Going to Japan ... any recommendations?

[dixonmanor]

Following along as I too will be making my first trip to Japan during the last two weeks of April (also doing Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, in addition to Naoshima and Kanazawa).

Definitely most keen on finding stuff only available in Japan... anything from homewares to clothes. The relatively recent availability in the US of so many previously "only in Japan" clothing lines (Beams, South2 West8, Sassafras, And Wander, etc, etc) is great, but I'm hoping someone can jump in with tips about Japan-only collabs, special make ups, diffusion lines, must-visit under the radar shops, etc.

RE: food, my sense is that the general baseline is pretty high, and I'm excited to just kind of play it by ear and eat without much planning, but specific recs for anything truly memorable would certainly be welcome. For whatever reason, it seems more difficult to get a sense of the smaller, local, independent, sort-of-unknown-to-tourists kinds of spots via the internet than it is for say, somewhere like London or Mexico City. I'm also very interested in wine/spirits made in Japan, especially those that don't make it to the US.

Other interests: outdoor/camping gear, home hardware (knobs, cabinet pulls, switch plates, etc), ceramics, gardening gear, etc.

 

[garyclark]

Following along as I too will be making my first trip to Japan during the last two weeks of April (also doing Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, in addition to Naoshima and Kanazawa).

Definitely most keen on finding stuff only available in Japan... anything from homewares to clothes. The relatively recent availability in the US of so many previously "only in Japan" clothing lines (Beams, South2 West8, Sassafras, And Wander, etc, etc) is great, but I'm hoping someone can jump in with tips about Japan-only collabs, special make ups, diffusion lines, must-visit under the radar shops, etc.

RE: food, my sense is that the general baseline is pretty high, and I'm excited to just kind of play it by ear and eat without much planning, but specific recs for anything truly memorable would certainly be welcome. For whatever reason, it seems more difficult to get a sense of the smaller, local, independent, sort-of-unknown-to-tourists kinds of spots via the internet than it is for say, somewhere like London or Mexico City. I'm also very interested in wine/spirits made in Japan, especially those that don't make it to the US.

Other interests: outdoor/camping gear, home hardware (knobs, cabinet pulls, switch plates, etc), ceramics, gardening gear, etc.

Nice! Will let you know if I see anything that lines up with your interests. In doing more research before the trip, I've decided to try to avoid super-pricey meals.

Going to focus on ramen shops, street food, conbini, isakayas, and fish markets. I've heard the food in all of these places is excellent and affordable. I'll end up having a couple of high-end meals at the ryokan we're staying at.

Most of my bankroll is going towards clothes, gifts, and at least one kitchen knife.