For something a little different, head over to Chigasaki where you can find a shogentai in a beach town. Zazan-dori shopping street stretches from the Twin Wave underpass of the Chigasaki Station South Exit to the Southern Beach Chigasaki area. In summer, both locals and tourists can be spotted in their beachwear traipsing through the shopping street to the shore. Imagine getting on the train from Shinjuku and being transported to the beach in just an hour. From Yokohama, it’s just 25 minutes away. Come on a whim and you can be equipped with everything you need on the beach with rental shops that offer everything from beach mats to surfboards.
A fantastic respite from the bustling metropolis is only a 15-minute walk from Chigasaki Station.
After a relaxing soak in one of the superb onsens in Hakone, head over to Hakone Yumoto station square shopping district where over 70 shops including restaurants and cafes await you. Snack on onsen manju (buns filled with red bean paste) and kamaboko, a processed seafood product or pore over the endless choices of Yosegi zaiku (wooden mosaic work), a local handcraft.
Hakone is famous for Yosegi zaiku, an art form where intricately patterned wood in different grains, colours and textures are handcrafted perfectly together into puzzle boxes, trays and coasters.
Coffee aficionados will be led to ”Hakone Roasted Coffee” by the aroma of coffee beans freshly roasted in-store. Besides purchasing coffee beans, get your hands on the highly sought-after coffee milk soft-serve too.
Next time you’re in Japan, delve into this veritable melting pot of Japanese culture. It’s the local shopping experience you never knew you needed.
Kanagawa, a blend of city and nature, has something for everyone.
You can also find Kanagawa in the series “Japan In A Box”, which will be made available starting end April. Besides delicious Yokohama Beer and Chosiya’s Matcha milk Zenzai, it will also feature Tako senbei and Loco senbei from Chigasaki and a beautiful Yosegi haiku coaster from Hakone. A perfect sampling of all that Kanagawa has to offer.