Plasma VS LCD
The price of this 46 inch LCD TV is 247,800 yen (2,306 USD) but you are given 15% of that price in points on the Bic Camera point card - the 37,170 yen (346 USD) can then be used to buy anything at Bic Camera.
But the secret to buying electronics in Japan is not to go to department stores like this which already seem heavily discounted. What you do is to have a look at the actual product in the stores and then buy online looking up prices at Kakaku.com. This 46 inch Regza for example is available to purchase through Kakaku.com for 186,967 yen (1,740 USD) brand new! Furthermore, the retail price for this item is a handsome 348,000 yen (3,240 USD) from Toshiba's online store @.@
We got our plasma over 5 years ago and the price at Bic Camera was about 800,000 yen (7,448 USD) but we got it through Kakaku.com for roughly 420,000 yen (3,910 USD).
If you can read a bit of Japanese then you can find most of your electronic needs at Kakaku.com - if you are here for a short visit then order and have it sent to your hotel/lodgings.
The reason why I want to upgrade our 37 inch plasma is because its not HD, not digital and obviously no HDMI socket. Can only imagine what Devil May Cry 4 would look like in full HD. Some folks say that a plasma has a short lifespan but its been fine so far and survived two international moves. I do hear that Plasmas are supposed to use up more electricity though.
The old plasma will be put to good use in the office and not left on the streets with the other plasmas.
I didn't really pay attention to the prices of LCDs and always thought that Plasmas cost much more but it looks like I'm wrong - a 50 inch Hitachi Woo 01 Series is going to cost just a bit more for the extra inches at 207,470 yen (1,931 USD) Kakaku.com.
Do you prefer Plasma or LCD and which do you have?
