Spelled With a J: Hard Off

Yes Hard Off is the name of a second hand store here in Japan. It’s connected with Book Off and Off House. (There is also the other popular second hand stores Doki Doki and Jumble House)

The store can be compared to a Value Village or a Salvation Army, but unlike those two locations the Hard Off seems to have a better selection, as well a sections with high end things.

The Book Off is exactly what it sounds like. People bring in old books, manga, CDs, DVDs and video games and then they are sold. It's a great place to look through if you want full seasons of TV shows for cheap or even whole collections of manga. I haven’t found any English books so I doubt that I am going to be doing any book shopping there.

The Off House portion is for things like fans, tables, chairs, couches anything that is home and housing related. I was able to pick up a nice faux leather chair for 5000 yen (about $50) and my bike at a Doki Doki.

The Hard Off portion comes from everything else they sell there. The one in Niihama is apparently known for great camera gear, and it’s true. I was able to get a great zoom lens for 3000 yen.

So I know that I am going to go back and see if I can pick up some more camera stuff. In the Niihama Hard Off you can also find cases of action figures, walls of Pokemon and other trading cards, a whole wall of guitars and basses, piano keyboards, computers, TVs, toys, professional turntables and a whole range of other things.

Found an old iBook. Vintage Apple products!

I really like the record selection that the Hard Off has and I was able to pick up The Beatles Let It Be for 1000 yen. So I know that when I stop in I always check that section to see if I can find other great records.

The Hard Off also sells clothing. You can get anything from a wedding dress to jeans. It’s quite a selection. The clothing selection also has the high-end stuff like purses, wallets and bags from designers like Louis Vuitton, Channel, Coach, Prada and Dior. I even found a section that had a collection of Burberry clothing.