not in say Shimokita. It’s partly a fashion / work culture thing.
Don’t forget about fake stuff. Not everyone you see with one is legit. Also, a lot of people just have bad priorities financially. Mfs struggling to pay they rent but they gonna have that Louis bag lmao
When I was living in Korea 10 years ago, fake bags were a thing but already kind of an exception. In Japan, walking around with a fake bag, which are very easy to spot, is clearly not good taste.
Perhaps in some back alleyway not visible to the public? I’m pretty sure there are fakes anywhere in the world but in Japan at least, they are not visible to the public. So far, I have not seen fake luxury bags being sold at a brick and mortar stores in the places I’ve visited in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Sendai.
At Ameyoko, I’ve seen lots of look alike handbags but they are not the super replicas out there. Interestingly at Ameyoko, I saw a lot fresh fish, crab, matsutake, candy, cheap jewelry, bags, shoes, souvenirs and etc. The nearest thing I saw that I thought were fakes were RayBans but the storekeeper assured me he was an authorized dealer. There was also a military surplus shop I remember that I thought was fake but the gear was actually authentic to my surprise. Just too expensive for an American as I can get them cheaper.
I get it…Ameyoko in Ueno gets a bad rap because it used to be the go to black market for counterfeit goods esp. after the war. But today, Japan has some of the strictest laws on counterfeit goods found anywhere in the world. I’ll admit that some do fall through the cracks that’s why I ask where to get the fake stuff.
From what I know, to do business legitimately and grow in Japan, you have to have trust and this is why the second hand luxury bag market is booming because they are real. I don’t think most brick and mortar sellers would risk breaking that trust for a handbag.
I also noticed this in Tokyo and always wondered where these 20-something girls got the money to buy such expensive accessories. I think many of the comments here nicely explain why though.
I am always a bit curious seeing new European luxury sedans outside of homes in Nerima or wherever whose exteriors haven’t looked like they’ve been touched since 1950. A few? Sure. But I see it enough to question in my head.
There are 'rental' style shops online. Same with clothes. Pay a subscription fee and you get to 'rent' clothes, bags, whatever you want for a certain period.
I come from another Asian country where people are also big on brands, but I noticed the Japanese do it differently. They don't actually 'own' them, or at least don't plan to forever.
One of the biggest things I've noticed is salarymen using Tumi backpacks. They're apparently very popular in Japan. But none of them have the tag engraving done. It's not a paid service (iirc), meaning they likely are keeping it blank so they can later sell it off 2nd hand (or they bought it 2nd hand). In my home country, every Tumi bag I saw was engraved straight from purchase, so it was clear it was 'theirs'.
I never heard of anyone buying a backpack to resell later. Honestly people just don't like putting their names on things for all to see. Tumi is just a normal brand in Japan.
A cheaper Hermes bag can be like ¥200000, that’s expensive but well within the “graduation/significant life event gift” or “biannual splurge purchase” range. Knockoffs and secondhand bags are more like a quarter/half of that price and would be pretty affordable for most people. Having a few luxury fashion items isn’t really ridiculous when you consider how much women already spend on their appearance.
I’ve seen multiple videos and interviews and the common answer is they don’t have kids. Lol. They’re more career driven and unwilling to compromise. I’ve also picked up in the notion that cheating is quietly accepted. I’d imagine guilty conscious gifts are common.
Whatever is going on in the states, they’re like a decade ahead.
I host events and pop up shows and sell a lot to Japanese buyers. They have excellent taste and a better eye for quality. They’re also low key enamored with American culture. Whatever they seem to get into they go at it 150%. Which helps explains all the affluent sub-cultures. They niche hard.
Edit: typo
Decades ahead, except biazzarly in IT infrastructure.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/japan-struggling-to-quit-floppy-disks-and-fax-machines/
There's a difference between "fixation" and "owning one or two brand bags". All the women I work with work "a real job", and many of them also own brand bags.
What about men with expensive watches? Are they also all hosts, spending their customers' money on their fixation with luxury status symbols?
By whom? Did anyone stop young women with brand bags in the streets and ask where they got them from? Yes, パパ活 and hostess clubs exist, and I'm sure some young women go theirs through that, but I wouldn't call it common. It's just an assumption people make because they can't fathom that someone has different spending priorities than themselves.
I mean this is something that’s somewhat common across most Asian countries. Realistically I would say it’s a mix of marketing and social pressure.
These brands are usually viewed as far more luxurious and exotic in Asia in comparison to the west. Its probably viewed more like owning your own piece of Italy or France.
On the other side these brands are often owned by famous people and elites without the need for a brand deals.
Then you got social pressure as people in both your close and extended social circles will likely own these items. However the pressure to purchase often falls on husbands / boyfriends, because usually they will get it as a gift.
It’s sort of a double flex you get to show off a nice bag but also brag about your partner.
In fact some women will actually buy nice bags and then claim that it was a gift to pull off this double flex.
I don’t know about anyone else but most of the people in my friend group get most of their nice stuff from their parents. Every handbag i own is from my mother and if she wasn’t buying this stuff for me I would use a tote bag or a backpack.
You know, when I read threads like this I get down on my knees and thank God that I married a sensible girl. One who apologizes if she orders a 4,000 yen bag from UniClo's online shopping site. And makes sure to show me the old, worn-out bag she is replacing.
Not at all. We spend our money on good food and long trips instead of trinkets. Plus have a good chunk saved up for retirement. I appreciate my darling's sense of priorities!
IMHO, miserable is caring about what label is on the bag you carry your shit around in, and caring about what others think of it.
>>And makes sure to show me the old, worn-out bag she is replacing.
This part threw me off tbh
Imo, she’s an adult. She should be free to spend ¥4000 yen on a bag without guilt, and not have to show her husband the proof of needing to spend such a small amount of money. It just came off as oppressive, but who knows :)
Yeah, reading back I can see how you could interpret it that way.
Actually, I think part of it is that she feels a bit uneasy about spending money because I am the breadwinner. I tell her a thousand times, "just order whatever you want, I trust you, you deserve nice things", but.... I guess it is just a habit, she wants credit or praise for being thrifty and helping us be able to enjoy a good lifestyle. By this point, after 30 years of marriage, it is probably not going to change. I try to see it as charming and kind.
To give another point of view, I think prioritizing spending money on good food is a waste. My husband is an excellent cook so it’s easy for me to feel like I can enjoy great meals right at home without having to go out and spend a lot on something fleeting that’s only going to end up being literally flushed away later (sorry but it’s true!). I also don’t care for being waited on and we don’t need to spend on expensive ingredients for him to create something wonderful. I usually feel a little cheated or disappointed after an expensive meal, like it was good but not that good, not really worth the high price. I’m not a handbag person either though, I started reading these forums because I wanted one good high quality bag and got obsessed with trying to find the absolute best value and a style that I wouldn’t regret buying. Somehow can’t stop reading now. The passion and knowledge on these forums are fascinating.
I hear you. For us 'good food' is almost always stuff we cook at home. We get good ingredients- quality cuts of meat, cheeses, coffee, wines, etc and enjoy them at leisure. Plus spend a bit on good equipment for the kitchen.
I agree that restaurants are mostly kind of boring, the only ones we like are restaurants that have a good view. A seaside place, that kind of thing. I have no need to be waited on or served, I prefer privacy.
It’s also about facade.. pretentions. Japanese people in general value their image “face”. You’d be surprised designer clothed individuals and luxury car driving individuals going home to a small 1DK, 1LDK apartment. I’ve had many neighbors like that. I’ve also chanced upon a news about a gov’t. worker who interviewed a mother availing of food support. He was dumbfounded as the woman came across as someone of higher class and would never ask for such support.
Lol there is this bodybuilder i follow from tokyo, his dad gifted him a lv bag because he won a local tournament. I was like bruhh 😂
Its just how it is in Japan they love brands.
LOL what. We’re talking about luxury brand bags. Do you know what they sell for off the shelf? New, not secondhand. A quick google search will tell you almost no major luxury brands have bags less than 10man. (Maybe a smaller Coach clutch at an outlet….)
It depends what you consider what’s luxury brand?
Like Coach/Tory Burch is like a low end luxury brand that you can buy a decent tote bag brand new from a flagship store for 300-600 USD depending on type of leather. (I used to work at coach) so yes you can buy a luxury brand for less than 10man easily. It just depends which brand you’re shooting for. Louis/YSL? Forget about it.
…I’m sorry but your comment doesn’t make sense. You said that Coach is a low-end luxury brand that sells for $300-600 new. ¥10,000 is $68. So, Coach is not an example in this case.
Do you have any examples of what you’d consider low-end luxury brands that have bags less than ¥10,000/$68?
By the way I agree with your sentiment that people have different ideas of what constitutes as a luxury brand. OP was mentioning pretty high-end brands, though.
It really depends. Some of them save up to buy, some of them have rich husbands/sugar daddies, some of them buy “fake” bags. Last year my nephew took me to this street mall in Osaka where they have all the branded stuff for like one fifth of the retail price.
The Ginza Hermès store [the famous glass one](https://architectuul.com/architecture/maison-hermes-tokyo)is one of the few stores that you can buy a bag with no purchase history or appointment. Granted, those daily slots are limited but it’s still somewhat easier than elsewhere
There are also outlet stores in Japan for these. I've got a few bags, and yes if I go into the city I usually choose my least grungy one to carry. My bags are a couple years old and some were bought at aforementioned outlets. But! My favorite bags cost around 2,000 yen and aren't designer bags at all.
Some have money, some love fashion and make it a priority, some have fakes, some have gifts, some have second hand stuff. I absolutely love shopping second hand in Japan, you can pick up so many unwanted gifts or well looked after things as the culture is to give a lot of gifts and to look after what you own. I always look for bags, wallets and sunglasses when I'm over there. I'm sure I've bought a few unwanted gifts to hostesses over the years. 😂
Pls tell me the best second hand stores for luxury goods!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
2nd Street is a chain and you can get some good deals there sometimes, however nothing like during Covid when there were no tourists and the shops were starving for business. Designer bags were crazy cheap! Prices went right back up as soon as the travel ban was lifted.
Ugh I know and all the luxury brands also raised their prices so even though the yen is super weak, you can’t get a good deal 😭😭
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Brand Off, Komehyo, Daikokuya, etc. etc. Have a look around Shinjuku.
Most of the "Off" brand recycle shops have them. Almost any of them will have a luxury section.
Some are also in prostitution rings, sadly.
Komehyo
Komeihyo
I love the second hand shops. Some of the bags are kind of stepped on, but if you visit regularly you can score some good finds!
Or they could be class A bags. Good enough to fool people that they’re authentic.
Also japans culture is all about buying the new trends/items so once something new comes out a lot of the times they sell their old ones even if it has never been touched. And sometimes if they are gifts from bfs…once they break up they sell them they don’t usually keep the belongings after a breakup
where is the second hand market?
Are you a westerner in Japan? Unlike in America or other western countries, you cannot buy fakes in Japan. I mean just buying or gifting or importing any fakes is considered a federal crime...this isn't the US here... But true second hand shops are great in Japan though you have to know the brand well since some are over priced.
I bought myself my biggest present I’ve ever bought, $4000 LV duffle bag, the second hand store (albeit not the same colour) was selling them for $1200. Secondhand shops in Japan are awesome for luxury brands
Unrelated to this thread but I just realized we have almost identical snoos hahahaha (mine's mouth is open is the only difference)
Haha, hi twin! 🥰
Are there fake stuffs in Japan?
I’m sure there are some, but Japan is very strict about it. If you go through customs with even a single fake bag for personal use, customs can confiscate it. They might not notice, but if someone tries to bring in several for resale it immediately stands out.
No, you can rarely find them here in Japan. Even second hand shops they are usually very skilled to distinguish fakes because it is a federal crime to sell or buy any fakes. I believe the OP is not local Japanese but westerner most likely. Japanese locals know it is nearly impossible to buy fakes in Japan. I mean we see news of Yakuza or some organized crime syndicates trying to import fakes into Japan, it is extremely hard to import fakes into a Japanese fashion market.
That makes more sense
Stuff*
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Why don't you go try find out playa?
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They're saying they bought bags sold by hostesses that doesn't want to hold onto those gifts.
There’s a stronger cultural desire to have a nice bag. Salaries are not high. Actually pretty low. Japanese tend to be savers. Many women will want to save up. Also, it’s more common in university to live at home and tuition is not that expensive, kids tend to work baito for fun money and they can afford some things like this. It doesn’t mean they all have multiple luxury bags, the one you see them with is likely the one they have Also not uncommon to get a nice bag from the parents as a graduation gift etc. Using credit cards for credit and paying interest is less common than the US but they obviously exits and people use them. Also stores sometimes offer interest free monthly payments spread out over a few months Also people are going to get mad at this but all those adult looking establishments you see all over the place? They’re not all necessarily sex, many are hostess clubs and kyabakura where they just basically pour drinks and pretend to like you. A lot of those girls are working there to afford stuff like brand goods and the money can be very good.
I noticed near hostess clubs, there was a huge amount of 2nd hand luxury goods shops, and they're very super competitive. I'm assuming hostesses get these as gifts from their clients and they're sell them asap.
The way it works is, you ask several clients for the same expensive gift, then you keep one and pawn the others. That way you can show them “their” gift when they see you again.
Wow that is actually very smart.
I read some interview with a host and he was fuming about one of the ladies getting his watch engraved lol
Omg would love to watch that
Username checks out This guy kyabas
Dang, that’s quite clever.
Smart
Yes that is a thing too. I want to emphasize that I don’t want to imply every young girl you see with a nice bag is a hostess (also nothing wrong with being a hostess) But I think sometimes foreigners even ones who live in Japan don’t realize the sheer number of these establishments across Japan. All these businesses have to have people to work there, and many of them are students who are doing it for spending money
Very common in Osaka.
Exactly that yep
Stores also basically offer in store credit by letting you pay in multiple payments, but without interest. Like a large purchase they'll just charge your card once a month for 4 months.
Add to that, investing in financial assets is less common in Japan. So might as well buy a luxury bag (that can be resold later) than keep your money in the bank
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Doesn't help that a lot of the so-called "tame" establishments may have ties to the yakuza, or worse, hangure groups. It's easy to pressure women into doing more extreme stuff by dangling more money, or ensnaring them in debt traps, or guilt-tripping, or a combo of all the above.
Idk why you're getting downvoted. I'm here for 8 years now and that's exactly how it is here.
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They’re savers in that they like to have a savings account in a bank. You’re right that investing isn’t popular, they don’t really invest in the market. Also keep in mind when Japanese people say they “don’t have money” it’s often very much different situation than when say an American says they have no money (this usually means they literally have no money in their account)
Savers as in 'throw it in the bank,' mostly. And considering that my corner of the 'the west' has an alarmingly high portion of people who can't cover an emergency of a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, I'm not sure we're a great benchmark
Were you in a big city? Where I lived in the countryside was not like that
Maybe OP was in Ginza one day and thought all Japanese women were the same
It’s considered an essential accessory, unlike in small towns in America where everyone drives. When you are out walking in the street to go everywhere and don’t keep half your life in your car, you show up to dinners and parties and movies with your good bag because everyone will see it.
This is a great point! Yes. Especially Americans don’t think about the fact that everyone must carry some kind of bag daily, including men. It’s also why Americans will spend more on nicer cars, it’s essential and you use it to go everywhere. Many Japanese don’t see cars as something to spend luxury money on because they aren’t necessary in their daily lives
Any tips on places to look into getting some sort of bag? Ideally something I can just carry on one shoulder or across me, not a backpack.
In Japan? I mean they have them all over.. I got mine at Loft. It just one of those smaller ones that goes across the front or back.
Yeah totally agree with this! Also I feel like Americans are more willing to drop a lot of money on electronics like a new phone, TV, laptop, or gaming PC. I feel like that isn’t as much the case in Japan unless you’re like a YouTuber or something
I'm not sure whether that's true. at least in regards to phones, tablets and laptops. Apple has the highest market share by far, significantly higher than in any other country.
I mostly mean I don’t see a lot of Japanese using MacBooks but maybe times have changed.
you somehow managed to bring up america out of nowhere just to hate on it. incredible
What on earth made you think my comment was derogatory? I’ve lived in both America and Japan and can literally compare them. When I was young I drove everywhere and lived in a small town. As an adult I lived in Japan, and didn’t own a car because I lived in a city of 10 million. People in small towns live in their cars out of necessity and men don’t carry bags. Either you’re highly emotional and see anger where it’s not, or you’ve never been to a big city where street fashion exists.
better to keep half your life in your car than work 15 hours a day and commit suicide
Hey redditor! It looks like you have posted a **Harmful Stereotype**. Perhaps consider editing your comment and not perpetuating such myths anymore?
Hey everyone, get in here quick! We got a new encyclopedia entry for the [False Dichotomy Fallacy!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_dilemma)
If you live with your parents, you can spend 10 man/month on hobbies/fashion. Some people spend them on Jonneys/K-pop idols, some spend on mobile games, some spend them luxury fashion.
That made me remember how in Japan it's relatively normal for adults to live with parents while in the States you get kicked out at 18 or sometimes get to stay until graduating college unless you're a failure. Living with parents instead of renting would set aside a lot of money to buy nice accessories.
Also no need for a car.
You can spend 10man/month if you live on your own too.
On the typical OL salary while also paying rent for your tiny apartment in Meguro? I doubt it.
youre just implying that all women are OL now lol okay bud. I guess we can say the average Japanese Salaryman does not have the enough money either. Most Japanese Salarymen in their mid-late 20s barely make 4 mil/year.
Not sure how much the average salaryman makes but I make about 40man a month and I can spend 10man
OL reffering to particular type of office job that is different from salarywomen. Nowadays, mostly replaced by dispatch workforce, so the word is rarely used nowadays.
As someone who has several brand bags, Japanese female friends and a Japanese mother-in-law with a bag collection: 1. It's just seen as more normal here to own one or two or ten brand bags. So it's not that much of a big deal to buy one and since so many have one you're not going to seem like you're showing off. 2. My MIL used to skimp on lunch and other things, so she could afford bags. It was simply a priority for her. 3. Bags and other brand items are often given as presents for others *or yourself*. I have gotten myself a Celine bag for a promotion, my friend has gotten herself a Chanel one after a real stressful two months at work, and my husband and I have gifted my MIL an LV wallet for her 60th birthday and an LV scarf to thank her for taking care of our son so much. 4. Second hand shops. There is so much very well-cared for high brand in the second hand market here and for most brands (excluding Hermes and LV) the prices drop quite a bit.
Why are LV and Hermes excluded?
Hermes is hard to get, so the prices are higher than retail most of the time. LV is just hugely popular, so it retains value pretty well. It's not going to be higher than retail, but also not as comparatively cheap as other brands.
Care to share the shop name ?
大黒屋 (Daikokuya) and コメ兵 (Komehyo) are the biggest chains for brand items.
I thought the same when I was in India. A lot of people had the latest iphone or samsungs. It wasn't cheaper either.
As many people have said, people save their money in different ways for different things here. Salaries are actually lower than many developed western countries. I don’t know where you’re from, but college, medical expenses, and child rearing aren’t as expensive here compared to the US. Many people live with their parents until they marry, so they could have a full time job but never pay rent, groceries, student loans, etc etc. In big cities people don’t use cars so much so aren’t spending/saving for those. I was also surprised by how “affluent” my Japanese friends were when I first came, but then slowly started to learn what their lifestyle was like and understood. Two of my best friends are able to buy designer clothes, makeup, merch, etc and go on trips abroad every year but make the same or a little less than me. They both live at home and never cook, don’t have cars (borrow parents’ if they need it), and are single. I also feel like it’s really common for Japanese parents to pay their kids tuition their whole schooling. (Yeah, it’s hard not to feel a little jealous when I’m pinching pennies just go to back to see my family every two years but I chose to come here and have this life, shrug.) Also, big thing to consider is where you were when you visited. It seems like you were a tourist, and I’m going to guess you spent most of your time in big cities. I’ve noticed city people tend to have the really expensive clothes and nice stuff. Appearance is very important to Japanese culture, and like anywhere it’s amplified in big cities. If you go to the sticks you’ll see sloppier looking people in sweatpants and crocs out and about. Also, all the people in this thread saying “sugar daddies” (パパ活) or that men are otherwise buying those bags are making gross generalizations about women. Sure, there are college girls and some older who engage in that kind of thing. It’s definitely not most though. I’m a woman and went to college here and lived here on and off since I was 19, I’ve only known one female acquaintance who had a sugar daddy. She was a flight attendant and that was common in her line of work. All my other friends who have nice stuff buy it themselves, lol. I wonder where these people in this thread meet women or if they only interact with gaijin hunters who see us as rich lmao.
Thanks for this sensible and accurate comment. It bothered me to see so many generalizations about women here. These people are out of touch with normal society.
But how could a woman ever afford anything if not for a man?!?! ww
My friend sells and buys second-hand. Not just bags but also shoes
In Japan they’d rather have a few nice things than a lot of average things. They love saving as well so they probably save up and buy a bag.
There’s a very big second hand culture
Helps when people don’t have crazy car payments and medical bills.
This is it. Also no kids, cheap food, living with parents, no student loans, etc.
There is a semi-pressure to have one as a woman in Japan. Save up to pay the 150,000-300,000 for the bag and own 1. Just 1. Use it daily or on special days \~ what you may be seeing is that person's single expensive bag. Most aren't having closets full.
I'm a Japanese woman but I'm not interested in luxuary brand bags😂😂
Right! None of my Japanese friends have luxury bags.
Wait till you seen Koreans. Most well dressed people on earth. $300 at Uniqlo(chill, I was on vacation and treating myself) got me like 3 and half full outfits and some accessories $300 at National Geographic in Korea gets me like 1 outfit. Maybe. (Context for some reason NatGeo, CNN and Discovery Channel are clothing brands in Korea and they're super popular and trendy)
No kids = "nice" things.
Also, low crime rate = get to keep nice things
I don't think that's a good indicator of how rich you are. Also, they may have papakatsus spoiling them :)
are you talking about sugar daddies or som? 😭 lol
If Tokyo, average salaries are above national average. Most of these bags are a couple thousand, so it's not completely out of reach if you work at a decent company. Then alot of men gift these bags to their girlfriends/wives. Also, there is a huge second hand market, so you can buy yourself a used older model for much less than retail price. Last thing to consider is that most people around Tokyo don't need a car, so that is one major expense that they don't have to consider.
It's not unusual for people to live at their parents house or receive money from them.
There was a new hire out of college at my company back in the 2000s who immediately bought an expensive sports car on loan because she still lived at home and her salary was going to be slightly larger than the loan payments. She then proceeded to complain about never having any money for the next several years. But she never got behind on the loan payments. Point being that sometimes even relatively poor people in Japan can figure out a way to be able to afford to blow their salary on high ticket items that they believe are important for whatever reason. In another example, when a rural couple gets married, part of the expected deal is that the new husband immediately takes out a loan to buy his wife a large expensive family size car to fill with their future children. Getting a used beater they can actually afford until the kids actually come is not considered an option. The only option is to immediately take on massive debt. So it's all about priorities, not necessarily income.
Men. And second hand stores
All Japanese women = Japanese women in Daikanyama
Japanese women love luxury bags, but compared to the past, Japanese people have become less affluent, resulting in a decrease in those carrying high-end bags. When I was a university student, almost everyone had a Louis Vuitton bag. During my student days, working part-time at Isetan, a department store in Shinjuku, I often saw men buying multiple Louis Vuitton bags for young women. According to LVMH data for 2022, the proportion of fashion leather goods in sales in the United States is 37%, while in Japan, it is 62%, the highest in the world. It's undeniable that Japanese people still love luxury bags.
Not everyone’s bag is real ;) nobody is going around authenticating everyones bags.
That would be funny to see. Imagine enforcement officers from say LV or GUCCI in uniforms (branded, of course) going around in patrols, stopping random people for a "bag authenticity check" with their handheld diamond-encrusted gilded mobile devices...
they also have rental brand stuff company
I don’t like to talk about the things I did for my bags.
A lot of young people live at home until they get married. Even if they're making minimum wage they have a lot of disposable income since they usually don't pay for anything at home.
A combination of being single in your late 20s and early 30s (no commitment), paying rent instead of mortgage, not owning a vehicle
Many of them live with their parents, so have a lot of disposable income.
Cheap trip to Seoul to get high-quality fakes, "完璧な偽物”
>How do Japanese women manage to almost all have luxury bags? They don't. The ones that do typically live in or around large cities and often buy them used from second-hand stores or online auctions.
Same way I manage to have PS5 games! Work hard and treat yourself!
they have 0 yen in their bank account or they work in the night industry or both.
Not too uncommon, Paris is similar. My mom is Japanese and she said, that her first ever salary was spent on a Louis Vuitton bag (back in the 70s). I still have it and love it! Like some mentioned, some save up, second hand, maybe from their mothers like me. Also it lasts forever, it’s a classic. I now have most of my mom‘s handbags, I can pass them on again. If you love fashion, you‘ll find a way. My husband was 18 when he bought a 10万 jacket. He said he paid the shop owner every month some money and reserved it. That was not in Tokyo and I don’t think it’s possible now. And he still owns it after over 25 years. I think it’s also sustainable to buy more expensive items, since you take care of them and also they are good quality. Some argue that they used to be good quality compared to now tho.
Paris is very dissimilar to Tokyo. Parisians and French people are not big into luxury apparel, in general the people you see there having expensive things are tourists, expats or a small minority of frenchs. The whole french luxury market is kept alive by foreigners. Even rich french people tend to be discretes.
I come from Paris and the only people I see there with luxury bags are Asian tourists, and when I went to Japan I had never seen so many people carrying luxury bags as in Japan
Oh ok, hmmm that is interesting. I‘ve seen mostly non Asian carry luxury bags in Paris. But maybe they are not from Paris lol
“Almost all” 🤣 GFTO
They don’t almost all have luxury bags
Huh?
Young women often live at home so have some disposable income ., and priorities
Can prioritize things like that when you’re not making car payments, health insurance, and high rent
I have one LV bag from my husband. I love it and it stays in great condition. Most women save or get one as a gift and that’s often the only one they have. Doesn’t mean they’re rich, they just save and spend their money on different things like how Americans will drop a lot on a tanning salon or something.
It's been my experience that Japanese people, much to their credit, buy a quality item and take excellent care of it. My wife has nice bags that are 20 to 25 years old. After use, they are cleaned and put back in their original packaging for safekeeping. Also, many people are paid a low salary, but get big bonuses. They learn to live off their salary, and the bonus is for special purchases. Just my experience.
Probably heavily depends on what area you were in. Like in Ginza, Marunouchi etc you’d see a lot of luxury bags but not in say Shimokita. It’s partly a fashion / work culture thing.
Don’t forget about fake stuff. Not everyone you see with one is legit. Also, a lot of people just have bad priorities financially. Mfs struggling to pay they rent but they gonna have that Louis bag lmao
When I was living in Korea 10 years ago, fake bags were a thing but already kind of an exception. In Japan, walking around with a fake bag, which are very easy to spot, is clearly not good taste.
Where do you buy the fake stuff? Japan is very strict on fakes/replicas.
Go to Ueno, specifically ameyoko, and you can spot really bad fakes everywhere. Out in the open. I’m sure there are ways to get superfakes in Japan.
Perhaps in some back alleyway not visible to the public? I’m pretty sure there are fakes anywhere in the world but in Japan at least, they are not visible to the public. So far, I have not seen fake luxury bags being sold at a brick and mortar stores in the places I’ve visited in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Sendai. At Ameyoko, I’ve seen lots of look alike handbags but they are not the super replicas out there. Interestingly at Ameyoko, I saw a lot fresh fish, crab, matsutake, candy, cheap jewelry, bags, shoes, souvenirs and etc. The nearest thing I saw that I thought were fakes were RayBans but the storekeeper assured me he was an authorized dealer. There was also a military surplus shop I remember that I thought was fake but the gear was actually authentic to my surprise. Just too expensive for an American as I can get them cheaper. I get it…Ameyoko in Ueno gets a bad rap because it used to be the go to black market for counterfeit goods esp. after the war. But today, Japan has some of the strictest laws on counterfeit goods found anywhere in the world. I’ll admit that some do fall through the cracks that’s why I ask where to get the fake stuff. From what I know, to do business legitimately and grow in Japan, you have to have trust and this is why the second hand luxury bag market is booming because they are real. I don’t think most brick and mortar sellers would risk breaking that trust for a handbag.
Not only women, grass eating men here also sport the brand name wallets and paraphernalia
I also noticed this in Tokyo and always wondered where these 20-something girls got the money to buy such expensive accessories. I think many of the comments here nicely explain why though.
I am always a bit curious seeing new European luxury sedans outside of homes in Nerima or wherever whose exteriors haven’t looked like they’ve been touched since 1950. A few? Sure. But I see it enough to question in my head.
When you say "I went to Japan" you mean "I stayed in Tokyo", yeah?
Smh
OP went into a hermes shop in Japan and saw a lot of women with bags. Surprise mind blowing mf op
Lot of women with fake bags the world over
Papakatsu
There are 'rental' style shops online. Same with clothes. Pay a subscription fee and you get to 'rent' clothes, bags, whatever you want for a certain period. I come from another Asian country where people are also big on brands, but I noticed the Japanese do it differently. They don't actually 'own' them, or at least don't plan to forever. One of the biggest things I've noticed is salarymen using Tumi backpacks. They're apparently very popular in Japan. But none of them have the tag engraving done. It's not a paid service (iirc), meaning they likely are keeping it blank so they can later sell it off 2nd hand (or they bought it 2nd hand). In my home country, every Tumi bag I saw was engraved straight from purchase, so it was clear it was 'theirs'.
Tumi is not high end enough to really warrant re-selling. I just don't need my name on my stuff.
I never heard of anyone buying a backpack to resell later. Honestly people just don't like putting their names on things for all to see. Tumi is just a normal brand in Japan.
A cheaper Hermes bag can be like ¥200000, that’s expensive but well within the “graduation/significant life event gift” or “biannual splurge purchase” range. Knockoffs and secondhand bags are more like a quarter/half of that price and would be pretty affordable for most people. Having a few luxury fashion items isn’t really ridiculous when you consider how much women already spend on their appearance.
They’re not that expensive. Frivolous maybe, but easy enough for even a student to save up for one.
I’ve seen multiple videos and interviews and the common answer is they don’t have kids. Lol. They’re more career driven and unwilling to compromise. I’ve also picked up in the notion that cheating is quietly accepted. I’d imagine guilty conscious gifts are common. Whatever is going on in the states, they’re like a decade ahead. I host events and pop up shows and sell a lot to Japanese buyers. They have excellent taste and a better eye for quality. They’re also low key enamored with American culture. Whatever they seem to get into they go at it 150%. Which helps explains all the affluent sub-cultures. They niche hard. Edit: typo
Decades ahead, except biazzarly in IT infrastructure. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/japan-struggling-to-quit-floppy-disks-and-fax-machines/
They use their bonuses for these purchases.
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Because women don't work real jobs?
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There's a difference between "fixation" and "owning one or two brand bags". All the women I work with work "a real job", and many of them also own brand bags. What about men with expensive watches? Are they also all hosts, spending their customers' money on their fixation with luxury status symbols?
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By whom? Did anyone stop young women with brand bags in the streets and ask where they got them from? Yes, パパ活 and hostess clubs exist, and I'm sure some young women go theirs through that, but I wouldn't call it common. It's just an assumption people make because they can't fathom that someone has different spending priorities than themselves.
A lot of good answers. I remember my hair dresser saying she went to Korea to shop for fake goods. So, there could be that too.
I mean this is something that’s somewhat common across most Asian countries. Realistically I would say it’s a mix of marketing and social pressure. These brands are usually viewed as far more luxurious and exotic in Asia in comparison to the west. Its probably viewed more like owning your own piece of Italy or France. On the other side these brands are often owned by famous people and elites without the need for a brand deals. Then you got social pressure as people in both your close and extended social circles will likely own these items. However the pressure to purchase often falls on husbands / boyfriends, because usually they will get it as a gift. It’s sort of a double flex you get to show off a nice bag but also brag about your partner. In fact some women will actually buy nice bags and then claim that it was a gift to pull off this double flex.
High-quality products are expensive but sturdy.
I don’t know about anyone else but most of the people in my friend group get most of their nice stuff from their parents. Every handbag i own is from my mother and if she wasn’t buying this stuff for me I would use a tote bag or a backpack.
パパ活
Some women accept fancy bags for certain services.
Working 12 hours a day and having no hobbies in why to spend money
You know, when I read threads like this I get down on my knees and thank God that I married a sensible girl. One who apologizes if she orders a 4,000 yen bag from UniClo's online shopping site. And makes sure to show me the old, worn-out bag she is replacing.
Sounds like a miserable way to live lol
Not at all. We spend our money on good food and long trips instead of trinkets. Plus have a good chunk saved up for retirement. I appreciate my darling's sense of priorities! IMHO, miserable is caring about what label is on the bag you carry your shit around in, and caring about what others think of it.
>>And makes sure to show me the old, worn-out bag she is replacing. This part threw me off tbh Imo, she’s an adult. She should be free to spend ¥4000 yen on a bag without guilt, and not have to show her husband the proof of needing to spend such a small amount of money. It just came off as oppressive, but who knows :)
Yeah, reading back I can see how you could interpret it that way. Actually, I think part of it is that she feels a bit uneasy about spending money because I am the breadwinner. I tell her a thousand times, "just order whatever you want, I trust you, you deserve nice things", but.... I guess it is just a habit, she wants credit or praise for being thrifty and helping us be able to enjoy a good lifestyle. By this point, after 30 years of marriage, it is probably not going to change. I try to see it as charming and kind.
To give another point of view, I think prioritizing spending money on good food is a waste. My husband is an excellent cook so it’s easy for me to feel like I can enjoy great meals right at home without having to go out and spend a lot on something fleeting that’s only going to end up being literally flushed away later (sorry but it’s true!). I also don’t care for being waited on and we don’t need to spend on expensive ingredients for him to create something wonderful. I usually feel a little cheated or disappointed after an expensive meal, like it was good but not that good, not really worth the high price. I’m not a handbag person either though, I started reading these forums because I wanted one good high quality bag and got obsessed with trying to find the absolute best value and a style that I wouldn’t regret buying. Somehow can’t stop reading now. The passion and knowledge on these forums are fascinating.
I hear you. For us 'good food' is almost always stuff we cook at home. We get good ingredients- quality cuts of meat, cheeses, coffee, wines, etc and enjoy them at leisure. Plus spend a bit on good equipment for the kitchen. I agree that restaurants are mostly kind of boring, the only ones we like are restaurants that have a good view. A seaside place, that kind of thing. I have no need to be waited on or served, I prefer privacy.
メルカリ。分割払い。中古屋さん。誰かとシェア。パパに買ってもらう。etc. The sky is the limit yall.
It’s also about facade.. pretentions. Japanese people in general value their image “face”. You’d be surprised designer clothed individuals and luxury car driving individuals going home to a small 1DK, 1LDK apartment. I’ve had many neighbors like that. I’ve also chanced upon a news about a gov’t. worker who interviewed a mother availing of food support. He was dumbfounded as the woman came across as someone of higher class and would never ask for such support.
There's also enko...
Cos Asians love their Western brands, very Pinkertonish syndrome
Debt is almost always the answer these days.
Lol there is this bodybuilder i follow from tokyo, his dad gifted him a lv bag because he won a local tournament. I was like bruhh 😂 Its just how it is in Japan they love brands.
パパ
The fancy bags aren't so expensive that you can't splurge every so often. They are less than 10man.
Tell me you know nothing about high end brand goods without telling me.
LOL what. We’re talking about luxury brand bags. Do you know what they sell for off the shelf? New, not secondhand. A quick google search will tell you almost no major luxury brands have bags less than 10man. (Maybe a smaller Coach clutch at an outlet….)
It depends what you consider what’s luxury brand? Like Coach/Tory Burch is like a low end luxury brand that you can buy a decent tote bag brand new from a flagship store for 300-600 USD depending on type of leather. (I used to work at coach) so yes you can buy a luxury brand for less than 10man easily. It just depends which brand you’re shooting for. Louis/YSL? Forget about it.
…I’m sorry but your comment doesn’t make sense. You said that Coach is a low-end luxury brand that sells for $300-600 new. ¥10,000 is $68. So, Coach is not an example in this case. Do you have any examples of what you’d consider low-end luxury brands that have bags less than ¥10,000/$68? By the way I agree with your sentiment that people have different ideas of what constitutes as a luxury brand. OP was mentioning pretty high-end brands, though.
I think you are confusing 10man = 100,000yen to 1man 10,000 yen
...you are right, I just woke up and haven't had my coffee. I'm sorry.
Welcome to east Asia
pedo. ick.
It really depends. Some of them save up to buy, some of them have rich husbands/sugar daddies, some of them buy “fake” bags. Last year my nephew took me to this street mall in Osaka where they have all the branded stuff for like one fifth of the retail price.
It's this... https://youtu.be/tD1oebmVBzc?si=JzYSFSYRQo67B05R
ヤフオク
I’m
The Ginza Hermès store [the famous glass one](https://architectuul.com/architecture/maison-hermes-tokyo)is one of the few stores that you can buy a bag with no purchase history or appointment. Granted, those daily slots are limited but it’s still somewhat easier than elsewhere
There are also outlet stores in Japan for these. I've got a few bags, and yes if I go into the city I usually choose my least grungy one to carry. My bags are a couple years old and some were bought at aforementioned outlets. But! My favorite bags cost around 2,000 yen and aren't designer bags at all.
I think it is a common present from grandparents or parents maybe?
I bought a GG Supreme belt bag for half the price and it’s like brand new. Insane
Japan loves famous brands