693 Fifth Ave., 212-350-0100, takashimaya-ny.com
The holiday season—if you're doing it right, that is—brings with it a veritable raft of parties, dinners and gatherings. All those social occasions are a pleasure, but also a pain: you can't show up empty-handed. How lucky, then, that Takashimaya, the only US outpost of one of Japan's most popular chains, has something for everybody. The six-floor store is artfully curated with an eye to Asian-accented luxury goods, with everything from artisanal ceramics by South African artist Lauren Gelgor Kaplan and delicate porcelain rice bowls from Limoges to sake sets, beauty products, jewelry, clothing and flowers from the outrageously blooming ground-level "floral boutique." A travel alarm clock for him, Jordan Schlanger earrings for her, artful French stuffed animals for baby—and, as important, a detox for you at the popular Tea Box Restaurant in the basement, where 40 different teas are poured to help you unwind. Hey, it's your holiday, too. —Matthew Schneier

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