Mega Don Quijote shops are massive in Japan – literally. Often referred to as Mega Donkis, these are the extra large Don Quijote Japan shops selling everything from Japanese Kit Kats and Pocky chocolate to toiletries and TENGA.
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Mega Don Quijote shops are a traveller rite of passage when in Japan and an amazing place to buy cheap Japanese souvenirs. Yes, there is Daiso, Seria and Can Do 100 Yen style shops in Japan but Don Quijote is a special shopping experience like no other.
If you are visiting Tokyo, you can visit Japan’s largest Don Quijote Mega Don Quijote Shibuya – with eight floors of purchasing pleasure plus you can even try the legendary 10 Yen cheese pancake!
From the best Mega Don Quijote stores in Japan to duty free shopping, here is our mega guide to Mega Don Quijote with photos.
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What is Mega Don Quijote? How is Mega Don Quijote different?
Don Quijote stores is Japan’s largest discount store – there are over 600 Don Quijote stores in Japan as of 2024 and 55 Don Quijotes in Tokyo alone.
MEGA Don Quijotes are the large super stores that generally have several floors of shopping and carry tens of thousands of products – the main difference is that they sell more lines and souvenirs plus often have bigger tourist shopping sections.
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What can you buy at Mega Don Quijote?
Mega Don Quijotes are often so massive, it is more of a case of what don’t they don’t sell!
As well as the standard Donki items like snacks and sweets, toiletries and homeware, the larger Don Quijote stores often have fresh food sections that sell delicious fresh dishes like seafood, sashimi, sushi, tonkatsu and more.
A lot of the Mega Don Quijotes also have special Donki restaurants or very cheap sit down food stalls.
We even found a huge gashapon capsule toy and arcade area at MEGA Don Quijote Osaka Shinsekai.
The great thing about visiting the larger Don Quijote stores is you never know what to expect… well, other than the very catchy / ubiquitous “Don Don Donki’ theme tune playing across the store!
The theme is played in literally every Donki – buy some earpods if you aren’t a fan (they are also cheap at Mega Donki…)
Plan My Japan Tip – Did you know that as well as over 600 Don Quijotes in Japan, there are over 100 more worldwide? Known overseas as Don Don Donki stores, there are 100 branches outside of Japan in countries such as Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.
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How many Mega Don Quijotes are there?
There are over 50 Mega Don Quijotes in Japan including Mega Don Quijotes in big cities like Sapporo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya and Kobe.
Some Mega Don Quijotes are open 24 hours (like Shibuya) but some close for a few short hours a day e.g. Osaka Shinsekai is open 20 hours a day (it closes at 5am every morning and reopens at 9am).
And yes, every store features the loveable store mascot, Donpen the penguin (often with his female friend, Donko the pink penguin).
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Spotlight on Shibuya Mega Don Quijote – Japan’s largest MEGA Don Quijote
The largest Don Quijote in the world, Mega Don Quijote Shibuya is a shopping heaven, sprawling over 9 floors (7 floors plus 2 below ground floors).
We’ve visited Mega Don Quijote Shibuya several times but none was more memorable than visiting on a New Year’s Eve, before the NYE countdown on the Shibuya Scramble crossing (weirdly, it was cancelled by the police but thousands still turned up anyway).
Everyone was buying alcohol, beer wine and spirits from the basement section of Mega Donki along with party supplied like cone hats and party poppers – it was buzzing!
In the basement, you’ll find all your foods (including Nissin Cup Noodles and alcohol). On the third floor, you’ll find cosmetics and toiletries, gadgets and electrical goods on level 6.
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Looking for Studio Ghibli gifts or Sanrio souvenirs at Don Quijote Shibuya? Head to floor 7 for one of Tokyo’s largest character selections (including Kirby and Hello Kitty) plus travel goods (in case you need a new suitcase to take home all your Mega Don Quijote gifts).
This is also where you’ll find the tax free counter (more on this in a moment).
As well as a 10 Yen cheese pancake stall (be prepared to queue), the Shibuya MEGA Don Quijote branch also has one of the largest adult sections on the fifth floor – so there is truly something for everyone at Japan’s largest Don Quijote!
Shibuya Mega Don Quijote is open 24 hours a day – happy shopping.
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MEGA Don Quijote Osaka
One of the best places to find many MEGA Donki stores in one place is Osaka – as of 2024, did you know there are around 10 MEGA Don Quijote Osaka shops?
Some of the best Mega Don Quijote Osaka branches include Shinsekai, Fukaebashi and Matsubara.
Unlike Tokyo though, none of the MEGA Don Quijote Osaka shops are open 24 hours (most close at around 3am or 4am and reopen at 9am).
Plan My Japan tip – In every Japanese prefecture where there is a Don Quijote, the famous store mascot Donpen (the penguin) has a different outfit or character.
In the Mega Don Quijote Osaka stores, you’ll sometimes see Donpen dressed as a takoyaki – and don’t forget to take a ride on the Don Quijote ferris wheel in Osaka like we did.
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Other unique MEGA Don Quijote stores around Japan
One of our favourites is the MEGA Don Quijote Minato Yamashita in Yokohama where they’ve created a whole underwater themed area in the basement section which included Donpen in a submarine and ocean graphic.
Incidentally, this was one of the best stores in Japan to buy Donki merchandise (like Don Quijote t-shirts, stickers, mini Donpen toys etc).
Some Mega Don Quijote stores also have unique architectural features – for instance, the Kyoto Yamashina store has a frontage like a traditional Japanese home.
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Donki Fish tanks and other random features
A common occurrence on the exterior of most large MEGA Don Quijotes is the presence of fish tanks and aquariums by the front door.
Often you’ll see Donpen the Donki mascot on the gravel floor, watching the fish go by (a model of Donki, not a real life penguin – Don Quijote sell lots of things but not actual penguins…yet)
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Tax free shopping at Mega Don Quijote
Mega Don Quijote stores have tax free shopping in place for foreign travellers from overseas.
International shoppers who do not live in Japan can purchase items without consumption tax on items they take back home as souvenirs.
You must bring your overseas passport or similar documentation (e.g. like a landing permit) to the Mega Don Quijote stores to benefit from tax free shopping.
One of the key criteria for tax free shopping is that these specially packaged consumable products must not be opened until you have left the country – so no snacking on your special Japanese Kit Kats before the flight home!
Tax free purchases in Japan for foreign travellers only apply to spends in one go of 5,000 Yen or more (excluding tax/after discount has been applied), or 5,500 Yen (including tax).
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Adult sections
And finally, ever wondered what goes on behind the curtains in the ‘adult sections’ of Don Quijote? Well, apart from lots of sniggering and furtive shopping.
All Mega Don Quijote stores in Japan have the (in)famous ‘adult sections’ where you can buy saucy and skimpy outfits, various ‘inflatables’ plus Japan’s top selling adult toy, TENGA suction cups.
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