The 24-Hour “DONKI Village” in Guam: A New Nightspot on the Island [Report]

Do you like Don Quijote? I am a self-proclaimed “Donki Freak.” During my student days, I frequented its stores in Tokyo almost eight times a week, and even now, when I visit other regions, I make it a point to inspect the local stores. A few years ago, when visiting Singapore, I was first in line at what was then the newly opened first store in Southeast Asia, much to the annoyance of my companion. Notably, my house is also home to a Donpen plushie. “By visiting Donki, you understand society” is a motto I’ve coined, and truly, there’s much to learn from Don Quijote’s marketing strategies.

▲DON DON DONKI Orchard Central Store in Southeast Asia

Pan Pacific International Holdings (PPIH), the operator of the beloved Don Quijote, opened the sprawling “VILLAGE OF DONKI” on April 25th in Guam. Serving as the central tenant of this shopping mall is the overseas version of Don Quijote, “DON DON DONKI,” situated on a vast plot approximately 1.8 times the size of Tokyo Dome, making it the largest facility within the PPIH group.

This marks DON DON DONKI’s inaugural venture into the US territories. “Wait, isn’t there a Donki in Hawaii too?” some might wonder. Indeed, while there are foreign establishments of Don Quijote, they encompass various business models. The three “Don Quijote (Don Quijote USA)” in Hawaii are rebranded stores acquired from local companies. In contrast, the newly introduced DON DON DONKI in Guam primarily targets the Southeast Asian market, positioning itself as a “Japanese Brand Specialty Store,” primarily stocking products meant for the Japanese market or made in Japan.

Heading to “Donki Village” Right Away

Just a five-minute drive from the Tamuning district, where resort hotels line up, lies this “Donki Village” at the corner of Route 1 leading towards Guam Airport on Route 10A. Its proximity to the airport, about five minutes away, adds to its favorable location.

Unlike the typical image of Don Quijote with its black and yellow warning sign, VILLAGE OF DONKI sports a subtler brown exterior, seemingly in consideration of the local landscape and ambiance. The pillars on the main entrance side are inspired by the Latte Stones, symbols of ancient Chamorro culture.

Entering the core store, DON DON DONKI, the first impression is its vastness, reportedly among the largest of the Japan-inclusive stores in terms of sales floor area. Contrary to the jam-packed atmosphere of its Japanese counterparts, the layout here feels more spacious, designed to accommodate bulk purchases, a local shopping habit, with amply wide aisles for carts.

Near the entrance, there’s a daily goods section filled with Japanese products, alongside a souvenir section, clearly intended to attract both local and tourist foot traffic. The souvenir section offers not only the usual suspects like chocolates and cookies but also Sanrio collaboration items like sun-tanned Hello Kitty and My Melody plushies. There are also uniquely designed T-shirts, manifesting the “Donki chaos” vibe.

One of the elements contributing to this chaos is the use of “Donki script,” a distinctive font in handmade signs, a feature where each store in Japan has dedicated “POP craftsmen” who create unique signs. Here, the same signs are seen throughout, prompting the question: who makes them? According to staff, “We had a pop writer from Singapore conduct training for our local staff. Now, our Guam store has its own dedicated writer.”

Venturing deeper into the store reveals the grocery section, with aisles divided between products for the Japanese market on one side and goods geared towards the US market on the other.

Active in-store demonstrations take place here, introducing the local population, unaccustomed to Japanese food products, to these new flavors. This day featured sampling of genmaicha and hojicha brewed with a teapot.

The fresh food section is particularly impressive, especially the meat department, adapted to local BBQ habits with thick cuts of beef and pork, alongside thinly sliced meats for Japanese-style shabu shabu and sukiyaki. The seafood section’s sashimi platters are likely to appeal to locals as well.

The prepared food section includes a counter for made-to-order dishes, offering local foods for creating customized lunch boxes. According to a staff member, “This is primarily aimed at locals, but it is also recommended for tourists wanting to try something typical of Guam. As for rice, we import brown rice from Japan and mill it on-site.”

The basement houses a beverage and alcohol section, with a bulk sale area reminiscent of Costco, and a rich selection of shochu and Japanese whisky. A staff member whispered, “Look out for some surprising deals.”

Ideal for Last-Minute Souvenir Shopping Before Departure

While primarily a Japan-brand specialist, about 40% of the roughly 25,000 items for sale at the Guam store are original products for Guam or aimed at the North American market. According to a staff member, “We also want to meet the needs of locals looking for mainland US products.”

Initially open from 6 a.m. to midnight, the store shifted to 24-hour operations starting May 13 (with the basement floor open from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.). “The late-night hours cater more to tourists, offering a rare nightspot option for those looking for places to go in the middle of the night,” aims to market itself as a nightlife destination scarce in the local area.

Leveraging its midway location between the city and the airport to target last-minute shopping needs. A paid rest area, akin to an airport card lounge, is in preparation on the mall’s second floor. With an anticipated fee of $20 for two hours, it offers an all-you-can-drink soft drink bar, with alcoholic drinks and snacks available for an additional charge. It presents a convenient option for time adjustment before departure flights.

▲”The iconic” roasted sweet potato stand also draws a crowd

Additionally, the mall has attracted Daizo and Matsumoto Kiyoshi. The food court features a Hakata ramen store, a Korean dessert shop, among others, and a sushi restaurant from the PPIH group, as well as the popular Guam café “Infusion Coffee & Tea.” Marugame Seimen and CoCo Ichibanya are also set to open in September.

For me, choosing souvenirs when abroad, especially in resort locations like Guam, has always been a challenge. However, the arrival of DON DON DONKI has expanded the options. This time, I ended up buying a T-shirt with “Guam” written boldly in katakana for myself, intending it as a gift, but ultimately finding it too precious to give away. I’m looking forward to shopping there again on my next trip to Guam. You should definitely check it out too. (Reported with cooperation from the Guam Visitors Bureau)