The crowd is mostly tourists, of various nationalities and it seemed like everybody was sharing the fun and excitement of being there. The stores carried basically the same items but with some differences in designs. Prices are a bit more expensive here perhaps because the place is popular. The stores in an alley leading to the tallest Buddha in Japan were cheaper by at least 5%. It is where we bought most of the rice crackers we brought home. I have read that the pagoda there is one of the few that are still standing today.