abmj-jr

A high-end Japanese department store can be a destination in itself, even if you do not actually buy anything. White-gloved attendants, elevator girls, everybody bowing and greeting you as you walk by their station, the extensive food floor in the basement. If you get a chance, just visit for the culture shock.

cruise603

Wow, that's something we did not think about. Which department store would you recommend ?
thanks

manneca

On stations, transportation and so forth. I've done JR rail passes. I go to the ticket counter and tell the clerk where I want to go and s/he tells me everything I need to know. So, I've never found the need to figure out the stations etc before I get there. There is a JR line in Tokyo and I use it to get from one area to another. There are maps in the trains and I just count stations. If you miss, it's an adventure.

I wound up spending the night in Utsunomiyo (to eat dumplings) and wandered to a regular department store. I had a great time buying a (cheap) kimino and accessories for my niece. The clerks didn't speak English but got a kick out of helping me.

I like wandering around Tokyo. The Sony store is great fun. If you like techie gear, there are lots of big stores with all sorts of stuff.

ksandness

They're all very similar, but I have a sentimental fondness for the Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi store that you enter from Mitsukoshi-Mae subway station. You find yourself in a four-story atrium dominated by a huge Buddhist-style statue. You KNOW you're in Japan then.

The rest of the store is routine, but be sure to check out the gourmet food store in the basement, the restaurant floors, the art gallery, the kimono department, the folk crafts department, and the roof garden.

The roof garden may have an outdoor cafe or a gardening shop or an outdoor stage. (I once saw a children's TV show being taped on the rooftop performance area of another store.)

Except for the four-story atrium, most department stores will have the features I described. The exception is Parco, which is just a series of clothing boutiques.

cruise603

thank you so much for the recommendation. We will definitely check out a department store.

Following your advice, this is our revised itinerary:

Day 1: arrive KIX, KIX-Kyoto
Day 2: Kyoto
Day 3: Kyoto-Nara-Osaka-Kyoto
Day 4: Kyoto
Day 5: morning train to Hakone
Hakone free-pass, will do the Hakone full course as described in japan-guide.com
Day 6: morning train Hakone-Tokyo
afternoon in Tokyo
Day 7: Tokyo
Day 8: Tokyo
Day 9: morning in Tokyo, then afternoon to Narita to catch a 4pm flight.

Really appreciate all input.

Michelle.

RichardInSF

The coolest thing to do in a department store is to get there a few minutes before it opens and wait outside the ropes that will come down when it opens. Immediately rush up to a higher floor and walk around quickly.

The rules apparently require that the people working behind the counter bow deeply to the first customer they see that day. As you walk around, you will be greeted by a sea of bows!

abmj-jr

The big ones will all be pretty similar. In addition to those mentioned so far, any Mitsukoshi store would be great. The main street in Ginza is lined with wonderful high-rise stores. Additionally, if you go to Asakusa in Tokyo, the main Asakusa train station is actually located in a basement of the large Matsuya department store. This is quite near the main Asakusa subway stops and the water taxi pier.

Since you are going to Kyoto, there is a nice Isetan department store built right into Kyoto Station that is interesting as it is actually rather narrow but very tall. It fills a corner of most of the 9 floors of the station building. Off topic for this discussion, but there is also a huge undergound shopping mall called Porta which is also attached to Kyoto Station. It might be good if you need to make some small purchases. We found a camera store for extra camera batteries and a Subway (ironically, quite near the entrance to the subway) for some picnic-bound takeout sandwiches.

I agree with Richard. If you can arrive at the main entrance of one of the big department stores just before they open, you will be made to feel a bit like royalty. My experience with this was the aforementioned Isetan store in Kyoto Station. The doors and front wall are glass. We could see the staff inside lining up and waiting for the first customers to enter. On the stroke of the opening hour, two suited and white gloved managers opened the doors with a flourish, bowed to everyone waiting and gestured us toward the sales floor and escalators. As we walked through the store, every "station" clerk bowed deeply and quietly bade us welcome. They really understand and practise customer service. My niece really fell in love with some beautiful kimonos and bolts of silk - until I translated the price from yen into dollars for her.

jib71

The second coolest thing to do in a department store is to go up to the roof in the summer and have a beer.