I know you can get state of the art( newest) electonics in Japan ...are these things available anywhere else in asia...say hong kong..or bangkok....i assumed no ..

We are always delighted by the "new" stuff at Pantip in Bangkok. I've not spent time in Japan so I don't know if what we are seeing is also "new" there or not. But you WILL see new products in Bangkok for sure.

The answer is maybe... When I was in Hong Kong, I saw some camera models from Japan that were not yet available in the US. But for any electronics you buy, make sure you are getting a world-wide warranty (usually not included). Also, the price will not be a bargain if you are from the US. I understand that you may save a bit in Asia on electronics if you are from Eurpoe.

A couple of years ago I was chatting at Narita airport with some 20-something guys who had just returned from racing out during a long layover to some "supermarket" type store to get the latest in electronics. That's about all I know about it but maybe you can find someone more aware of large, "Best Buy" type stores that have the latest stuff at reasonable prices. Generally, in the US, at least, you can get the best prices on the internet but I had the impression that what these guys were after was stuff not even available yet anywhere but Japan. Kathie's warning about warranty is exactly right.

K.

I would be interested in HD stuff DVD-R or camera....thanks

Those latest state of the art stuff tend to be domestic models ie with manuals in Japanese, local warranty and menus in Japanese. eg the cool notebooks have Japanese Windows with Japanese keyboard which has different layout.

The export model can be found overseas in HongKong, Bangkok and Singapore.