Looking for unique Souvenirs in Tokyo? Head to the Yasukuni Shrine Sale

When I was a kid, my mom would disappear every Sunday morning and come back with a car full of Japanese antiques: cabinets, kimono, obi, prints--you name it, she would have it.  Our house started to look like a museum after a while (much to my chagrin, since I've always been clumsy on comical proportions), and when our house got full, she started procuring items for friends.  For some time I wondered what kind of shady business she was into, because it's not as if my family was made of money.  Of course, if you knew my mother, you'd know she is about the furthest thing from the type to be down at the wharf trading black market goods.  No, her secret was something I found out is rather common in Japan but relatively unknown among expats: the Shrine Sale.

When you think of "shrine sales," think of a cross between a flea market and Antiques Roadshow.  On certain weekends, Shrines open their grounds to vendors who bring their wares to sell.  On a few occasions, you'll find some junk, but for the most part, the goods at Shrine Sales are quality products, and you can always find some amazing antiques at reasonable prices.

While each region of Japan has Shrine Sales, the one I personally recommend for folks in Tokyo looking for unique souvenirs is at Yasukuni Shrine.

Yasukuni Shrine is better known for its controversy.  It is the Shinto place of worship where the souls of Japanese lost in war are enshrined.  Normally, that would not be a problem, but in 1978, the chief priest decided to enshrine 14 Class A War Criminals from WWII.  Now, because of that decision, not even the Emperor of Japan goes to worship there.  In many ways, the controversy makes Yasukuni an interesting place to visit regardless of the other things the shrine offers, but my favorite reason to go is its weekly Shrine Sale.

Every Sunday when there are not other formal events taking place, Yasukuni opens the grounds to vendors.  It is one of the few shrines left in Tokyo that operates Shrine Sales with such regularity, and it is probably the most consistent in terms of quality antiques available.

Each Shrine Sale in Japan has its own character, and the Yasukuni Shrine Sale tends to take on the identity of its host shrine.  Yasukuni became the place for memorializing Japan's war dead immediately following the Meiji Restoration and Boshin War (the civil war fought between forces of the Emperor and those of the Shogun), and so the Shrine Sale offers many products from the Meiji era (1868-1912) and items that reflect Japan's military history.  You can find things like Imperial military medals and uniforms, woodblock prints from the Meiji era, and even awesome things like this: 

Of course, the Shrine Sale offers a lot more than military-related goods.  There are always beautiful ceramics, furniture, statues, vases, tapestries, and traditional wall art (the kakejiku, hanging scrolls, are my favorite).

Three recommendations for you: (1) be ready to haggle--the vendors expect it; (2) bring cash; and (3) go early.  Other than that, just go and find yourself a treasure (my wife and I have picked up a fair few from there ourselves).

Yasukuni Shrine is accessible via the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line.  Vendors will usually be ready to go as early as 6:30 am on Sunday mornings.