Hello friends! I haven’t posted to my blog in a couple of months. I am no longer living in Japan and have been readjusting to my life in the US. And while I am loving spending time with family and enjoying all of the American conveniences, revisiting this post that I started right before I left has got me missing Japan.
Thrifting in Japan was one of my favorite pastimes. I was always intrigued and fascinated by the unique items that waited on the shelves and corners of the thrift shops. I went to Japan thinking I wouldn’t really purchase much because the oriental style just wasn’t my thing, as I was all about cool colors and the beachy vibe. Well, that line of thinking didn’t last long once I began to find shrine sales, flea markets, and thrift/antique stores. I won’t tell you all about my multiple Japanese collections now, just know that I came back to the US with plenty of collectibles.
The shops listed below are close to Iwakuni where I lived during my nearly four years in this amazing country. I took these photos and collected the pins on my last visit. I thought I would share this in case you visit Yanai or live in Iwakuni and are interested in finding/collecting unique Japanese things.
The Yanai Recycle Shop
I’ll start with the recycle shop. This is a store where people drop off unwanted items or they are collected in the recycling pick ups. You can find anything here (pottery, decor, furniture, scrolls, appliances, toys, clothes, etc.). I always stopped by here after the Hikari Flea Market and this was sort of my go-to thrift shop!
Pin for the Recycle Shop
Antique / Second-hand Shop
A friend introduced me to this shop. We sort of called it “the shop with all of the pots outside”. I never knew the actual name of any of the shops I frequented. This shop has many pots, roof tiles, pottery, and a variety of collectible items. Just before my last visit in September, they were in the process of opening the upstairs with old toys and collectibles.
Sometimes this store would be closed when I would visit. It was kind of hit or miss, but it seemed to usually be open on Sundays.
Pin for this shop
Second-Hand Store – “Yellow Store”
Ah, the “yellow store”… This store is stuffed full of things! The owner is very nice and has recently reorganized most of the shop. There are shelves and shelves full of dishes (which is what I was frequently looking for), but there are many other types of things as well. On my last visit in September, the reorganization of the second floor was still in progress, but is probably completed by now.
He occasionally has a 50% off store-wide sale. Definitely worth a visit!
Pin for Yellow Store
Antique Shop – “Tiny Shop”
On my last visit, this little shop was closed. We called this the “tiny shop”. Even though it is small, I found some great collectibles here. He had an amazing pair of shi-shi (or lion-dog) that I saw through the window and really wanted, but didn’t have time to go back. This shop tends to have some unique and valuable pieces.
Pin for Tiny Shop
Antique Shop – That’s Usually Closed
This is “the shop that is usually closed” when I would just stop by. I would recommend that you have a friend who speaks Japanese call and schedule a time for you to visit. This is another shop that has some unique antiques and collectibles.
Phone number 080-6266-5210
Pin for Antique Shop
Antique Shop – Kuga (not in Yanai)
This last shop is in Kuga and not Yanai, but I would sometimes take a different route back to Iwakuni and stop by. This is another very small and packed full shop with another very kind owner. For this one, I would recommend that you leave your purse/backpack in the car. It’s definitely a tight squeeze. lol
Pin for Kuga Shop
In a Future Post
This was a post I had been thinking about writing and sharing for awhile and just hadn’t gotten around to. In a future post, I would like to share some other shops that I enjoyed frequenting in Iwakuni and in the Saga prefecture. I hope all of these pins work and you are able to visit these shops.
Happy thrifting!
Kari
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