What to buy?

I'll be going to japan for the first time fairly soon. God i can't wait, but anyway I'll be in Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka. Seeing as this my first trip, i'm a little overwhelmed at what i should bring back. ‚¨“yŽY‚Ë�Hlol
I heard the oriental bazaar in harajuku was a good place to buy cheap knacks. As well as Tokyu Hands, though I'm not clear on what all they sell. Does anyone have a suggestion, I'm looking for Japan specific items(obviously) i.e. Happi Coats, Yukata, Jikatabi, Hanko, Hashi, etc.

100 yen shops will likely surprise you with the amount and volume of goods they sell. Items are not of the best quality, but quite a lot is available that would make good gifts or practical use items back home. Chopsticks, cheap earthenware, seasonal items, small sculptures/kick-knacks, cheap costume items, children's toys, stationary and stickers, etc.

As for stereotypically asian goods and Japan kitsch ~ you will likely be assaulted with it at every turn :) Real traditional items are very expensive (kimono, yukata, pottery, glassware, swords, instruments, dolls etc) and will not be practical to buy in most cases, though they can be found at specialty shops and nearly all high-class department stores. Much cheaper tourist-geared items are available at the airport and clustered around nearly all major tourist attractions. Again -- these are usually not high-quality goods but they are cheap and designed to appeal to tourists.

A nice gift/souvenier on the cheap side is stationary. LOFT and Tokyu Hands stores both have a wonderful selection of Japanese motif writing paper, envelopes, wrappings, stickers and stamps.

Most department stores and crafty neighborhoods also have at least one shop devoted to cloth decorations, purses, stuffed animals and wall-hangings printed on cloth or sewn from kimono materials. These shops can be very reasonable and the goods are quite appealing and of relatively high quality.

Shopping around any large shopping center that caters to younger (ie. not terribly rich) customers should have more than a few things in your price range that are interesting. Youme Town, Aeon Shopping Center, Tenmaya and Takashimaya department stores are are all some good bets.

I looked into the 100yen shop idea as well, just didn't know how reliable they were. Dollar stores here sure aren't.
Anyway, thanks for the response. Something viable and could be used interchangeably for use at home i.e."practical use". Not just some pretty wall ornament...though i might look for a scroll. :D
I heard they sell yukatas cheaply at second hand shops and places like uniqlo. If anyone else has suggestions I'd love to hear them.

well avoid cds & stuff you can buy Online i suggest
some Maps(some are FREE)
& Post cards. stamps,