Oriental Bazaar

janfw
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
3
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1
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Little of Everything

  • November 5, 2008
  • Rated 3 of 5 by wasa girl from Ashburn, Virginia
Little of Everything

If you consider your self a traveler, the souvenir takes on a different meaning than the $15 T-shirt or kitchen magnet. For my husband and I finding the right thing to represent that travel experience is always a challenge, but the Oriental Bazaar offered us some good options. The location we visited was near to the Harajuku area and a short walk from stations on the Hanzomon, Ginza, Chiyoda, Fukutoshin metro lines. With three floors the store has a very wide selection and it very open compared to the other shops selling Japanese gifts.

Like all souvenir shops you can pick up chopsticks and tea pots, but there was a very wide range, both in style and in price. What really impressed me was the antiques and larger pieces that were for sale on the top floor. We found a men's antique kimono, while I do not really know how antique it actually is, but it looks very authentic and higher quality than anything we saw elsewhere. It does not look like just another mass produced item, so we felt good about our memento.

We actually visited on the day we were leaving Japan to get a bunch of things to bring back to friends and family. I was able to find some great things to bring back for the unknown person (oops I forgot to get a gift for cousin Julie!)

From journal Two Weeks in Japan

Harajuku's Oriental Bazaar

The Oriental Bazaar is set in a quieter section of bustling Harajuku, located in what appears to be a traditional Japanese temple building.

The bazaar has several different focuses, and the store is laid out accordingly. Furniture and ceramics/porcelains are mostly on the first floor, with more touristy items there as well. Also, a very fine selection of tea and sake services is found downstairs. I purchased one of each and was very pleased with the quality and price.

Upstairs are prints (standard and woodblock), more touristy items, and textiles for purchase. Each section of the store is operated by a separate owner, so don't walk 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.

Additionally, for some last-minute purchases, the Oriental Bazaar has a shop in the Narita airport in terminal 1 on the fourth floor.

From journal Tokyo, Japan - A First-Timer's View

Shopping at the Oriental Bazaar

  • January 29, 2004
  • Rated 5 of 5 by janfw from Depew, New York
The building is orange and green and done in Oriental style. There are several floors of handicrafts from all over Japan. There are different shops on each floor. You pay for your purchases in the area where you pick them out.

You will find people from many nations shopping here. You'll hear French, Italian and German besides English. The clerks speak English, so you don't need to worry about a language problem. Even if you don't buy anything, it's a great place to look around. The prices are very good too.

From journal Tokyo-Cosmopolitan and Friendly

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