hi i was wondering how is the exchange on base for furniture like a sofa & bedroom
and how are stores off base ? we are in pcs mode and are wondering is it would be better to leave with less things and just buy over there !

thank you ... in advance

The NEX Furniture Store has a pretty good stock of stuff, but you may have to wait for delivery or special orders. They normally have the basic stuff in stock. Off-base you can expect high prices, small beds, so now you know why these people over here sleep on the floors on thin mattresses. IMHO.

Yeah, MCEX special orders take like 4-5 months so don't plan on much of that. But what's in the furniture store is generally adequate. You could also head down to Sasebo for more selection, like a 5-hour drive, but you'd need a van to haul back your stash (you can rent vehicles on base). If you hope/expect to live offbase then I would definitely bring the minimum. American furniture doesn't work well in a Japanese home. There are always things available on the community bulletin board at Crossroad Mall: Sofas, desks, dining sets, kids furniture are all common sellers. You can pick these up dirt cheap from people PCSing out or refurnishing.

I live offbase (contractor, not entitled to base housing). I bought a leather sofa in a Japanese thrift shop for $200. It's very comfortable and like-new condition. They delivered for free. Iwakuni town has limited offerings for shopping so we made a few trips up to Hiroshima to a place called Nitori (45 minutes away). It's a large, trendy furniture/housewares place that we really love; prices are reasonable & they have free delivery down to Iwakuni. We got this great coffee table that raises up & down so it also serves as our dining table. Also a bar/countertop with bar stools, at much better prices than onbase. They fit well in our apartment.

BTW, my wife and I sleep on the floor on a futon and I have never slept more comfortably in all my life. We got the full outfit including down comforters at Nitori at like a 60% discount. If you go native, it's quite a comfortable way of life. Trying to live American-style in a Japanese apartment is difficult and unsatisfying.

thank you for the info i think im gonna go native with sleeping ..

Awesome. My next advice about furnishing for off base is to do it slowly and gradually. I can't tell you how many ads I see for people selling things they only used 2-3 months (off base) then realized the purchases were unsuitable. Don't be in a hurry! Live out of your suitcase with a couple of chairs and blankets on the floor. Get used to the Japanese way of life, then buy items little by little as you see what you need and how you'll live in the Japanese style. If nothing else, this is a great chance to break the bonds of that American "bigger is better" or "more is better" mentality. It took my wife and I over 3 months to furnish our home and it's not a big place. During that time, we found Nitori, several thrift shops, shopped off the bulletin board as bargain items were posted, and ended up with a very nice place, affordably, and it's not crowded. We really enjoy it. We also spoke to many Japanese people we met and got good advice about how to live this way. Many aspects of running a Japanese household are not intuitive.

Another consideration (this should be a separate topic): Most American electronics works fine off base. What we've found doesn't work well are things that heat up. They don't get hot enough! Our American toaster barely toasts, and our iron won't iron. We're now buying Japanese products. Because the voltage is a bit lower, they won't warm up quite as much unless they are specifically labeled 100/110 volt products. Many, many appliances sold in the Exchange are unsuitable to use off base.

thai guy --- i like that you shopped in thirft stores damn i miss them back in nyc lol im in nc now -- anyways yea im a pretty simple person all that makes me happy is my cooking stuff & nice soft sheets lol if i have that im good to go
i dont know but ive heard from a few ppl that were stationed over there that it sucked blah blah -- but i actually begged my husband for us to get orders to iwakuni - so this is like my dream come true --sorry im going off topic
but i do think im going to come with not much and just explore and shop my way - thru japan i think its the best way to get a cultural experince and learn ahhh im so excited ---we have just a lil less than 2 months and we will be there yay !! thai guy you have been awesome with info thank you soo much

As far as people saying it sucked... People bring their attitudes with them, and it flavors the way they view their new home. You have a good attitude and you will enjoy 'kuni. It's a very quiet place and if you're from NYC you're in for culture shock. There just aint that much to do here, but once you learn to get around at least to Hiroshima, and cultural places a few hours away then the whole world opens up & you'll find it's a very cool place.

There's a thrift shop onbase that's not bad. It just got renovated & expanded and lotsa stuff here, nearly free. I've had bad luck with electrical appliances there, but everything else is ok. Offbase: Just remember Dragonfly and Panda. Dragonfly is very close to the base; things tend to be pretty expensive. Sometimes almost priced as new. But you will find bargains there occasionally; that's where I got my leather sofa for $200. Panda is 30-40 minutes away on the way to Chicken Shack restaurant. Things are a bit junkier, but it's fun to browse & bring home some treasure.

Then there's a government-run recycle shop that not many people know about. All old furniture here is picked up by recyclers. They fix it up & resell it at this government place. I can give you directions to all three once you get here.

Finally, people talk about antiquing Japanese-style. I'm not into this but I know people who spend days searching out obscure antique shops and come back with amazing pieces. If you're into this, you'll find someone to tell you how to get started.

You sound like a good candidate to live offbase. More than anything else, you need to be a good neighbor. Keep the noise down and learn how to do proper trash disposal -- it's complicated, and there's a class you and your husband must attend. If you do it right, your Japanese neighbors will love you. Do it wrong, there will be a lot of resentment. They are very serious about this.

Final thing -- Don't expect much help from the housing office to help you find a house. They have NO listings. We can continue this discussion by PM but in short, they showed me some trash dives right behind the nightclubs offbase even though I said I want somewhere quiet further from the base. They ignored what I wanted and just showed me something easy. DO NOT accept a house/apartment that you're not happy with. Keep looking, and you'll find something you love.