Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days of the week for Costco and for the roads leading into the Yawatashi store. Traffic can be backed up at times from Costco all the way back to Route 1. All other roads leading into Costco are almost at equal levels throughout the day, but mostly around midday. Later in the evening traffic gets better as most shoppers get their purchasing done earlier in the day before dinner time.

Yawata City, which lies just along the northeastern border of Osaka prefecture, is host to one of the latest Costco stores to be opened in Japan. Tons of people will be flocking to the store today to get a glimpse of the latest addition to the Costco Japan family.

Roads leading into the Yawata Costco will most likely be jammed with cars as members and visitors head to the store to shop on Opening Day.

Locals have been anticipating this day for a long time and have hopefully prepared themselves for the traffic that will now be something they have to deal with on a daily basis. Granted, it might not be as bad as it most likely will be today, but nonetheless, from now on, anyone living near Costco Yawata will have a lot more traffic.

Locals, like myself, will most likely walk or ride their bicycles to beat the traffic. Anyone going by train will have to take a bus or taxi in order to get to the store since JR Matsuiyamate station is not a close walk away. But even though the store is not a short walk away, today, anyone going by train might want to consider walking. It might be actually faster!

I’m heading there by bicycle now…

Costco Yawata will open December 9th!

If you are not a member yet, get your membership now before the doors open at a 1000 yen discount. Go to the store to sign up.

View Kyoto Costco Yawata in a larger map

Well, get ready because we may have found out the day it will open!

Locals in the Yawata Costco area have heard, either from a little bird or from those who work or will work at Costco there that the new store will open on Dec 8th, in time for Christmas and right after something else in the area happens on the 7th. Whether this is fact or not still remains to be seen. But this is what we’ve been hearing and it would be smart on Costco’s part to open before Christmas.

By the way, if anyone reading this article is not a member yet, now is the time to get a membership. If you go to the Yawata store and buy your membership, the annual fee is around 1000 yen cheaper right now before doors open.

At first Costco was supposed to open in spring of this year. Later, they pushed it to autumn. Late in autumn, they changed the sign in front of the store reading it would open in winter.

For whatever reason they chose to push the date back, anyone close to Kyoto that knows about Costco is frustrated that they keep pushing the dates back, but we anxiously await the opening of the Kyoto store.

Hurry up Kyoto Costco! Open up!

Residents living just across the street from the unfinished store have been complaining to other residents about hearing loud construction noises, banging and clanging, late at night. My guess is probably because Costco headquarters is flexing their corporate muscles to make the opening date.

Local residents have mixed feelings about the store opening up in their neighborhood. Many feel that traffic will become worse than it already is. However, those who like shopping at Costco, look forward to shopping closer to home than having to drive 1 1/2 hours away to Costco in Amagasaki, Hyogo.

Those of us eager to shop at Costco closer to home will have to wait a little while longer till the ribbon has been cut and the doors officially swing open. About a month and a half to go. I can already smell the pizza and hotdogs!

Costco has picked out a nice sized piece of land, however the roads leading to this property may cause traffic congestion.

Residents are excited about the new store opening in their neighborhood because many already shop at the Amagasaki store an hour and a half away. However, most people on the east end of Yawatashi are are worried that traffic may worsen. Residents already experience bad traffic conditions on a daily basis as people go back and forth to work on a two-lane city road. In order to curb further traffic problems, Kyoto will have to create a new route into the area and/or widen current roads.

Yesterday, there were so many shoppers, the streets leading to the store were backed up for blocks. Inside the store was so packed with people, it was difficult maneuvering carts. Shoppers were literally elbow to elbow on both sides of the cart.

Whatever the reason, whether it is from the large number of shoppers or the economy, prices at Costco in some areas have dropped.

Sausages, cheese, and coffees are down, while meats are up. Wine and other alcoholic beverages have stayed the same.

Thete were so many shoppers pushing their carts into me from behind one after another, today the backs of my heels are sore!

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So as of August, my wife and I are doing a cost comparison for the next year shopping at local stores instead of at Costco. We have canceled our Costco account, actually just didn’t renew our membership we’ve had since Costco opened its doors in Amagasaki many years ago.

Of course, Costco won’t miss us. They only know our names when we write it down on when we’re returning something or when we’re checking out at the cash register. If they send us a renewal notice, I’ll be surprised.

Most people at Costco recognize our faces, but don’t know our names. Local store employees may not know our names either, but that doesn’t matter. For the next year, we’ll spend more time shopping and pass through the checkout line more often than once a month if the items we buy aren’t as large as the Costco brands. But on a more positive note, we’ll probably also see people we know that live closer to home, maybe even friends or neighbors, and who knows, maybe we’ll even put together a BBQ at a local park and spend time together, spend less money on gas and transportation and won’t have to pay the extra 3500 yen Costco annual fee.

NOTE: We’re also canceling our Japanese American Express card, an annual savings of 20,000 yen for membership before our 5000 yen arigato coupon they send us once a year!