Originally Posted by chuckd
Glad I could start a debate, but I meant that the sake sets, the little cups and whatnot from the souvenier shops, those are touristy. But I'm a tourist as much as I hate the word so I'm fine with buying and gifting them. They are still representative of both a trip and the location from which they came, but how many Japanese people buy them? Sake itself I would argue is not touristy.
I think we understood you, but speaking for myself, I enjoy any excuse to get off on the tangent of sake!
Re: the cup and tokkuri sets, I think whether they're "touristy" or not depends on what they look like (and yes, what you'd be likely to find at the airport is the touristy version, along with the polyester "kimono"). I've got quite the collection of sake cups, none of which I think are touristy. It always stuns me to go into a pottery shop, pick up a cup I think is quite nice, and find out it costs hundreds of dollars or more because it's made by some famous Bizen potter..... (must. put. cup. down. VERY. carefully.)