| Hello, and welcome back to JapanesePod101.com. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | I’m Eric. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | In this lesson we will talk about the "Top 5 souvenir shops in Japan". | 
                                                                
                                                                            | The first topic on the list is Japan’s largest | 
                                                                
                                                                            | chain of 100-yen stores, called (J: Daiso). | 
                                                                
                                                                            | These stores stock almost everything from household items to travel goods and even traditional craft items for 100 yen plus tax. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | You can seriously spend a couple of hours | 
                                                                
                                                                            | wandering around the store and find plenty of | 
                                                                
                                                                            | quality gifts such as traditional Japanese toys, | 
                                                                
                                                                            | bento boxes, and green tea (J: matcha) sweets. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | If you want to get interesting Japanese products | 
                                                                
                                                                            | at reasonable prices, this is the place, and you | 
                                                                
                                                                            | won’t be disappointed. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | The next topic on the list is a discount store | 
                                                                
                                                                            | franchise called (J: Don Quijote). | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Known also as (J: Donki) for short, this store’s | 
                                                                
                                                                            | shelves are crammed with cheap goods from | 
                                                                
                                                                            | cosmetics and party items, to popular anime figures. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Donki also has some electrical and home | 
                                                                
                                                                            | appliances, so try to pop into one of their stores before heading to the electronic stores, because you may be able to score some real bargains. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | The next topic is about a popular DIY or do-it-yourself store called (J: Tokyu Hands). | 
                                                                
                                                                            | This is the one-stop shop where you can find a wide | 
                                                                
                                                                            | range of craft and party supplies as well as | 
                                                                
                                                                            | luggage, homewares, and other “lifestyle” | 
                                                                
                                                                            | goods. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Tokyu Hands is not a discount store but they have | 
                                                                
                                                                            | quality and functional products. So if you are | 
                                                                
                                                                            | willing to pay a little more for something that | 
                                                                
                                                                            | will last longer, this is the place for you. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Tokyu Hands is also known to detect new, and up-and-	coming trends very quickly. If you are looking for something cool, don’t miss this store! | 
                                                                
                                                                            | The next topic is a well-known casual | 
                                                                
                                                                            | fashion brand called (J: Uniqlo). | 
                                                                
                                                                            | The brand is known to offer inexpensive and simple | 
                                                                
                                                                            | clothes. But it also has been expanding its | 
                                                                
                                                                            | lineup of stylish items in collaboration with | 
                                                                
                                                                            | big-name designers in the world. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Uniqlo also offers products that feature funky | 
                                                                
                                                                            | cartoon and pop culture graphics, as well as | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Japanese cultural images including Kabuki and | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Mount Fuji, in a very cool way. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | If it is clothes you are looking for, then don’t forget | 
                                                                
                                                                            | to check them out. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Last but not least is a five-story toy | 
                                                                
                                                                            | mecca in Harajuku, called (J: Kiddy Lando). | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Kiddy Land mainly sells toys and books. But in this | 
                                                                
                                                                            | store, you can also find everything “cute” or | 
                                                                
                                                                            | (J: “kawaii”), from Hello Kitty to Disney character | 
                                                                
                                                                            | items. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | The store also offers many inexpensive and small | 
                                                                
                                                                            | items such as stationery, socks with funny | 
                                                                
                                                                            | prints, and sweets in cute packages which would make great souvenirs. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | If you are an anime-lover, then this store is for you, you can find a huge selection of | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Japanese Anime action figures including | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Gundam models. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | That’s all we have for this lesson. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Choosing souvenirs can be difficult but fun. | 
                                                                
                                                                            | What kind of souvenirs are you planning to buy in  Japan? | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Leave us a comment and let us know! | 
                                                                
                                                                            | Thanks for listening and we’ll see you next time. Until then, bye! | 
                                                        
                     
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