While in Japan..

[sherbet]

Hello from Tokyo!

I will be in Tokyo for some time, my mother insists that I should get myself a beautiful set of pearls while here.
I am clueless. Is it an advantage buying from here or the States? Does it really matter? If so, what should I look for?
Thank you so much for all your opinions, I would really appreciate them.
By the way, I like the look of bigger pearls!

 

[SB621]

Sherbet,

Hi! I live in Japan but on a southern island about 3 hours south by plane of Toyko. To answer your question I think you get much better selection at lower prices in Japan on pearls- however with that said there are tons of places that will sell to you in Toyko that are way over priced and will try to rip you off. You can probably get pearls online honestly through websites like PP for around a similar price, however I agree with your mom that if you are going to be in Japan it would be great to get some pearls to symbolize your trip.

I don''t know of any stores local in Toyko that are trustworthy so the only thing I can really say is read up about pearls and try to be knowledgeable about what you like and go from there. Do you know anyone who can take you around?

Completly off topic but if you have a free day in tokyo go to Disney Sea- it is a wonderful experience and our favorite thing to do in tokyo.

 

[HHPmom]

How far is it from Tokyo to Kobe? Manapearl.com has an office in Kobe. Although they sell mostly Tahitian pearls from their Gauguin Farm in French Polynesia, they also have akoya. You can contact Nicholas Savary at [email protected] before you go to see if there is any akoya, or call him at +81 78 391 1410. You have to make an appointment first. They don't have a retail store but quite some pearls in their office (it's their distribution center to wholesale, mostly, in Japan).