Japan is a Shopper’s Paradise for Tourists and Locals Alike

For tourists who love to shop, Japan is the place. Yes, you heard right. The country where antiquity meets modernity, you will find a shopper’s paradise. Towns and cities are filled with high end boutiques and small shops filled with goodies you can buy while you are visiting the land of the rising sun. We all think that Japan is all about, history, culture, tradition and heritage but the country is also very up to date with fashion trends and the bustling towns are full of stores from which you can shop.

In Tokyo, the Old Tokyo Post Office has been revamped and launched as Kitte, a seven storey shopping mall. The mall has products from all over Japan under one roof and you will also find various designer labels there. The entrance is well-lit and extremely spacious and it will surely blow you away. On the 6th floor of the building there is an outdoor garden. The fifth and sixth floor of the building are dedicated to food and the restaurants on these floors are extremely interesting. Amazing and traditional kitchenware is available at Kitte. Many branded clothes shops fill the floors at this shopping heaven. You can pick up souvenirs from the mall, perhaps a pretty tote bag? Citizens and tourist visit this shopping plaza as it has an interesting blend of typical Japanese handicraft and modern items. There is also a deli in the basement that serves brilliant take away food.

One of the most desirable places to shop in Japan is Ginza. Ginza is well renowned for its high end boutiques, stores and cafes. All the famous brands are available here and these fashion labels have also opened up restaurants of their own where gourmet cuisine is served. The shoppers can take a break from shopping and grab a bite at these places.

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Shinjuku is one of the busiest towns in Japan. There are department stores, book stores and electrical appliance stores that surround the station in Shinjuku. These stores are filled with customers at all times. There is an underground mall where you can find the best bargains. There is a discount store along Yasukuni Dori, and you will find arcades, restaurants and theatres at Kabuki-cho.

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A shopping guide in Japan is extremely important so that you do not get lost in the crowd of busy streets and it is advisable to read up blogs on the shopping scenario of the country so that you will know where to shop.

A Look at Evolving Fashion Trends in Japan

On my last visit to Japan, when I went to photograph some street fashion, I saw that the streets were already filling up with various new fashion trends that were fresh in the year 2013. Whoever still thinks that Japanese fashion is only about kimonos is highly mistaken. Japanese fashion trends are influenced by the ‘west’ but very well moulded to fit the Japanese climate. Some fashion trends are extremely funky while others are a little outlandish.

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W all know Japan to be the epitome of culture and heritage but in recent times, Japan has picked up pace and is now moving toe to toe with rest of the fashion world, if not ahead. Japan is a mixture of the old and the new; it is a country where antiquity meets modernity. However, Japanese people are extremely fashion conscious and are always dressed for the occasion.

As summer has almost set in, I saw many women wearing beautiful floral prints. Therefore, this season, if you take a look at the streets of any metropolis in Japan you will find women sporting a lot of floral prints. It could be dresses, shirts or blouses but fancy floral prints are definitely the talk of the town. These summery prints are highly in demand.

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Japanese fashion trends change every season much like fashion trends in any other country. The Japanese follow trends prevalent in all the fashion capitals of the world. So, don’t be stunned to see the trends of New York, Paris and Milan being sported by the people of Japan. If we talk about fashion trends, we can’t really leave out hairstyles, now can we? I saw a lot of women especially teenagers and girls in their early twenties, sport pretty hairstyles with wonderful accessories. I even saw some with simple plaits but gorgeous accessories. Some even sported OTT (Over the Top) accessories and yet carried them off beautifully.

Another very interesting and eye-catching theme I saw parading the streets of Japan was the cat-woman theme. Everything from headgear to footwear has a very cute cat style look. I saw girls sport caps with cat ears on them, skirts with ‘whiskers’ printed, et al. This trend is definitely growing in Japan and might be a huge hit this season. To study more about fashion trends in Japan you can check out some magazines and blogs on the net. Summer fashion in Japan has loads to offer.

An insight into new fashion trends in japan from Pretzel William