Question 1

For me, in Japan, the big advantage is that I can easily buy larger sizes of clothing online.

Question 2

I really don't know what other people prefer, in this case. I like buying delivery pizza online, and have done so about once a month for several years. That might be a popular item... Though probably people who use their car every day prefer to pick up their pizza. They could still order it online, though.

Question 3

Amazon is a famous shopping website. I have heard that they treat their lower-level employees quite poorly. I used to order books on Amazon about once a year since there were several books I wanted that were expensive and/or difficult to find in Japanese bookstores. I haven't done so recently, however, as my bookshelves are now completely full.

Question 4

I bought a t-shirt from Uniqlo recently, size 3L, with a picture of a bottle of Dewa Zakura sake on the front. I was very happy to make this purchase. I have a small collection of sake t-shirts and I was delighted to add a new one to my collection.

Question 5

I bought a pizza from Dominos a few weeks ago. It was topped with one kilo of cheese. It was an abomination, measuring 40 cm and containing 3,832 calories. If they offer it again next year I will most likely order it again.

Question 6

It can be two things.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
abomination	嫌悪

Question 1

Shopping online grants you access to products you would otherwise not be able to purchase. Things like ebooks, music, or other digital downloads. These items are often cheaper than their physical equivalents and they are delivered almost instantly upon purchase.

Question 2

Video games. I have quite a library of video games, all of which have been purchased online. I buy these because, as I said above, they are cheaper and are delivered quickly. In theory, I have access to this library of games anywhere in the world, which is pretty cool.

Question 3

eBay. This is a website that allows users to open online stores and conduct online auctions without having to create their own site. eBay is an American corporation founded in 1995. It became a notable success story during the dot-com bubble.

Question 4

I bought my mother a bunch of flowers online for Mother's Day. She was really pleased with them, calling me up to say thank you and sending me a photo of her posing with them in the garden. It made her happy, which made me happy.

Question 5

I bought a laser pointer through Amazon maybe a year ago. I bought it on a whim, as I've always wanted one. It wasn't expensive, it arrived in timely fashion, and it works fine. I just don't really need it so I hardly ever use it.

Question 6

eCommerce is great. To be able to shop for something on the other side of the world at two in the morning and receive it five days later is a powerful thing. So is being able to track down items you thought were out of print or never released in your area. Yes, it probably means that there will eventually only be a half dozen companies that run the world. But I'm okay with that and I don't think we could stop that from happening now even if we wanted to.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
grant access	アクセス許可
otherwise	さもないと
equivalent	同等の
in theory	理論的には
auction	オークション
success story	サクセスストーリー
on a whim	気まぐれに
in timely fashion	タイムリーに

Question 1

Mercari. My wife uses this application almost every day. She enjoys finding good deals on used products online. I remember when I first moved to Japan people weren't into buying used items, but I think it's becoming more popular. There is "2nd Street Clothing" shop down the street from English-Please. I think using the internet has increased networking, and buying second hand products.

Question 2

I think people prefer buying electronic items online. A television for example. They usually have free delivery and a television is quite a big box. Yes, we recently purchased a Sharp 50" Television online. They delivered it for free, and set it up. It was very easy.

Question 3

Amazon. I know that Amazon is the largest eCommerce websites in the world. It's founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is the wealthiest person in the world. My wife shops on Amazon often. The amazon logo smile, points from A to Z. Meaning that they have all products from A-Z. Clever. I don't have a credit card, so I cannot shop online in Japan.

Question 4

I recently bought some pepper seeds from America. I have been growing them in my greenhouse. They are growing quickly. I'm happy with the product. It is difficult to find fresh spicy peppers in Japan. So, I grow my own.

Question 5

I bought a replacement hard drive for my Apple Macbook computer. It woked for two weeks and then the hard drive failed again. I shouldn't have bought a used hard drive. My wife used an American Express credit card. So I was reimbursed through the insurance. Phew!

Question 6

Ahhhhhhhhh! Difficult question. I think a little bit of both. I usually shop at local markets in the open market, and local farms. When I lived in Osaka, I always shopped in the Shotengi's, Komogawa was my favorite. In Nara, I shop at local farms to support local businesses. However, there are many things that I cannot get at brick and mortar stores. So, I have to shop online sometimes.

Tough Vocabulary

- English -	- Japanese -
reimburse	払い戻す
spicy peppers	スパイシーピーマン
used products	中古品 Chūko-hin