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Shopping in Kyoto

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Kyoto Shopping

Most shops slide their doors open at 10, and many shopkeepers partake of the morning ritual of sweeping and watering the entrance to welcome the first customers. Shops lock up at 6 or 7 in the evening. Stores often close sporadically once or twice a month, so it helps to call in advance if you're making a special trip. On weekends downtown can be very crowded.

A shopkeeper's traditional greeting to a customer is o-ideyasu (Kyoto-ben, the Kyoto dialect for "honored to have you here"), voiced in the lilting Kyoto intonations with the required bowing of the head. When a customer makes a purchase, the shopkeeper will respond with o-okini ("thank you" in Kyoto-ben), a smile, and a bow. Take notice of the careful effort and adroitness with which purchases are wrapped; it's an art in itself. American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and to a lesser degree traveler's checks, are widely accepted.

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