A reader hopes to benefit from today's recession. She has heard that because so many companies have gone bankrupt, it is easy to buy good secondhand office furniture. But where? she asks.
How I wish she had asked the people who told her about those bargains. Not being aware of this opportunity, I checked the ever-useful classified telephone directory under recycling. Among the listed shops are Nakamura in Shinjuku, phone toll free (0120) 70-3575, and Nakatani in Shimbashi, phone (0120) 09-4011. Both have desks, chairs, lockers, shelves and other furnishings from bankrupt companies, usually at about a quarter or a fifth of the original price. If she doesn't see what she wants, she should ask the dealers to help. They have a large network and will do their best to find what their customers want.
Another reader is concerned about recycling. She read about new regulations for used appliances that will require them to be returned to the manufacturer for disposal. She shipped her refrigerator with her household goods when she came to Japan. Will she have to ship it back to the United States when she wants to buy a new one?