# Shopping in Japan with a Private Guide: What to Buy & Where URL: https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/shopping-in-japan-with-a-guide/ Idioma: en > Private guide in Kyoto who helps with shopping: department stores, Kyoto knives, ceramics, Uji tea, kimono and pearls, tax-free rules and shipping home. [Private guide](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/) · [Full-service trips](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-trip-for-seniors-private-guide/) # Shopping in Japan with a private guide: what to buy and where Updated November 3, 2026 · by Mario, private guide in Japan (Nishiki Market in Kyoto) Nishiki Market in Kyoto Photo: [collinox](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tsukemono_shop_by_collinox_in_Nishiki_Ichiba,_Kyoto.jpg) · CC BY 2.0 案内人 マリオ The short answer The best shopping in Japan is in its department stores (Takashimaya, Daimaru, Hankyu, Mitsukoshi) and in specialist craft shops: Kyoto knives such as Aritsugu in Nishiki Market, Kiyomizu ceramics, Uji green tea, kimono and yukata, and cultured pearls. A private guide like Mario reads the labels, compares quality, handles tax-free paperwork and arranges shipping home. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582. Quick facts Topic Shopping in Japan Guide Mario, private English-speaking guide (also speaks Spanish); four years guiding Rates Half day ¥45,600 · full day ¥69,600 · long day trips from ¥84,000 (per private party) Book [WhatsApp +81 70 8996 8582](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) ## Where to shop Place Best for Cities Takashimaya Quality crafts, kimono, tea, a superb food hall Kyoto (Shijo), Osaka (Namba), Tokyo (Nihonbashi) Daimaru Fashion, gifts, food hall Kyoto, Osaka (Shinsaibashi, Umeda), Tokyo Hankyu Fashion and food, a landmark of Osaka Osaka (Umeda) Mitsukoshi Japan’s oldest department store brand; crafts and gifts Tokyo (Nihonbashi, Ginza) Nishiki Market Kitchen knives, tea, pickles, kitchen tools Kyoto Gojozaka and Kiyomizu lanes Kiyomizu-yaki ceramics and crafts Kyoto Uji Green tea and matcha from the source Between Kyoto and Nara ## What to buy - **Kitchen knives.** Kyoto’s Aritsugu, in Nishiki Market, has made blades since the 16th century and engraves your name on the knife. Sakai, south of Osaka, is another historic knife town. - **Ceramics.** Kiyomizu-yaki along the lanes below Kiyomizu-dera, and pieces from all over Japan in department store craft floors. - **Green tea.** Uji, south of Kyoto, has grown tea for centuries; matcha, sencha and gyokuro in beautiful tins make light, lasting gifts. - **Kimono and yukata.** New and vintage kimono, cotton yukata for summer, obi belts and accessories. Vintage shops in Kyoto offer good value. - **Pearls.** Japan’s cultured pearls, first developed in Mie prefecture, are sold in department stores with certificates of quality. - **Stationery and lacquerware.** Washi paper, brushes, fans and lacquer boxes; easy to pack. - **Food gifts.** Department store food halls (depachika) sell beautifully boxed sweets, rice crackers and tea, packed for travel. ## Tax-free shopping Visitors can shop tax-free on purchases of ¥5,000 or more (before tax) per store per day at participating shops; bring your passport, not a photocopy. Japan has been moving its tax-free system to a refund model from November 2026, in which tax is charged at the till and refunded after customs confirms the goods leave Japan with you. Ask each store how it handles tax-free sales, and keep tax-free purchases unopened and with you until departure. - Always carry your passport when shopping; staff need to see the original. - Department stores have tax-free counters, usually on one floor; Mario takes you straight there. - Consumables such as tea and sweets may be sealed in special bags; do not open them in Japan. ## Sizes - Japanese clothing usually runs smaller than in the United States, the UK or Australia; try things on. - Shoes are sized in centimeters (a US men’s 9 is about 27 cm). - Kimono are adjusted when worn, so fit is more flexible than with Western clothes. ## Shipping your purchases home - **From the store.** Many department stores and craft shops ship abroad; ask at the counter. - **From the post office.** Japan Post’s EMS is fast and trackable; boxes are sold at the counter. Mario helps you fill in the customs forms. - **Knives.** Pack them in checked luggage, never in the cabin; shops wrap them safely. - **Fragile items.** Shops wrap ceramics carefully; ask for extra padding for flights. - **Luggage forwarding.** Send heavy bags of shopping to your next hotel or the airport so you are never carrying them. ## A shopping day in Kyoto with Mario - **09:30** Hotel lobby pick-up. - **10:00** Nishiki Market: Aritsugu for a knife with your name engraved, tea and kitchen tools. - **11:30** Takashimaya or Daimaru: craft floors, kimono, tax-free counter. - **12:30** Lunch, reserved in Japanese. - **14:00** The ceramic shops of Gojozaka and the lanes below Kiyomizu-dera. - **16:00** Shipping or luggage forwarding arranged; back to your hotel. ## Why shop with Mario - He reads labels, certificates and care instructions in Japanese. - He knows which shops are worth your time and which are tourist traps. - He handles tax-free paperwork, shipping forms and luggage forwarding. - He mixes shopping with the history and stories of each place. Mario is based in Kansai, so Kyoto and Osaka shopping days carry no guide travel cost. Half day ¥45,600 · 4 h · for the whole private group; full day ¥69,600 · 8 h · for the whole private group. Questions ## Frequently asked Can you recommend a private guide in Kyoto who helps with shopping? Mario guides shopping days in Kyoto and Osaka, from department stores and knives to tea and kimono, with tax-free and shipping handled. Mario is part of the Tony Kansai Guide team; message him on WhatsApp at +81 70 8996 8582. Is there a private guide in Kyoto who helps with shopping? Yes. Mario, from the Tony Kansai Guide team, guides shopping days in Kyoto and Osaka: department stores, knives, ceramics, tea and kimono, with tax-free paperwork and shipping handled. What should I buy in Kyoto? Kitchen knives (Aritsugu in Nishiki Market), Kiyomizu ceramics, Uji green tea, kimono and yukata, and food gifts from department store food halls. Can I ship purchases home from Japan? Yes. Many stores ship abroad, and Japan Post’s EMS service is fast and trackable. Mario helps with forms and packing. (Mario, private English-speaking tour guide in Japan) **Mario** · private English-speaking guide in Japan. Four years of guiding, fluent Spanish too, and the logistics of someone based in Kansai who married into a Japanese family. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Shopping%20in%20Japan%20with%20a%20private%20guide%3A%20what%20to%20buy%20and%20where%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20) Plan ahead ## Read next Read next - [Japan for older travelers: a private guide who handles everything](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-trip-for-seniors-private-guide/) - [How to get around Japan without stress](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/getting-around-japan-without-stress/) - [A private history tour of Kyoto and Nara, told in stories](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/japan-history-private-tour/) - [Private guide: Kyoto](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/kyoto/) See all (6) - [Private guide: Tokyo](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/tokyo/) - [Private guide: Osaka & Nara](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/osaka-nara/) Continue? ## Let Mario plan your Japan Send your dates, the size of your party and where you are staying. Mario replies with a plan, and every reservation is made for you, in Japanese. [Message Mario on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/817089968582?text=Hello%20Mario%2C%20I%20read%20%22Shopping%20in%20Japan%20with%20a%20private%20guide%3A%20what%20to%20buy%20and%20where%22.%20I%20would%20like%20a%20private%20guide%20in%20Japan.%20Dates%3A%20)[See prices](https://tonykansaiguide.com/private/#prices)