shopping in Japan
I would like some reasonable shopping suggestions. I don't mean the high end stores in Tokyo. Does Osaka have reasonable shoppong for clothing? Any other suggestions?
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I would like some reasonable shopping suggestions. I don't mean the high end stores in Tokyo. Does Osaka have reasonable shoppong for clothing? Any other suggestions?
Comments
I think we just about bought everything but clothes in Japan. I did miss the opportunity to buy a lovely jacket made from old kimonos in Kanazawa because when I went back the store was closed. There are lots of cotton yukatas around but I did not see any of good quality and I did not like some of the patterns of the tourist ones. . I have some cotton ones I bought here in the US. I did buy the Japanese socks because I love them and they are a novelty. They vary from tourist quality to much better made ones, bought some of each.
We chose not to go to the huge shopping mall in Tokyo as I understand the stores are all high end and we preferred to do more site seeing. Only a couple of people went with the group we were with.
Osaka was packed with thousands of people all over the place. When I was whizzed by the stores with my husband as we walked in the subway shopping areas, there were lots of shoes stores I would have loved to go in 😂😂😂 but with Mr. B, I’m generally out of luck on vacation when we could be site seeing or buying more unusual things. ..saw lots of shoes I liked and comparable prices to the US.
I think the best place for clothes shopping is Kyoto, our hotel was near all the stores, but again I got whizzed by them . However, don’t feel sorry for me, came back with more souvenirs from Japan than just about anywhere else I have been. I love ceramics, so that was one of my priorities.
I have a handful of the Japanese yukatas that I use as bathrobes during the summer when it’s hot. I’m able to sew belt hooks so I don’t misplace the sash or tie that closes the yukatas. I didn’t buy any of them in the touristy places. You don’t know what you’re getting. I went to a department store where a salesperson assisted me. The prints and design on the yukatas are lovely and the cotton is of excellent quality. The ceramics, as mentioned, is also exceptional. It just depends what interests you to purchase.
I spent the afternoon of my last full day in Kyoto with another Tauck guest at Daimaru, a cross between Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's. The place is great for buying clothings, houseware, cookies and candies at the basement food court.Some people went to buy pottery, swords and lacquerware near one of the temple we visited in the morning. At Takayama, there were a couple great places to get sake.The better shopping opportunities are at the tail end of the tour. I didn't buy much in Tokyo. The TDs are very knowledgeable in recommending where to shop both at this tour and A week in Portugal.I am so glad I have a really fun group from Essence of Japan, very different from the next two Tauck tours.
It seems to me that most Tauck guests have very little interest in any shopping.