One of the first places we were 'introduced to' on our initial working stay in Japan was 'Off House', a recycling shop not far from Shinsanda Station. In 2001, recycling wasn't much in vogue in Japan, and there were, at the time, many stories of foreigners finding recent model stereos, bicycles, washing machines and the like in working order by the sides of the road on throwout days. Our house in Mukogaoaka was mostly set up with recycled stuff and hand-me-downs, so we knew from first hand experience that it was an area for serious bargains if you were a short-of-cash gaijin looking to become comfortable on the cheap.
I think we must have popped in to Off House dozens of times over the years, often just for something to do on a cold day. I won't be making a list of things we came away with, but they included a micro 'system-table' and chairs for picnicking, dozens of teddies and soft toys (all less than 100 yen), a stroller, baby clothes, designer jeans and tops (for Nadia) and so forth, all at a fraction of their new price. Naturally everything had been cleaned to within an inch of its existence. Over the years we noticed that Off House grew busier and busier, as the Japanese adjusted to the idea that second hand could be a good thing.
The photo above is a ring-in courtesy of Google. If by any chance you want to find out about the Off House Chain in Japan and its parent company, go to this site, the Hardoff Home page(yes, that is the real name), where you can click away to your heart's content.
http://www.hardoff.co.jp/
