Shopping in Japan

Shopping in Japan varies from luxurious boutiques to noisy open-air markets. Japanese big department stores usually look like exhibitions rather than shops. For the customers with children numerous playgrounds are available. Being in Japan it is worth buying traditional kimonos, mingei (local crafts including kites and folk toys), kasa (ornate umbrellas), katana (legendary swords), shikki (lacquer ware). Kyoto silks, fans, screens, paper lanterns, lacquer ware, hi-fi equipment, cameras, televisions are also popular purchases. Some religious articles such as Shinto and Buddhist artifacts can become good souvenirs. The largest shopping zones in Tokyo are Shinjuku, Ginza, and Shibuya-Harajuku areas. There the tourists can find everything beginning with the high-tech electronic and finishing with ningyo (small Japanese dolls). There is no better place in the world to find electronics than in Tokyo’s Akihabara district and Osaka’s Den-Den Town.