Wise buys
Tokyo is not the easiest place to shop—the city holds backs its charms in a million tiny corners and niches. But the patient explorer will find riches aplenty. Witness the second-hand book quarter—Jimbocho—which caters to the capital's many bibliophiles (works in English included). Equally, the Japanese genius with cotton has led to the creation of the yukata—a dressing gown found in a variety of styles only in Japan. Alternatively, a smaller item in cotton is the tenugui, a traditional Japanese towel.
The customer is not always right. In smart shops, expect to be met with incredulous stares if you ask to try something on, and always ask permission before handling anything delicate. In many cases, items are arranged like museum exhibits. Be sure to have any presents gift-wrapped. Wrapping is a Japanese art form, especially in smaller boutiques.
Landmark destinations
Isetan
3-14-1 Shinjuku
Tel: +81 (03) 3352-1111
Shinjuku station (numerous lines)
Open: daily (except Wed) 10am-7.30pm
Who said department stores have lost their edge? This Shinjuku institution is the bridge that connects east and west fashion, and stocks the very latest in designer fashion. There is a wonderful food hall in the basement and the seventh-floor “I Club” offers 5% discounts to those who join.
Around the store are hundreds of cardboard boxes that serve as homes for the homeless. But the metropolitan government is not pushing them away, as they have no alternative to propose.
Mitsukoshi
1-4-1 Nihombashi-Muromachi
Chuo-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3241-3311
Mitsukoshi-mae station (Ginza line)
Open: Tues-Sun 10am-6.30pm
Website
Younger shoppers have started to drift away from most of the city’s traditional department stores, but Mitsukoshi, Tokyo’s Harrods, continues to fly high. When a Japanese company sends out seasonal gifts to its customers wrapped in Mitsukoshi's trademark red-and-white paper, the name ensures that the gift is well received. There is an entire floor devoted to the kimono and accessories, and a splendid food hall. This is a good place to buy cotton yukata gowns and other traditional gifts.Mitsukoshi has a smaller branch in Ginza, but for stately aplomb, visit its main store.
Mujirushi
3-8-32 Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 5208-8241
Yurakucho station
Japan’s lifestyle emporium, Mujirushi—or “Muji” as it is known in Europe—sells everything from bicycles to organic bread. The Muji look is minimal, streamlined and very Japanese. Pop by for beautiful cotton socks, paper goods, and unfussy beauty products.
Omotesando Hills
Jingumae 4-12-10
Shibuya-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3497-0310
Omotesando station (Chiyoda, Ginza or Hanzomon lines)
Website
Omotesando has lured Tokyo’s fashion-lovers for years; now the boulevard has an added attraction—a two-storey complex from Tadao Ando, one of Japan’s most talented architects, and Minoru Mori, the developer behind Roppongi Hills. Omotesando Hills is a shopper’s wonderland, with more than 90 new shops and restaurants. The most devoted fashionista can even live on site, in one of the development's 38 flats.
Oriental Bazaar
5-9-13 Jingumae
Shibuya-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3400-3933
Jingumae station (Ginza line)
Every tourist’s favourite stop, Oriental Bazaar is filled with traditional arts and crafts, kimonos and wood-block prints. Unusual Buddhist artefacts can be found on the third floor.
Gifts for gourmets
To consider the full range of uniquely Japanese items for the gourmand, retrace your steps to Mitsukoshi's famous food hall. There you can make a selection from hundreds of items, otherwise available only at a range of tiny suppliers, scattered over the city and impossible to find.
On the other side of the street from Mitsukoshi in Nihombashi is a tiny traditional food store (very shopper-friendly), selling a range of comestibles. Look for little rice-crackers in exquisite boxes, and choice umeboshi—pickled plums—in jars (an acquired taste but try one). To visit this shop is to be transported to the culinary tastes of the 18th century; few items are ever seen in the West. This shop is not on any tourist itinerary we have seen.
Sake and shochu (a distilled rice wine that many prefer) are on sale everywhere. The big decision you have to make is the size of the bottle. One-litre sake bottles are lovely to behold, but they are very heavy to carry home. Just make it a dry brand, and find out whether it is best served hot or cold. Sweet sake is for the birds. Ask for a sake that is karakuchi—“dry to the mouth”.
Clothes and accessories
Issey Miyake Aoyama
3-18-11 Minami Aoyama
Minato-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3423-1407
Omotesando station (Ginza line)
Visit Issey’s battery of shops in the Omotesando section. There are four main venues: Pleats Please; Issey Miyake/Issey Miyake Men; A-Poc and Haat. Men’s shirts and trousers run to about ¥30,000-50,000 ($255-425).
Laforet
1-11-6 Jingumae
Shibuya
Tel: +81 (03) 3475-0411
Website
This shop is at the creative heart of Japanese avant-garde fashion. Expect lots of little boutiques on every floor. There are few better places in Tokyo to catch the latest trends.
Prada
5-2-6 Minami-Aoyama
Minato-ku
Omotesando station
The clothes may be the same from Milan to Montreal, but Toyko's Prada shop is worth seeing, if only for its extraordinary architecture. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the building has a facade of thick, distorted glass that turns shoppers into abstract humanoids for the viewing pleasure of passers-by.
Electric goods
Akihabara is “electric town”. After Shinjuku, it most resembles the baffling futuristic wonders for which Tokyo is famed. Over 1,000 high-tech shops make this recently revamped area a gadget enthusiast’s dream-come-true. Akihabara station is served by the Hibaya line and JR trains.
BIC Camera
Yurakucho 1-11-1
Chiyoda-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 5221-1111
Yurakucho Station
BIC Camera provides the instant high-tech fix: everything from the latest digital cameras, funky mobile phones and cutting-edge gadgets can be found at this retail success story. Ths shop is also user-friendly: it stocks different brands of everything, rather than specialising (as many shops in Akihabara do).
Laox Honten
1-2-9 Soto-kanda
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3255-9041
Duty-free goods, global delivery and English-speaking staff make Laox a good stop for visitors.
Laox Computer-Kan
1-7-6 Soto-kanda
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 5256-3111
Hundreds of computers and software programmes are sold here.
Rocket Honten
1-14-1 Kanda Sakuma-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3257-0606
Gadget-hunters need look no further. Everything from belt-buckle calorie counters to miniature lap-tops can be found here.
Traditional gifts
Hara Shobo
2-3 Kanda Jimbo-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3261-7444
Jimbocho station (Hanzomon & other lines)
Website
Open: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm
In the mid-18th century, ukiyo-e were cheap, mass-produced handbills. Today they are valuable works of art. An excellent stop for keen art-collectors, this store specialises in woodblock prints dating from the 17th century.
Japan Sword
3-8-1 Toranomon
Minato-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3434-4321
Toranomon station (Ginza line)
Katana (swords), dating from the Heian period (794-1185), represented a warrior’s spiritual purity. There are antique Samurai swords at this shop, as well as a variety of newer, cheaper replicas.
Kamawanu
23-1 Sarugaku-cho
Shibuya-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3780-0182
Shibuya station (Ginza & other lines)
Stepping stones lead into this quirky cubby-hole selling carved chopsticks, iron teapots and a huge assortment of hand-dyed tenugui—traditional pieces of fabric used for wrapping gifts, wall hangings and headwear.
Kyukyodo
5-7-4 Ginza
Chuo-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3571-4429
Ginza station (Ginza & other lines)
Handmade washi is a durable, multi-purpose paper traditionally used for parasols, calligraphy, screens and shoji (lampshades). Smokeless incense, tea-ceremony utensils and calligraphy supplies are also available at this delightful shop.
Syuzo Kaikan
(Sake Information Center)
1-1-21 Nishi Shinbashi
Minato-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3519-2091
Shimbashi station (Ginza & other lines)
Explore the techniques involved in making Japan’s famous rice wine, then head to the free tasting section. Those after a bottle of the best should consider buying Tamano-hikari, Taruhei or Uragasumi.
The customer is not always right. In smart shops, expect to be met with incredulous stares if you ask to try something on, and always ask permission before handling anything delicate. In many cases, items are arranged like museum exhibits. Be sure to have any presents gift-wrapped. Wrapping is a Japanese art form, especially in smaller boutiques.
Landmark destinations
Isetan
3-14-1 Shinjuku
Tel: +81 (03) 3352-1111
Shinjuku station (numerous lines)
Open: daily (except Wed) 10am-7.30pm
Who said department stores have lost their edge? This Shinjuku institution is the bridge that connects east and west fashion, and stocks the very latest in designer fashion. There is a wonderful food hall in the basement and the seventh-floor “I Club” offers 5% discounts to those who join.
Around the store are hundreds of cardboard boxes that serve as homes for the homeless. But the metropolitan government is not pushing them away, as they have no alternative to propose.
Mitsukoshi
1-4-1 Nihombashi-Muromachi
Chuo-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3241-3311
Mitsukoshi-mae station (Ginza line)
Open: Tues-Sun 10am-6.30pm
Website
Younger shoppers have started to drift away from most of the city’s traditional department stores, but Mitsukoshi, Tokyo’s Harrods, continues to fly high. When a Japanese company sends out seasonal gifts to its customers wrapped in Mitsukoshi's trademark red-and-white paper, the name ensures that the gift is well received. There is an entire floor devoted to the kimono and accessories, and a splendid food hall. This is a good place to buy cotton yukata gowns and other traditional gifts.Mitsukoshi has a smaller branch in Ginza, but for stately aplomb, visit its main store.
Mujirushi
3-8-32 Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 5208-8241
Yurakucho station
Japan’s lifestyle emporium, Mujirushi—or “Muji” as it is known in Europe—sells everything from bicycles to organic bread. The Muji look is minimal, streamlined and very Japanese. Pop by for beautiful cotton socks, paper goods, and unfussy beauty products.
Omotesando Hills
Jingumae 4-12-10
Shibuya-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3497-0310
Omotesando station (Chiyoda, Ginza or Hanzomon lines)
Website
Omotesando has lured Tokyo’s fashion-lovers for years; now the boulevard has an added attraction—a two-storey complex from Tadao Ando, one of Japan’s most talented architects, and Minoru Mori, the developer behind Roppongi Hills. Omotesando Hills is a shopper’s wonderland, with more than 90 new shops and restaurants. The most devoted fashionista can even live on site, in one of the development's 38 flats.
Oriental Bazaar
5-9-13 Jingumae
Shibuya-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3400-3933
Jingumae station (Ginza line)
Every tourist’s favourite stop, Oriental Bazaar is filled with traditional arts and crafts, kimonos and wood-block prints. Unusual Buddhist artefacts can be found on the third floor.
Gifts for gourmets
To consider the full range of uniquely Japanese items for the gourmand, retrace your steps to Mitsukoshi's famous food hall. There you can make a selection from hundreds of items, otherwise available only at a range of tiny suppliers, scattered over the city and impossible to find.
On the other side of the street from Mitsukoshi in Nihombashi is a tiny traditional food store (very shopper-friendly), selling a range of comestibles. Look for little rice-crackers in exquisite boxes, and choice umeboshi—pickled plums—in jars (an acquired taste but try one). To visit this shop is to be transported to the culinary tastes of the 18th century; few items are ever seen in the West. This shop is not on any tourist itinerary we have seen.
Sake and shochu (a distilled rice wine that many prefer) are on sale everywhere. The big decision you have to make is the size of the bottle. One-litre sake bottles are lovely to behold, but they are very heavy to carry home. Just make it a dry brand, and find out whether it is best served hot or cold. Sweet sake is for the birds. Ask for a sake that is karakuchi—“dry to the mouth”.
Clothes and accessories
Issey Miyake Aoyama
3-18-11 Minami Aoyama
Minato-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3423-1407
Omotesando station (Ginza line)
Visit Issey’s battery of shops in the Omotesando section. There are four main venues: Pleats Please; Issey Miyake/Issey Miyake Men; A-Poc and Haat. Men’s shirts and trousers run to about ¥30,000-50,000 ($255-425).
Laforet
1-11-6 Jingumae
Shibuya
Tel: +81 (03) 3475-0411
Website
This shop is at the creative heart of Japanese avant-garde fashion. Expect lots of little boutiques on every floor. There are few better places in Tokyo to catch the latest trends.
Prada
5-2-6 Minami-Aoyama
Minato-ku
Omotesando station
The clothes may be the same from Milan to Montreal, but Toyko's Prada shop is worth seeing, if only for its extraordinary architecture. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, the building has a facade of thick, distorted glass that turns shoppers into abstract humanoids for the viewing pleasure of passers-by.
Electric goods
Akihabara is “electric town”. After Shinjuku, it most resembles the baffling futuristic wonders for which Tokyo is famed. Over 1,000 high-tech shops make this recently revamped area a gadget enthusiast’s dream-come-true. Akihabara station is served by the Hibaya line and JR trains.
BIC Camera
Yurakucho 1-11-1
Chiyoda-Ku
Tel: +81 (03) 5221-1111
Yurakucho Station
BIC Camera provides the instant high-tech fix: everything from the latest digital cameras, funky mobile phones and cutting-edge gadgets can be found at this retail success story. Ths shop is also user-friendly: it stocks different brands of everything, rather than specialising (as many shops in Akihabara do).
Laox Honten
1-2-9 Soto-kanda
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3255-9041
Duty-free goods, global delivery and English-speaking staff make Laox a good stop for visitors.
Laox Computer-Kan
1-7-6 Soto-kanda
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 5256-3111
Hundreds of computers and software programmes are sold here.
Rocket Honten
1-14-1 Kanda Sakuma-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3257-0606
Gadget-hunters need look no further. Everything from belt-buckle calorie counters to miniature lap-tops can be found here.
Traditional gifts
Hara Shobo
2-3 Kanda Jimbo-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3261-7444
Jimbocho station (Hanzomon & other lines)
Website
Open: Tues-Sat 10am-6pm
In the mid-18th century, ukiyo-e were cheap, mass-produced handbills. Today they are valuable works of art. An excellent stop for keen art-collectors, this store specialises in woodblock prints dating from the 17th century.
Japan Sword
3-8-1 Toranomon
Minato-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3434-4321
Toranomon station (Ginza line)
Katana (swords), dating from the Heian period (794-1185), represented a warrior’s spiritual purity. There are antique Samurai swords at this shop, as well as a variety of newer, cheaper replicas.
Kamawanu
23-1 Sarugaku-cho
Shibuya-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3780-0182
Shibuya station (Ginza & other lines)
Stepping stones lead into this quirky cubby-hole selling carved chopsticks, iron teapots and a huge assortment of hand-dyed tenugui—traditional pieces of fabric used for wrapping gifts, wall hangings and headwear.
Kyukyodo
5-7-4 Ginza
Chuo-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3571-4429
Ginza station (Ginza & other lines)
Handmade washi is a durable, multi-purpose paper traditionally used for parasols, calligraphy, screens and shoji (lampshades). Smokeless incense, tea-ceremony utensils and calligraphy supplies are also available at this delightful shop.
Syuzo Kaikan
(Sake Information Center)
1-1-21 Nishi Shinbashi
Minato-ku
Tel: +81 (03) 3519-2091
Shimbashi station (Ginza & other lines)
Explore the techniques involved in making Japan’s famous rice wine, then head to the free tasting section. Those after a bottle of the best should consider buying Tamano-hikari, Taruhei or Uragasumi.
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