The best fashion and gift stores Kansai

This shop and art gallery specializes in Japanese prints and etchings from the Edo period to the 20th century. You will find works by 18th century artists such as Utamaro as well as contemporary artists such as Tanaka Ryuhei. We also discover a pleiad of lesser known but equally talented Japanese painters who have contributed to the transmission and evolution of the art of engraving over several centuries. The range of works exhibited highlights the incredible dimension and variety of this artistic expression.

Not one, not two, but nine stores of the sparkling kyoto brand are located in this alley near Ponto-cho. Katsuji Wakisaka, the founder of the brand, worked in textile design for Marimekko, and the Sou Sou products feature the vibrant colors and patterns of the famous Finnish brand. As for shopping, there is something for everyone. We particularly recommend their cotton clothes from Ise, very soft and light to wear in summer, or the tabi in all sizes.

Located in the covered lanes of the Teramachi, this stationery shop has been providing sheets and calligraphy tools since 1663. It is the perfect stop to stock up on beautiful postcards, pencils, traditional papers and notebooks to write down all your memories. Depending on the season, there is a wide selection of drawings, decorative items and paintings related to traditional events such as cherry blossoms, dolls' festival and others. Lovers of this kind of items will not want to miss the visit.

Inside this large art gallery, you can view and purchase the works of contemporary artist Masao Ido. The artist uses traditional techniques such as woodblock printing and fabric painting and dyeing to create unexpected and very contemporary works. He is particularly famous for his four-part wooden panels depicting the four seasons in Kyoto, and his many works that evoke aspects of daily life. It is a very nice stop on the way to Kinkaku-ji.

It is undoubtedly one of Kyoto's best known and most enjoyable shopping destinations. Here, under the arcades, you can wander around in search of souvenirs, gifts or just explore the handicrafts of Japan and the region. Indeed, there is plenty to choose from among the large number of shops here. And if you're feeling hungry, don't hesitate to head to one of the countless small street stalls.

For many people, a trip to Japan means martial arts, samurais and ninjas, with all the equipment and swords that implies. This is what this store with a very nice front offers. Dozens of swords, shurikens and other swords on display here will take you back in time, not to mention the combat armors and accessories that can be seen up close on the^2nd floor. An address for martial arts lovers, of course, but also for all publics. The place can be visited as much as a museum as a store.

It is the biggest flea market in Kyoto and probably the biggest in Kansai. Thrifty people, lovers of antiques or second hand clothes meet in this gigantic open air souk to find the pearl of the month. You have to be patient to make your way through the crowd, and sometimes discuss the prices a little, but you can really find everything. In some alleys, the market looks like a festival with stalls selling yakisoba and other small street food.

You will see them everywhere in Tokyo and Kyoto, these stickers are all the rage since they appeared in the early 2000s. They come in all shapes and sizes, cute or obscene, humorous or inspired by manga and anime heroes, there is something for everyone. It's quite unexpected, but it's easy to get lost in this real library of stickers, each one more unusual than the other. Their particularity? They are guaranteed to be water and weather resistant.

If you're there when this market is taking place, go and have a look at it. The Chion-ji turns into a shopping alley with many stalls selling both coffee and pretty objects. Paintings, bags, clothes or other decorative objects make original souvenirs that are different from those found in the shops. The atmosphere is pleasant, especially since the market is not only for tourists but also for the local population.

On the 21st of each month, the anniversary of the death of the founder of To-ji Temple, the entrance to the temple is crowded with people in an improbable bric-a-brac of stalls that mix traditional Japanese products and food. This market is well known and even attracts people from Tokyo who come here to pick up typical Kyoto kimonos. It's a well-known market for antiques, and if you are interested in antiques, you should come early enough. But people also like to wander around with a sushi in their hand and a shopping bag full of souvenirs. A nice place.

In these small shopping streets where all the tourists as well as the inhabitants of the city crowd, you will find all that Nara counts of small souvenir shops. Here, between restaurants, cafes and clothes stores, you will have an overview of the handicraft of the region and souvenirs made in Nara (or not). They look like any other shopping streets in Japan, but you can still find beautiful things. If you only have to make one shopping stop in Nara, Konishi Sakura Arcade is the right place.

Platz was founded in Nishijin around 1890. Since then, the factory has moved and opened a Japanese style futon shop at the same time. Today the Platz shop offers souvenirs and cushions. Quality is the essence of this souvenir shop as everything is "handmade". You can find classic souvenirs, such as cushions or small bags, or more original ones. Whether it's a bolster in the shape of a maki or a headrest in the shape of an eggplant or a sashimi, you're sure to get a wacky and comfortable little gift from Kyoto!

During your stay in Japan, you may have been seduced by the presentation of dishes in meal boxes, or bento, and dream of bringing one home to start homemade trays? The Bento＆Co store has all the materials you will need. Pretty boxes, chopsticks, cute accessories for kids or classic ones for adults, you're bound to find the tools that will inspire you to make delicious little dishes when you get home. The store's decor alone is enough to tempt you.

It would be a shame to go through Kyoto without discovering one of the facets of a Japanese craft that is unfortunately not very well promoted: jewelry. In this small workshop store, we come to admire the work of kyo-zogan, inlays of metal patterns on a thin plate. The technique goes back a long way and has endured even if it is less known today. The jewels will add variety to your range of souvenirs. And, as an added bonus, the workshop offers to create your own jewelry using the Zogan technique.

Pagong is a kimono dyeing company founded in 1919. At the time, Japanese fashion was inspired by the West to create new patterns. In the 1980's, as the kimono industry was in decline, the owner decided to use the company's incredible pattern catalogues to create a line of unique and colourful clothing and accessories. The collection of Aloha shirts, Hawaiian shirts with traditional designs is interesting, as are the dresses and t-shirts inspired by kimonos.

The name of this art gallery evokes yoshikiri-in, a wood block printing technique used by the famous ukiyo-e artist Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi. Thousands of authentic prints are on display here and available for sale. Calligraphy lovers and lovers of Japanese art will find a wide selection of prints and silkscreen prints from the greatest masters such as Hokusai or Utamaro, as well as from the most anonymous artists. And if one of the paintings tempts you, an overseas delivery service is available.

The Shinpuhkan, a trendy new shopping mall, is as much worth a visit for its architecture as for its stores and restaurants. It occupies Kyoto's former telephone center, a listed historic building with distinctive red bricks. Marked by the modernism of the early ^20th century, it is flanked by another contemporary building designed by Kengo Kuma, Japan's leading architect. The ensemble exudes an atmosphere of history and industrial elegance. Inside, a small garden meanders between the plush boutiques.

Shoyeido, one of Kyoto's historic incense brands, has opened a space in Karasuma Street where you can discover the fragrances and manufacture of incense. You place your head in a box that descends directly from the ceiling to immerse yourself in a fragrance, a mood. You then discover the plants and spices used to make the aromatic sticks. The tour continues in the adjoining store, where you'll find incense in all its forms.