There are lots of, modern shopping streets and malls, where department stores, discount stores, and specialty shops gather, while there are still nostalgic shopping streets called “shoutengai, where family operated small stores gather. They are generally called by the selling product names plus “ya(store).” For instance:“hon-ya” (book store).

Most stores are open on weekends

Most stores open around 10:00 – 20:00 weekdays and weekends, and closed on one of weekdays. Opening and closed days depend on the areas, industries or individual shops. The products are generally sold at the price shown on the tag. It is not common to negotiate over the prices in Japan.

Payment & delivery service

US dollars or Euro besides Japanese may be accepted, and you can pay by credit cards at most stores, but not all cards are usable. In case of presents, they will provide you a special packing depending on the case. If you don’t have any bag, a paper bag may be offered, and delivery service is usually available.