Tour of Japan | Cary Academy Goes to Japan 2018 – Souvenirs and Shopping

Sep 26 | Evan | No Comments |

This summer, Japan Photo Guide by Evan Pike was once again able to offer a spectacular trip to Japan just for Cary Academy students. Katie Taylor, 6th grade Language Arts teacher and Japan enthusiast, co-led the group with Evan. We began our trip in Tokyo, then traveled to Nagoya, Hiroshima, and Kyoto before returning home from Osaka. This post is written by Katie Taylor, a 6th grade teacher at Cary Academy and Japan enthusiast.

Read about our 2016 trip to Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Kyoto or see all reports from the 2018 tour of Japan.

Shopping could probably be considered a national pastime in Japan. Many foreign tourists visit Japan just for the shopping, and Japan is one of the world’s top markets for luxury brands. This includes high-end purses, perfumes, designer clothing, and watches! Of course, we didn’t do too much luxury shopping since we were traveling with teenagers, but we did our fair share of shopping just the same!

Shoes were an especially popular purchase on this trip. Japan is a sneakerhead’s paradise. Many styles are only available in Japan, or available there early.

Another popular souvenir for our travelers was what I like to call “backpack swag.” Pins, keychains, and stuffed animals all ended up decorating backpacks. Disney bears, Totoro-shaped giant change purses, Toyota pins, tiny golden Buddhas, you name it—we have it on a backpack or purse.

One student was excited to find a wallet that was made out of leather using no sewing or metal fixtures. It was basically an origami wallet and was handmade in a shop in Nagoya. The Osu shopping street area in Nagoya had quite a few interesting shops. “Alice on Wednesday” even had a line out front like an exclusive club!

Some of our favorite souvenirs we made ourselves! At Orgiami Kaikan, we made bookmarks and “beating” hearts, which Japanese school children use to share a secret crush! We also found lots of neat shards of pottery on the beach at Miyajima, which we plan to make into jewelry someday!