Looking for a store that could engrave chopsticks as a wedding gift for an Australian couple, I Googled the Tokyo options, and was generally pointed to some shops in Akasuka, or Nihonbo. I was planning on visiting Akasuka anyway, so gave that a shot first. There were two chopstick stores in the tourist traps of Sensoji, Akasuka, and neither satisfied me, so onto Nihonbo.
The location says Shibuya, but it's not near Shibuya station, had to go through Tokyo Metro on Hiro-O station, from which it's less than a ten minute walk.
Once inside, it appeared to be a professional chopstick store for the domestic Japanese market, specialising in gift sets, as opposed to the touristy Western-orientated shops of Akasuka. There's a decent range of chopsticks, with dedicated sets for specific occasions, including weddings.
There was one lady behind the counter, who acknowledged our entry into the store, but was on the phone with - presumably - a customer. After a few minutes she was off the phone, but did not approach us. We were at first the only customers in the store, later a Japanese man came in, who also did not get approached, so he went up to her, and occupied her time for the next ten minutes. When he was finished, and we still weren't approached (I had decided on which set by then, having given up on getting assistance from her), I went to her to ask for the set. She was courteous and helpful, and with enough English to communicate. She suggested cloth giftwrapping, which we agreed to as it enhanced it as a gift, for an additional fee.
I asked for the engraving service, which included both English, as well as in Japanese (which she sounded out and wrote out). We were told to come back in half an hour, which we did, and picked up our giftset.
I would recommend this place if in Tokyo, otherwise if passing by Kyoto, stop by Nishiki market where there are cheaper chopstick stores with more variety, and better service.
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ย ย ย Read moreIf you are looking for the perfect chopstick set for a friend, family, or loved one, I would recommend this place in Tokyo. I found it on a quick Google search and took a train and then walked to it. I was intending to buy personalized chopsticks and they seemed like they offered quality options when looking at online photos. The lovely and kind staff are greatly helpful and make sure any customization to your order is how you would like it. The prices are fair for the quality though I wish there were more choices for chopsticks and engraving colors (they only currently offer gold and black). Other than that, it was perfect. I got two chopsticks and had me and my partnerโs name engraved. One chopstick had our name in English and the other had it in Japanese (the person doing the translation worked with us on our pronunciation to get as accurate as possible). I bought a box set to place them in (there are multiple options and colors) and even got to select the holder/rest (also multiple options). I also purchased a cloth wrap which was carefully and beautifully wrapped by the employee at the shop. It made for the perfect gift. The final cost came to about $114 for everything. Though, there are cheaper and more expensive options for your...
ย ย ย Read moreWonderful little chopstick shop with very friendly staff. They have a wide selection of chopsticks with beautiful designs and in price ranges from low (10,000-30,000 Yen, or about $10-$30) to very special ones worth hundreds of dollars. Perfect place for a personalized gift as they do engraving on site for a minor extra cost, takes less than 10 minutes. They place them in a lovely wooden gift box and gift bag for that extra touch.
For foreigners: the sales lady I dealt with knew English very well so you should be fine knowing little or no Japanese. Last thing, certain designs may interfere with engraving placement, so ask them where they will engrave it first to make sure it is to your...
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