Buying Cute Stuff from Japan
There are so many cute and wonderful things a person can buy in Japan. But what if you aren’t going to be making a quick trip to Tokyo today or tomorrow? What can you do?
Well, I’m sure there are a lot of ways to get your Japan shopping fix, but I really like the idea of going to Etsy.
What is Etsy?
The about page describes it this way:
Our mission is to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers.
Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice:
Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade
Basically, it is a community from all over the world who offer their handmade products for sale.
The Awesomeness Thereof
So the thing that is so marvellous about this is that you can purchase things straight from Japan, straight from the crafter or artist that made that very thing.
Etsy.com has a simple feature for searching that allows you to type in where you want to purchase items from, called shop local.
You can type in Japan, or Kyoto or whatever you like. It then offers a selection of shops that are recently updated and you can browse and see what you are interested in. It also shows their number of sales and level of approval.
Things You Can Buy
Imagine being able to search through galleries of art done by Japanese artists, all originals. And then buying whichever you like best. It’s a pretty nice set up. Here are a couple I found:
You can also get fashion items done in traditional Japanese styles and materials. Like this one here:
And what if you love amigurumi and want some authentic Japanese craft magazines? That is available too.
Or what if you want something special for your wedding cake?
Kikuike Custom Cake Topper Shop
There are so many fun things to look through, I am sorry for the time you are going to spend on etsy now. But it’s so lovely I’m sure you won’t be too upset with me =)
Photo credits: Amigurimi key chains by: amibutton.