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SHOPING AND SOUVENIRS |
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Even if you're not an inveterate shopper, cruising Japan's
gargantuan department stores or rummaging around its vibrant discount
outlets is an integral part of local life that shouldn't be missed.
Japan also has some of the most enticing souvenirs in the world, from
lacquered chopsticks and luxurious, handmade paper to a wealth of wacky
electronic gadgets.
Historically, the epicentre of commercial frenzy is Tokyo's Ginza, to
such an extent that the name has become synonymous with shopping street;
you'll find "little Ginzas" all over Japan. However, the mechanics of
shopping are the same throughout: all prices are fixed, except in flea
markets and some discount electrical stores where bargaining is
acceptable. Few shops take credit cards and fewer still accept cards
issued abroad, so make sure you have plenty of cash. All except the
smallest purchases will be meticulously wrapped.
In general, shop opening hours are from 10am to 7pm, or 8pm. Most close
one day a week, not always on Sunday, and smaller places tend to shut on
national holidays. Nearly all shops close for at least three days over
New Year. If you need anything after hours , you'll find 24-hour
convenience stores in most towns and cities, often near the train
station. These sell a basic range of toiletries, stationery and
foodstuffs, at slightly inflated prices: Lawson, Family Mart, AM/PM and
Seven-Eleven are the most common.
Taxes, duty-free and discount stores
A five percent consumption tax is levied on virtually all goods sold in
Japan. Sometimes this tax will be included in the advertised price, and
sometimes it will be added at the time of payment, so you should check
first for large purchases.
Foreigners can buy duty-free items (that is, without consumption tax),
but only in certain tourist shops and the larger department stores.
Perishable goods, such as food, drinks, tobacco, cosmetics and film, are
exempt from the scheme, and most stores only offer duty-free if the
total bill exceeds ¥10,000. The shop will either give you a duty-free
price immediately or, in department stores especially, you pay the full
price first and then apply for a refund at their "tax-exemption" counter.
The shop will attach a copy of the customs document ( warriin ) to your
passport, to be removed by customs officers when you leave Japan. Note
that regulations vary for foreign residents, and also that you can often
find the same goods elsewhere at a better price, including tax, so shop
around first.
Some of the best places to look for cut-price goods are the discount
stores , which have mushroomed since the Japanese economy began to
falter. You'll find them mainly around train stations (the "¥100" shops,
where everything costs just that, are easy to spot), selling mostly
household items and unusual souvenirs. But perhaps the most interesting
discount stores are those offering electrical goods and cameras , which
you'll find in nearly all major cities.
Automated shopping
Japan boasts an estimated 5.4 million vending machines - roughly one for
every twenty people. Nearly all essentials, and many non-essentials, can
be bought from a machine: pot noodles, drinks, films, batteries,
shampoo, razors, CDs, flowers and so on. Some of them are getting pretty
crafty, too. Some cold drinks machines, for example, are equipped with
wireless modems so that the price can be adjusted according to the
prevailing temperature, while Coca-Cola has been experimenting with "intelligent"
machines that automatically raise their prices in hot weather.
Their prime attraction of vending machines is obviously convenience, but
they also allow people in this highly self-conscious society to buy
things surreptitiously - condoms, sex aids and alcohol are obvious
examples; Japanese law prohibits the sale of alcohol to anyone under 20
years old. But since mid-2000, concern over rising levels of alcoholism
and under-age drinking has led to a voluntary restriction by alcohol
vendors. It's estimated that around seventy percent of machines have
been taken out of action or restocked with soft drinks, but it remains
to be seen how long such altruism lasts
Department stores
Japan's most prestigious department stores are Mitsukoshi and
Takashimaya, followed by the cheaper, more workaday Matsuya,
Matsuzakaya, Seibu and Tobu. All these big names have branches
throughout Japan, and sell almost everything, from impressive food halls
through fashion, crafts and household items, to stationery and toys. One
floor is usually devoted to restaurants, and somewhere near the top of
the store you'll generally find a section specializing in discount
items. Bigger stores may also have an art gallery, travel bureau, ticket
agent and a currency-exchange desk, as well as English-speaking staff
and a duty-free service. It's also worth looking out for the excellent
bargain sales in January, July and August. Thanks to a trend towards
discount outlets and bargain-hunting, Japan's department stores have
been hit particularly hard by the economic recession. One of the most
prominent failures has been Sogo, which was forced to close its landmark
Yprakucho store, amongst others, and undergo financial restructuring in
the wake of a ¥180 billion debt - largely the result of massive
overexpansion in the heady 1980s.
Art, crafts, and souvenirs
Japan is famous for its wealth of arts and crafts , many dating back
thousands of years, and handed down from generation to generation .
Though the best are phenomenally expensive, there are plenty at more
manageable prices which make wonderful souvenirs . Most department
stores have a reasonable crafts section, but it's far more enjoyable to
trawl Japan's specialist shops, even if you do pay a little extra for
the pleasure. Kyoto is renowned for its traditional crafts, and even in
Tokyo you'll find a number of artisans still plying their trade, while
most regions have a vibrant local crafts industry turning out products
for the tourists.
Tokyo and Kyoto are also well-known for their regular flea markets ,
usually held at shrines and temples . You need to get there early for
the best deals, but you might come across some gorgeous secondhand
kimono, satin-smooth lacquerware or rustic pottery among a good deal of
tat. Keep an eye out, too, for unusual items in the discount stores,
which can yield amazing gizmos for next to nothing.
Japan's most famous craft is its ceramics ( tojiki ). Of several
distinct regional styles, Imari-ware (from Arita in Kyushu) is best
known for its colourful, ornate designs, while the iron-brown unglazed
Bizen-ware (from near Okayama) and Mashiko's simple folk-pottery are
satisfyingly rustic. Other famous names include Satsuma-yaki (from
Kagoshima), Kasama-yaki (from Ibaraki) and Kyoto's Kyo-yaki. Any decent
department store will stock a full range of styles, or you can visit
local showrooms. Traditional tea bowls, sake sets and vases make popular
souvenirs.
Originally devised as a means of making everyday utensils more durable,
lacquerware ( shikki ) has developed over the centuries into a unique
artform. Items such as trays, tables, boxes, chopsticks and bowls are
typically covered with reddish-brown or black lacquer and either left
plain or decorated with paintings, carvings, sprinkled with eggshell or
given a dusting of gold or silver leaf. Though top-quality lacquer can
be hideously expensive, you'll find a whole range of lesser pieces at
more reasonable prices. Lacquer needs a humid atmosphere, especially the
cheaper pieces made on a base of low-quality wood which cracks in dry
conditions; inexpensive plastic bases won't be affected.
Some of Japan's most beautiful traditional products stem from folkcrafts
( mingei ), ranging from elegant, inexpensive bamboo-ware to
wood-carvings, toys, masks, kites and a whole host of delightful dolls (
ningyo ). Peg-shaped kokeshi dolls from northern Honshu are among the
most appealing, with their bright colours and sweet, simple faces. But
look out also for the rotund, round-eyed daruma dolls, made of
papier-mâché, and fine, clay Hakata-ningyo dolls from Kyushu.
Traditional Japanese paper ( washi ), made from mulberry or other
natural fibres, is fashioned into any number of tempting souvenirs. You
can buy purses, boxes, fans, oiled umbrellas, lightshades and toys all
made from paper, as well as wonderful stationery. Indeed, some washi is
so beautifully patterned and textured that a few sheets alone make a
great gift.
Original woodblock prints , ukiyo-e , by world-famous artists such as
Utamaro, Hokusai and Hiroshige, have long been collectors' items
fetching thousands of pounds. However, you can buy copies of these
"pictures of the floating world", often depicting Mount Fuji, willowy
geisha or lusty heroes of the Kabuki stage, at tourist shops for more
modest sums. Alternatively, some art shops specialize in originals, both
modern and antique.
Kimono , the traditional Japanese dress, are still worn for special
occasions and every department store has a corner devoted to ready-made
or tailored kimono. However, it's far more economical to look for
secondhand or antique versions at tourist shops or in the kimono sales
held by department stores, usually in spring and autumn. Sumptuous
wedding kimono make striking wall hangings, as do obi , the broad, silk
sash worn with a kimono. A cheaper, more practical alternative is the
light, cotton kimono, yukata , which are popular as dressing gowns;
you'll find them in all department stores. To complete the outfit, you
could pick up a pair of zori , traditional straw sandals , or their
wooden counterpart, geta .
Other attractive textiles include noren , a split curtain hanging in the
entrance to a restaurant or bar; cotton tenugui (small hand towels),
decorated with cute designs; and the large, square, versatile wrapping
cloth, furoshiki .
Whilst the chunky, iron kettles, a speciality of Morioka in northern
Honshu, are rather unwieldy mementos, the area also produces delicate
furin , or wind chimes , in a variety of designs. Damascene is also more
portable, though a bit fussy for some tastes. This metal inlay-work,
with gold and silver threads on black steel, was originally used to fix
the family crest on sword hilts and helmets, though nowadays you can buy
all sorts of jewellery and trinket boxes decorated with birds, flowers
and other intricate designs. Pearls , however, are undoubtedly Japan's
most famous jewellery item, ever since Mikimoto Kokichi first succeeded
in growing cultured pearls in Toba in 1893. Toba is still the centre of
production, though you'll find specialist shops in all major cities
selling pearls at fairly competitive prices.
Finally, there are a host of edible souvenirs . Items that might tempt
you include rice-crackers ( sembei ), vacuum-packed bags of pickles (
tsukemono ), and Japanese sweets ( okashi ), such as the eye-catching
wagashi . Made of sweet, red-bean paste in various colours and designs,
wagashi are the traditional accompaniment to the tea ceremony. Tea
itself ( ocha ) comes in a variety of grades, often in attractive
canisters, while sake is another inexpensive gift option, and
occasionally comes in interesting-shaped bottles.
Electrical goods and cameras
Japan is well-known as a producer of high-quality, innovative electrical
and electronic goods . New designs are tested on the local market before
going into export production, so this is the best place to check out the
latest technological advances. The majority of high-tech goods are sold
in discount stores, where prices may be up to forty percent cheaper than
at a conventional store. Akihabara, in north Tokyo, is the country's
foremost area for discount electronic goods, but in every major city you
can buy audio equipment, computers, software and any number of wacky
gadgets at competitive prices.
If you're keen to buy, check the best deals you can get at home before
leaving since the item may not be much cheaper in Japan thanks to the
strong yen. It's also important to make sure that the goods are
compatible with your domestic electricity system; the Japanese power
supply is 100V, but export items usually have a voltage switch that can
adapt the appliance to your own system. If English-language
instructions, after-sales service and guarantees are important, stick to
export models which are sold mostly in the stores' duty-free sections.
It's worth shopping around first and, though you may not get it, always
ask for a discount.
Similarly, Japanese cameras and other photographic equipment are among
the best in the world. Shinjuku, in Tokyo, is the main centre, where you
can pick up the latest models and find discontinued and secondhand
cameras at decent prices.
Books and music
Imported foreign-language books are expensive in Japan, and only
available in major cities. However, some locally produced
English-language books are cheaper here than at home, if you can find
them at all outside Japan. The best bookstores are Kinokuniya, Tower
Books (part of Tower Records), Maruzen and Yurindo, all of which stock
imported newspapers and magazines as well as a variable selection of
foreign-language books. Alternatively, most top-class hotels have a
small bookstore with a range of titles on Japan and a limited choice of
imported fiction and journals.
Foreign-label records, cassettes and CDs are generally slightly cheaper
than their local counterparts, and may well cost less than you would pay
at home. Furthermore, major record stores such as Tower Records, HMV and
Virgin Megastore have a tremendous selection - everything from Japanese
classical and folk music to world music, rock, dance and garage.
Clothes
All Japan's big department stores have several floors devoted to
fashion, from haute couture to more modest wear at affordable prices.
Elsewhere, you'll find trendy boutiques - many of them stacked in
multi-storey "fashion stores" - catering to a younger, less affluent
crowd, selling cut-price clothes and the latest in recycled grunge gear.
Factory outlet stores and low-price retailers, such as UniQlo and Comme
ça du Mode, have recently made an appearance, as have foreign chains led
by Gap, Timberland and Next. The centre of high fashion, on the other
hand, is Tokyo's Omotesando, where you'll find the likes of Issey
Miyake, Hanae Mori, Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto, whose
showrooms make for great window shopping, even if you don't have money
to burn.
Finding clothes that fit is becoming easier as young Japanese are, on
average, substantially bigger-built than their parents, and foreign
chains tend to carry larger sizes. Shoes , however, are more of a
problem. Some stores do stock bigger sizes; Washington shoe shops are
usually a good bet, though the women's selection is pretty limited.
You'll also find outlets, such as Tokyo's ABC Mart, specializing in more
casual imported brands, but you'll be hard-pressed to find anything over
a size 10.
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