Oriental Bazzar

Oriental Bazaar is one of Tokyo's largest souvenir shops, most probably it is the most famous of souvenir shops. Oriental Bazaar is very popular among foreign travelers who look for typical Japanese souvenirs, such as kimono, tableware, lamps, dolls, furniture and samurai related goods.

This store is located about halfway between Omotesando and Harajuku station on Omotesando Dori (5-9-13 Jingu-mae) near Togo Shrine in Harajuku. To find the Bazaar go to Omotesando station and walk down the main street towards Harajuku, the shop is on the right about halfway down the road. It is just down the street from Kiddyland. The Oriental Bazaar is set in a quieter section of bustling Harajuku.

Oriental Bazaar is also the most imaginatively laid out. The bazaar has several different focuses, and the store is laid out accordingly. It is a four-stories store, and when you step to the higher floor you will get the more expensive items. The basement stocks bright, cheap and cheerful, touristy items, while the top floor offers antiques and traditional Japanese kimono and crafts. It is surely one of the best places to buy affordable and beautiful, second-hand original kimonos. Yukata (new and used), ceramics, towels and papercraft are some of the more popular items. There is also available woodblock prints, paper products, wind chimes, stationery, fans, chopsticks, lamps, Imari chinaware, sake sets, Japanese dolls, pearls, books on Japan, and a large selection of antique furniture.

The first floor is mostly occupied by furniture and ceramics/porcelains with more touristy items there as well. Also, a very fine selection of tea and sake services is found downstairs. Go upstairs you will find prints (standard and woodblock), more touristy items, and textiles for purchase. The bazzar has sections which each section of the store is operated by a separate owner, so you will not be allowed to go away with goods from one section to browse in another. Make you purchase and move on or compare and come back to buy. Overall, the Oriental Bazaar is a handy place to do some comparative shopping in one central location. The craftsmanship probably is not as good as in some high-end shops, but it is quite nice and the price justifies the purchases.

If you don’t have plenty of time to go around to find the best souvenir you look for, Oriental Bazaar is an easy one stop souvenir store in Tokyo which can provide you with the best-completed souvenirs. This is the city's most popular and largest souvenir/crafts store, selling products at reasonable prices. This store will also ship things home for you. Open Friday to Wednesday 10am to 7pm. For last-chance suit-of-armour purchases, you can go to the branch at Narita airport. The staff at both branches speak fluent English. The English-speaking staff are quite willing to wrap things up and have them posted for you. Oriental Bazaar is the place to go to when you want to return home bearing souvenirs of your trip to Japan. Oriental Bazaar will satisfy all the gift buying needs for your friends and family back home.

It's hard to miss the Oriental Bazaar - its grand red and green exterior welcomes you into a real temple to Japanese consumerism, with a facade that resembles a Shinto shrine. The Bazaar is housed in an instantly recognizable building with a faux-Chinese temple roof.

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