Japan Traditional Craft Center (Zenkoku Dentoteki Kogeihin Senta)

Description:

• This store is worth a trip even if you can't afford to buy anything. Established to distribute information on Japanese crafts and promote the country's artisans, this two-story center is a great introduction to both traditional and contemporary Japanese design, with explanations in English. It sells various top-quality crafts from all over Japan on a rotating basis, so there are always new items on hand. Crafts for sale usually include lacquerware, ceramics, textiles, paper products, bamboo items, calligraphy brushes, ink stones, fans, metalwork, knives, furniture, and sometimes even stone lanterns or Buddhist family altars. Prices are high, but rightfully so. Unfortunately, its location in out-of-the-way Ikebukuro makes a trip here feasible only if you have the time; otherwise, you're probably better off shopping in the crafts section of a department store. Open daily from 11am to 7pm.

• © Frommer's 2013