Japanese stores have banned tourists from buying high-end graphics cards. Shoppers must prove they live in Japan before they can purchase RTX 5090 or RTX 5080 models. Signs at retail shelves warn that these cards sell only to residents. Customers face a residence test at checkout when trying to buy these graphics processors. Store managers grew tired of people flying to Japan to buy scarce computer parts.
The shops first tried blocking tax-free sales, but that plan failed. Many buyers came to resell these parts for much higher prices back home. The stores want regular Japanese gamers to find cards at fair prices. Market demand for these NVIDIA products remains very strong worldwide. Chinese buyers especially seek these cards because local supplies ran out fast.
Checking residence status seems odd, but it aims to help everyday shoppers. Available graphics cards should reach actual users instead of dealers. People will pay almost anything for these top graphics cards. Stores hope these rules keep prices reasonable for local customers. Most other countries have no RTX 50 series stock left at all.
The shops first tried blocking tax-free sales, but that plan failed. Many buyers came to resell these parts for much higher prices back home. The stores want regular Japanese gamers to find cards at fair prices. Market demand for these NVIDIA products remains very strong worldwide. Chinese buyers especially seek these cards because local supplies ran out fast.
Checking residence status seems odd, but it aims to help everyday shoppers. Available graphics cards should reach actual users instead of dealers. People will pay almost anything for these top graphics cards. Stores hope these rules keep prices reasonable for local customers. Most other countries have no RTX 50 series stock left at all.
