To Hold, Not to Have

AS tourists -- people for whom travel is possible simply because we pay for the experience -- we are lulled into a global garage sale mentality. In Japan, where I live part-time, I find myself bargaining with flea market vendors over items that should be displayed in museums. Antique kimono? How much do you want? Edo period Shinto scroll? Would you take any less for that? I've seen this scene repeated, with minute variations, around the world. Whether rattling 19th-century tea sets at a Tokyo bazaar, sifting through Roman coins in the Old City of Jerusalem or haggling down fabrics vendors in Aix-en-Provence, it is axiomatic that, as travelers, we can partake in the cultural riches around us by purchasing them.