爆買い

• Reading: ばくがい
• Romaji: bakugai
• Kanji breakdown: 爆 (explosion, explosive) + 買い (buying) → explosive buying; massive shopping spree
• Pronunciation: /ba.ku.ɡa.i/

Meaning

A massive buying spree; shopping in enormous quantities, originally describing Chinese tourists' shopping habits in Japan.

This term exploded in popularity around 2015 when Chinese tourists flooded Japanese shops, buying electronics, cosmetics, and medicine in bulk. It won the Buzzword Award (流行語大賞) that year. While originally associated with inbound tourism, it's now used for anyone who shops excessively, including self-deprecating posts about one's own haul.

Examples

1. セールで爆買いしちゃって、クレジットカードの請求が怖い。 I went on a massive shopping spree during the sale, and now I'm scared of my credit card bill.
2. ドラッグストアで外国人観光客が爆買いしてて、棚がガラガラだった。 Foreign tourists were buying everything up at the drugstore and the shelves were completely empty.
3. 推しのグッズ全種類爆買いしたから今月もう金欠。 I bought every single piece of my oshi's merch, so I'm broke for the rest of the month.

Usage Guide

Context: social media, news, friends

Tone: dramatic, self-deprecating

Do Say

• コストコ行くとつい爆買いしちゃうんだよね。 (Whenever I go to Costco I end up buying a ton.)
• ブラックフライデーで爆買いした戦利品見せて！ (Show me your haul from Black Friday!)

Don't Say

• 日常の食料品の買い物に「爆買い」は大げさ — use まとめ買い for regular bulk grocery shopping

Common Mistakes

• Using 爆買い for planned, sensible bulk purchases — it implies excessive, almost reckless shopping

Origin & History

Compound of 爆 (explosive) + 買い (buying). Coined by Japanese media around 2015 to describe the massive shopping sprees of Chinese tourists. Won the 2015 Buzzword of the Year Award (新語・流行語大賞).

Cultural Context

Era: 2015 buzzword, still widely used

Generation: All ages, especially active on social media

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used nationwide. Originally associated with inbound tourism shopping in areas like Ginza and Akihabara, now used broadly.