MEGA Don Quijote
Good to know before you go
- Getting there
- Shibuya Station · 5 min walk (JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Keio Inokashira Line)
- Hours
- 24 hours
- Admission
- Free
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Best time to go
- 08:00–11:00, when aisles and the 7th-floor tax-free counter avoid the peak 20:00–23:00 tourist rush
Hours can change on holidays — check the official site before travelling.
About
This massive, multi-story flagship discount store in Shibuya is an absolute sensory overload and a must-visit for souvenirs, quirky Japanese snacks, cosmetics, and tax-free bargains. Open 24 hours, it offers everything from matcha-flavored KitKats to high-end skincare across several packed floors. Expect energetic theme music, narrow aisles crammed with treasures, and a bustling, chaotic atmosphere.
What Japanese guides note
Japanese guides recommend starting either from the 7th floor downward or from the basement supermarket upward to avoid navigating narrow escalators with overloaded carts. While general merchandise checkout runs continuously around the clock, the 7th-floor tax-free counter experiences severe queue bottlenecks between 20:00 and 23:00. Consumables processed under duty exemption are sealed in tamper-evident plastic and cannot legally be consumed or unsealed prior to departure from Japan.
Details from local sources
- The store opened on May 12, 2017, replacing the original Shibuya branch that closed five days earlier on May 7, 2017. [source]
- The building features eight retail levels spanning from basement level 1 through the 7th floor. [source]
- Basement level 1 operates as a fresh supermarket stocking fresh meat, fresh fish, produce, and prepared deli items. [source]
- All tax-free checkout transactions are consolidated at a dedicated counter located on the 7th floor. [source]
- The closest underground subway access point is Exit A2, located approximately a two-minute walk from the store along Bunkamura-dori. [source]
- Under Japanese customs laws, tax-free consumable purchases are sealed in plastic tamper-evident bags that must remain unopened until leaving Japan. [source]
Insider Tip
Visit after midnight or early in the morning to avoid the massive daytime crowds and long tax-free checkout lines.
Frequently asked
Where is the tax-free counter located in the Shibuya store?
Tax-free processing takes place exclusively at the dedicated Tax-Free Counter on the 7th floor. Shoppers collect their purchases from any floor, bring the unwrapped merchandise alongside their physical passport, and process tax exemption there. The 7th floor also sells suitcases and boxed Japanese souvenir gift sets directly adjacent to the counters.
What makes this MEGA Don Quijote different from standard branches?
The 'MEGA' designation denotes a comprehensive hypermarket format that adds a full fresh food supermarket. While standard branches focus primarily on packaged dry snacks, cosmetics, and novelty goods, this location stocks fresh raw meat, seafood, fresh vegetables, deli items, and freshly baked sweet potatoes across its dedicated basement level.
What is the fastest way to get there from Shibuya Station?
Use underground exit A2 from the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, Den-en-toshi Line, or Fukutoshin Line concourses. Exit A2 brings pedestrians to street level near Shibuya 109 along Bunkamura-dori, reaching the store in roughly two minutes on foot while avoiding crowds crossing the Shibuya Scramble intersection at surface level.
What are the store hours and when is it least crowded?
MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya Main Store operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Peak customer traffic and long queues at the 7th-floor tax-free counter routinely occur between 20:00 and 23:00. Arriving in the early morning between 08:00 and 11:00 provides uncrowded aisles and virtually no wait at registers.
Can I use consumables bought tax-free while traveling in Japan?
No. Japanese tax-free regulations require consumable goods, including snacks, beverages, medicine, and cosmetics, to be sealed in official tamper-evident plastic bags at the register. Opening these sealed bags before clearing airport customs upon departure from Japan forfeits the tax exemption, requiring immediate repayment of the 10 percent consumption tax.
Our Tokyo walking tours
On the same walk
Photos
