Buying A Kimono
When traveling to Japan, every one wants to bring back a Kimono. Whether you want the kimono for wearing or for the wall, it does not really matter. Here are a few tips to getting you a Kimono without breaking your wallet.
When wanting to buy a Kimono, there are two ways to do so: buy a new or a used one. Buying a new Kimono can be quite expensive; some even costing 100,000 yen which is about $950 in US dollars. If you or a friend knows how to speak Japanese, it will make it easier to get a cheaper kimono because you could go to a cheaper specialty store rather then a department store where the staff speaks English. But they charge a pretty high price for their kimonos. Also the department stores do not usually offer consulting as with the specialty shops. When buying a kimono for the first time there are many things to consider such as the color. The color is very significant in a kimono but for a first time buyer they would not know that so the consulting is helpful.
When buying a used Kimono there are two ways to go about it safely or cheaply. Many Japanese tend to get rid of things when they feel it isn't perfect anymore; now I said many not all. The old saying is "someone else's trash is my treasure". Well, when looking for a used Kimono, the safe way to go about it is going to the used kimono shops these are usually found in the larger cities that is made up of mainly foreigners and the few Japanese that do not mind wearing a used kimono. The usual price in a used kimono shop can very but are usually run about 2000 yen which is around $20 US dollars.
The cheap way to purchase a kimono is at the flea markets. There are many Japanese that do not like the idea of used items so the flea market usually is made up of tourist looking for souvenirs or good deals or Japanese looking for antiques. Almost all flea markets in Japan are in the major cities. Beware the reason the flea markets aren't considered the safe way to shop for a kimono is because just like any place else in the world if the trader sees that the buyer knows nothing about the item being sold or how much it should cost they will charge a higher price. To avoid this you would need to know your fabrics, be able to detect wear spot and know the going price for a kimono.
Usually the price for a simple synthetic kimono is 1000-2000 yen and for a silk, painted or bridal kimono, it runs about 5000-120,000 yen. So when shopping for a cheap kimono while on your vacation in Japan, remember to look for deals. Try to use the used kimono shops if you are able to, but most of all do your research so you know what to expect. If you do not speak Japanese try to make a friend that can help or hire a translator though this could be expensive as well.