While in Kyoto, the shopping was certainly one of my favorite parts! Unfortunately, most shops aren't fans of tourists taking photos inside their store so I don't have any of those to share. So instead, I wanted to share some of the treats I brought home from my favorite shops in Kyoto.
After a couple days of walking, I soon realized a needed a backpack…and quick! I stumbled upon this awesome striped backpac {above} at Pual Ce Cin in an awesome part of Kyoto called Sakyo-ku where there are a ton of other great little design-y shops like Paul Smith, Mumokuteki, and Hara Donuts {on Gokomachi Street just below Rokkaku Street}.
Not far from there, the Nishiki Market {a food market paradise} also has great furoshiki cloths, linens, and chopsticks which made for great gifts for me to bring back to the States for family and friends.
I found some adorable and quirky things for kids at the Alphabet shop in Kityama.
Finally, my favorite design store of the bunch…one that made my heart all aflutter…was Angers on the busy main street of Kawaramachi in Kyoto. A mix of home decor, stationery, and clothing…including amazing stationery from D-Bros {shown above and in the background of all of the photos above}, beautiful printed napkins and bamboo placecards {3rd photo}, and much more {which I didn't buy but wanted to!}.
I found it very hard to find stores ahead of time due to the various English spellings on different maps, so most of these I stumbled upon by accident. However, I wanted to share some of my favorite streets where you are bound to find some great shopping {all highlighted in pink}.
Kawaramachi and Shijo are the main streets for shopping in downtown Kyoto. Here you'll find a mix of department stores {Muji, Loft, Takishimaya}, restaurants, touristy knick-knack shops, and more. You'll find lots more knick-knack type things {great for gifts to bring home to the States} in the Shinkyogoku and Teramachikyogoku Arcades {which are really like covered street malls, and not actual arcades}. Nishiki-Dori is a must and holds the Nishiki Food Market. Finally, my favorite two streets were Sanjo and Gokomachi which are tiny streets lined with great independant clothing and home decor boutiques.
{photos by Oh Joy. Please note the map is a rough sketch and only highlights my favorite streets. Use it in conjunction with a real map so you have a better understanding of what surrounds those streets.}
Loving your Kyoto pictures. Striped backpack, pretty linen patterns and chocolate bring a smile to my face this morning =)
Everything is incredible! What a fun shopping trip. Love that backapack! Ok, love eveything…
love that back pack. want one!!!
see you tonight!~
aaahhh!!!! everything is so cute! i want to gobble it all up~ thank you for sharing!
can i please have that backpack?! i love it!
oh! the timing of this is perfect. I too have been searching for a backpack, and there are so many cute ones on that site… would you by chance know if they have an English site and/or ship to the US?
Joy – thanks for all the lovely posts on Kyoto. It is such an amazing place!! I just visited in July and it’s nice to feel like I’m back again!
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
Greetings from an Indian blogger!!
I knew Kyoto from Murakami’s Norwegian wood…now I know a bit more. Thank you.
I’m so envious of the furoshiki cloths you bought–I love the prints. Do you know any place in the U.S. that carries them for a reasonable price?
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
furoshiki patterns and Paul Ce Cin backpack, oh my! Do you know of a way to get any of your Japanese treasures in the states? (American retailers or others willing to ship to the US?) I have been searching online all afternoon to no avail.
adorable!
wow.. I think, Ireally need to make Japan my next destination.. I absolutely love your finds and just want to start exploring (ahem, and shopping/colleting) myself..
I found the backpack on the Pual ce cin website, but they don’t ship to the US 🙁
If anyone has a friend in Japan who would buy and send stuff, pleeeease let me know!
New People the Store in San Francisco sells lots of hard-to-find Japanese goods including D-Bros. I’m slightly biased (I work there) but it’s a great place to shop.
http://www.newpeopleworld.com
So fun! Thanks for sharing your treasures 🙂
Here is the site that Joy had posted before that sells the furoshiki cloths: http://furoshiki.com/collection.html?limit=30
Any recommendations for where to stay in Tokyo and Kyoto? I will be heading there in April with husband and 2.5 year old in tow.
Beautiful photos – you make me giddy with anticipation!
Super cute and inspiring 🙂 Thanks!!!
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
yay! oh japan has the best products. great buys, the backpack and spotted furoshiki are stunning! so happy you’re adding a map, i’m waiting for the day i can go back to kyoto
Looking forward to seeing your map. I leave for Kyoto on Monday the 18th. Will have two days before the actual work begins. Thinking about shopping and visiting the bamboo forest. Good idea?
hey linsey!
i updated the post with a shopping map!
i didnt have a chance to go to the bamboo forest but i heard its beautiful.
best,
joy
Hi Amy,
In Kyoto, we stayed at the Hotel Okura which was great and SO convenient to all of the shops and restaurants!
I highly recommend:
http://okura.kyotohotel.co.jp/english/
In Tokyo, we were only there briefly and stayed at the Royal Park Shidome, which is walking distance to the Tsukiji Market and the Ginza shopping. It seemed great but I cant say if Id stay there if we had more time.
http://www.rps-tower.co.jp/en/
We would have tried here if we had more time in Tokyo:
http://www.claska.com/en/
Best!
Joy
Hi Yian,
I know, Im sorry.. they dont seem to sell online to the States. You could always call the store and see if theyd ship to you directly.
Best!
Joy
I love the dotty pattern on the right! It’s so much fun to shop in Japan. I think it was my best shopping experience.Thanks for sharing.
Dear Joy, Let me know beforehand when you visit Tokyo/Japan next time. I’d be ready to be your guide and translator. Your Japanese fan, Chi
hi there. I will be going to Kyoto next year. Those places you mentioned about shopping for some souvenirs are so interesting. I love the chopstick. May I know how much the chopstick and furoshiki clothes cost (in Yen). Thank you
Hey, I just found a way to get American products. It is called mail forwarding, so I just got a new iPad, Wii game system and a bunch of video games. The site is myusaparcel.com. I also bought my Mom a Kitchen aid mixer and Victoria’s Secret perfume. I am trying to get free shipping on my next order and need five people to use me a s a referral, so could you please use myusaparcel.com and tell them I referred you? Thank you.