Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [634]
Electronics
Nowhere in the world will you find a better selection of electronics than in Tokyo’s Akihabara district Click here and Osaka’s Den Den Town. Keep in mind, though, that much of the electrical gadgetry on sale in Japan is designed for Japan’s curious power supply (100V at 50Hz or 60Hz) and may require a transformer for use overseas. The safest bet is to go for export models – the prices may be slightly higher but, in the long run, you’ll save the expense of converting the equipment to suit the conditions in your own country.
Japanese Arts & Crafts
As well as all the hi-tech knick-knacks produced by the Japanese, it is also possible to go home loaded with traditional Japanese arts and crafts. Anything from koinobori (carp banners) to kimono can make good souvenirs for the Japanophile.
KASA (JAPANESE UMBRELLAS)
A classic souvenir item, kasa (Japanese umbrellas) come in two forms: higasa, which are made of paper, cotton or silk and serve as a sunshade; and bangasa, which are made of oiled paper and keep the rain off. Department stores and tourist shops are your best bet for finding kasa.
KATANA (JAPANESE SWORDS)
A good katana (Japanese sword) could cost more than all your other travel expenses put together. The reason for their expense is both their mystique as the symbols of samurai power and the great care that goes into making them. Sword shops that sell the real thing will also stock tsuba (sword guards), and complete sets of samurai armour. Some department stores, on the other hand, stock realistic (to the untrained eye at least) imitations at affordable prices.
KIMONO & YUKATA
A good kimono is perhaps the ultimate souvenir of a trip to Japan, and prices for new kimono start at around ¥60,000. Keep in mind that you’ll have to go for at least one fitting and wait for around a week before the finished item is ready to pick up. A used kimono is a good solution if you don’t have the time or money to spend on a new one. Used-clothing shops usually stock a variety of kimono ranging in price from ¥1500 to ¥9000. Another good place to pick up a used kimono is a flea market, where you can find a huge variety of often very fine kimono for less than ¥2000.
Yukata (light cotton kimono or bathrobes) are another great souvenir and new ones can be had for as low as ¥2000. Unlike kimono, these are easy to put on and can be worn comfortably around the house. These are available from tourist shops and department stores in Japan.
KOINOBORI (CARP BANNERS)
The lovely banners that you see waving in the breeze on Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day; 5 May) throughout Japan are called koinobori. The carp is much revered for its tenacity and perseverance, but you might like the banners for their simple elegance.
NINGYŌ (JAPANESE DOLLS)
Not for playing with, Japanese dolls are usually intended for display. Often quite exquisite, with coiffured hair and dressed in kimono, ningyō make excellent souvenirs or gifts. Also available are gogatsu-ningyō, dolls that are dressed in samurai suits used as gifts on Kodomo-no-hi. The most well-known dolls are made in Kyoto and are known as kyō-ningyō.
Ningyō can be bought in tourist shops, department stores and special doll shops. In Tokyo, Edo-dōri in Asakusa is well known for its many doll shops, such as Yoshitoku.
POTTERY
Numerous pottery villages still exist in Japan; many feature pottery museums and working kilns that are open to the public. Of course, it is also possible to buy examples of stoneware and porcelain. Sources of different pottery styles abound: there’s Bizen, near Okayama in western Honshū, which is famed