Treasure Hunting at Japan's Temple & Shrine Markets

Travellady Magazine ^TM

Treasure Hunting
at Japan's Temple & Shrine Markets

By Lucy Moss

Foreign tourists in Japan spend, on average, a full 30% of their budget on shopping. So estimates the Japanese Government, and once you see the sheer variety, quality and beauty of the goods on offer it is a statistic that is easy to believe. From brand names to antiques, from traditional crafts to unusual (and sometimes unidentifiable!) food stuffs, there is temptation everywhere you turn. Even the greatest shop-a-phobic would be hard pressed not to admit that shopping is one of the great delights of any trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

So, amid all this abundance of boutiques and emporiums, department stores and craft centers, where are the best places to head for? Tourists and foreign residents alike agree that there is no better place for the savvy shopper to start than at Japan’s flea markets. Held regularly throughout the year on the grounds of certain temples and shrines, many have a history going back many centuries and are a vibrant part of the local people’s social calendar.

Those for whom the term ‘flea market’ conjures up images of broken domestic appliances and musty, out-of-style clothing are in for a wonderful surprise. Stall after stall overflows with antiques and crafts of every kind. Racks of colorful kimono compete for attention with traditional ceramics, lacquer ware, fans and articles for Buddhist altars. Old carpentry tools, locks and keys, traditional dolls, vintage postcards and family - these are just a few examples of commonly found articles that remain largely unappreciated in Japan while becoming increasingly collectable in the West.

For the ultimate Japanese market experience head to Kyoto, Japan’s former Imperial Capital, where two of the very biggest and best markets take place on the 21st and 25th of every month (see details below). Still very much a feature of local life, stalls selling heaps of seasonal fruit, festival foods and everyday goods are interspersed throughout these predominantly crafts and antiques orientated markets. Kyoto also hosts a monthly outdoor antique market on the first Sunday of the month and a small but very worthwhile craft market on the 15th.

Those visiting only Tokyo needn’t feel deprived as flea markets take place almost weekly at temples and shrines around the capital. Although not on the scale of Kyoto’s markets, they have the advantage of being somewhat less overwhelming, and there is still a rich abundance of treasures on offer.

Other, less well known flea markets regularly take place around the country. While these can be very variable in terms of what is available, prices tend to be cheaper, there is less competition from other bargain-seeking foreigners and there is perhaps more chance of discovering a real treasure.

Whichever market you go to, allow your self plenty of time to look around. Many first-timers schedule only an hour or two before the next stop on their sightseeing list, only to wish they had allowed themselves all day! Such is the abundance of goods that the general shopper needn’t arrive too early, although it is wise to bear in mind that the markets become increasingly crowded from about 10am. Those searching for something specific should of course try to join the dealers who arrive before dawn and hunt for finds by torchlight as the stall holders are setting up their wares – a course of action only advisable if you are a real expert on Japanese antiques!

It is a good idea to plan ahead a little and consider what kind of goods you are looking for, be it ceramics, fabrics or just fun souvenirs. Also try to strike a balance between buying the first beautiful thing you see and planning to ‘come back later’ only to find that the item you covet has been snapped up by someone else. The golden rule that you should buy something when you first see it - or risk never finding anything similar again - is balanced at Japan’s flea markets by a second rule that states that there is always something equally – or even more - marvellous to be found just a couple of stalls further on…

The best buys are undoubtedly to be found in the areas where foreigners’ appreciation differs from that of the Japanese. Take kimono for example. Few Japanese today wear kimono on a regular basis and there remains a definite stigma to wearing second-hand clothes. Thus markets feature stall after stall piled high with kimono and ‘obi’ (the broad brocade sash worn with a woman’s kimono), some selling for as little as 500-1,000 Yen (approx. $5-10). For $50-100 you can pick up a really beautiful patterned kimono – great either to display or to wear – that would cost several thousand US$ new. Somewhat more expensive, but representing an even greater bargain, are the gorgeous red, orange and gold wedding kimono. Retailing new at around $10,000, they can be yours for a few hundred US$ or less. If buying kimono, be sure to ask for a quick lesson in how to fold them correctly – it will save you a lot of headaches when packing!

Traditional dolls are another fine buy. Doll-making is one of Japan’s classic traditional industries, and many festivals and rites of passage are marked by the giving of exquisite dolls. Second-hand dolls however are treated with suspicion as they are believed to carry the soul of the original owner (no need to worry – many a foreigner has bought these dolls and suffered no ill effect!). This results in many dolls in need of a good home and stall holders are usually happy to get rid of them for a few dollars.

Another thing to bear in mind is that in Japan items such as dishes, sake cups and lacquered soup bowls generally come in sets of five. Thus, anything in sets of four or less is often available for a bargain price.

Finally a few words about prices and bargaining. One trap a lot of people fall into is assuming that just because one item on a stall is reasonably priced, everything else on the stall will be too. Not necessarily so! In Japan it is not at all uncommon for a $10 dish to be lying next to a $2,000 dish. Tea bowls and lacquer items are most likely to cause you this kind of sticker shock. Of course the consequences of accidentally breaking something like this while examining it would be unthinkable… beware!

The stall holders are, by and large, a friendly lot and those who don’t speak English are happy to write down prices (or, as of recently, type them out on their mobile phone display…!) for foreigners who don’t speak Japanese. Moreover, in a land where almost all prices are fixed and non-negotiable, these markets are one of the few places where bargaining is acceptable. This is not China, however, and buyers shouldn’t expect a discount of more than around 20%, if indeed the stall holder agrees to bargain at all – many will refuse. Still, a polite “ma-ke-te ku-da-sai” (“a lower price, please”) will often result in an indulgent smile and a discount, especially if you are buying two or more items - in which case smile broadly and thank them profusely (“ari-ga-to go-zai-ma-su”).

Happy treasure hunting!

Further Information:

To confirm dates and times, and for details of other markets that take place around Japan in every season, contact the English-speaking Tourist Information Centers (TIC):
Kyoto: (075) 371-5649
Tokyo: (03) 3201-3331

Temple and shrine markets - a few of the biggest and the best.

Kyoto:

Toji Antique Market: First Sunday of the month
Chion-ji Handicraft Market - 15th of the month
Toji Temple “Kobo-san” Market: 21st of the month
Kitano Tenmangu “Tenjin-san” Shrine Market: 25th of the month

Tokyo

Togo Shrine Market: 1st, 4th & 5th Sundays of the month
Nogi Jinja Shrine Market: 2nd Sunday of the month
Hanazono Jinja Shrine Market: 2nd Sunday of the month
Kawagoe Narita Fudosan Temple Market: 28th of the month

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