There is no doubt nothing you can't find here in Japan. You are tempted by world-class electrical products, fabulous designer's clothes, traditional crafts. You will be spoiled by real services you've never experienced.
There are several big department store chains in every big city, such as Mitsukoshi, Isetan, Marui and Takashimaya. They offer child care service to let parents concentrate on their shopping. Some departments also have a play ground for kid's at the top floors.
You will find everything you are looking for here in Japan. It is absolutory a shopper's paradise.
Designer's Clothes
Tokyo is a perfect city for a fashionista. The main areas are: Sophisticated Ginza, with its ritzy department stores and big name designer boutiques; trendy Shibuya and stylish Aoyama for the world famous Japanese designers shops including Comme des Gargons, A BATHING APE, and Evisu; Harajuku for teenage fashions.
Souvenirs and Traditional Crafts
The following places offer great variety of Japanese crafts, ceramics, lacquer ware, Japanese dolls, kimono and small knickknacks for your memento shopping.
Most departments also have great selection of souvenirs and traditional crafts.
Electronics
If you are looking for the perfect electric products, visiting Akihabara is a must. Akihabara is renowned for a world-famous big electric town in Tokyo.
Hundreds of electronics retailers offer home electric products and digital appliances. Also, there are many duty-free shops, where you can buy overseas standard products.
If you have no time to browse small shops for comparison, then just visit the big discount stores, like Big Camera, Yodobashi Camera, Sofmap and Yamada Denki. They usually have English-speaking staff to assist you and accept foreign credit cards. Bargaining is possible in a smaller shop, and even a big chains shop will usually adapt to the price of their competitors.
Tax Free Shopping
You can get 5% of consumption tax return if you purchase more than ¥10,000, but don't forget to bring your passport with you. Unlike the procedure in other countries, the tax is deducted immediately without complicated application.
Currency
Japanese currency is the Japanese Yen (JPY; symbol¥). Notes are in denominations of ¥10,000, 5,000, 2,000 and 1,000.
Coins are in denominations of ¥500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1.
A consumption tax of 5% is included in displayed prices. Credit cards are slowly becoming more widely accepted, but still some shops and restaurants will not accept credit cards.
Cash Machine
Citibank ATM accepts foreign credit cards and normally open 24 hours. The Post Office also does banking and has a branch in almost every city. Most postal ATMs provide instructions in English. Accepted cards are a Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Diners Club credit card, or ATM card in the Plus or Cirrus networks, or debit cards in the Maestro Networks or Visa Electron.
Many stores (24 hours open convenience store) have ATM had started accepting foreign cards for cash withdrawals from July 2007. Accepted cards are Visa, MasterCard and American Express, and ATM cards with Plus, Maestro or Cirrus logos.
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