Alongside snacking on sushi and snapping photos in front of temples and shrines, shopping for vintage designer goods has become a must-do for foreign visitors to Japan.
From resale giants like Book Off and Komehyo to smaller boutiques specializing in hard-to-find pieces from Hermes, Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Japan’s secondhand market has turned into a luxury treasure hunt for tourists. Some travelers plan entire itineraries around finding well-preserved, authenticated designer pieces at prices far below retail.
“Aside from exploring, part of the itinerary is finding a really great deal on a Hermes Kelly,” says Sydney Wang, a Californian honeymooner shopping in Tokyo’s Omotesando neighborhood with her husband in late February, of the designer bag that retails from about $10,000 (about ¥1.49 million). “We’re already here, so I wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity to own my dream bag for a fraction of the cost.”
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