Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Nuno's innovative fabrics, incorporating objects from feathers to washi (Japanese handmade paper), have appeared in exhibitions around the world,…
Must-see shopping in Japan
Osaka
This third-generation-run sake store has narrow wooden stairs leading to a basement cellar where you can sample small glasses of sake (¥220 each), while…
Downtown Kyoto
Roughly opposite Takashimaya department store, Erizen is one of the best places in Kyoto to buy a kimono or kimono fabric. It has a great selection of kyō…
Ueno & Yanesen
If you have a notion to sew, or are looking for some nice fabric, this stretch of shops east of Nippori Station – selling buttons, brocade, kimono fabric…
Southern Higashiyama
Kagoshin is a small semi-open traditional bamboo craft shop that has been around for generations on Sanjō-dōri, only a few minutes’ walk east of the Kamo…
Yaeyama Islands
Minsā Kōgeikan is a weaving workshop and showroom with exhibits on Yaeyama Islands textiles. You can also try your hand at weaving a coaster (¥1500); you…
Karuizawa Prince Shopping Plaza
Nagano Region
Just outside the south exit of JR Karuizawa Station, this gargantuan outlet shopping mall has most of the big names. Shopaholics should allocate plenty of…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Shibata Yoshinobu Shōten brings the craft of magewappa (an artisanal style of woodwork made with thin strips of cedar that are steamed and formed into…
Osaka
East of Midō-suji, Shinsaibashi is one of Japan's great shopping zones, most notably in this eight-block-long covered arcade that's crammed with domestic…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Akihabara might get the most attention but Ikebukuro is a major player in the anime-manga-gamer universe. Case in point: Animate's Ikebukuro store is the…
Downtown Kyoto
This classic old sweet shop, about 50m north of Sanjō-dōri on Kiyamachi-dōri, is a great place to get acquainted with traditional Kyoto sweets. Just point…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Promoting the many artisans and craft businesses of the Sumida ward area, this showroom sells locally made items, from cosmetics and fashion to soy sauce…
Asakusa & Sumida River
This trendy homewares and gift boutique stocks mainly Japanese design products, from mini sumo-statue paperweights to furniture, with a few pieces from…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This shop, established in 1921, is the go-to place for traditional Japanese card games such as hyakunin isshu and hanafuda, which make for unusual…
Fukuoka
White-faced clay ningyō (Hakata dolls) depicting women, children, samurai and geisha are a popular Fukuoka craft. This place has been selling them since…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
You could show up in Tokyo completely empty-handed and this huge outpost of all-night, bargain retailer 'Don Quijote' would have you covered. There are…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Designer Kawakubo Rei threw a wrench in the fashion machine in the early ’80s with her dark, asymmetrical designs. That her work doesn’t appear as…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The Tokyo branch of this Osaka-based kitchen knife specialist sells stainless-steel and carbon-steel professional-quality chef's knives; some of the…
Ginza & Tsukiji
This big, beautiful bookstore inside Ginza Six has a well-curated selection of art, architecture, design and travel books. Foreign-language titles are…
Osaka
This is the largest bookstore in Osaka, the result of two established chains joining forces. There's a big range of English-language books (on the 6th…
Tokyo
From Doraemon to Hello Kitty and Pikachu, Japan knows kawaii (cute) and how to merchandise it. In the basement on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, some 15…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Tsukudani are various foods – mainly seafood and seaweed but sometimes meat and vegetables too – that have been preserved in a sweet soy sauce. This…
Kyoto Station & South Kyoto
This mammoth shop sells a range of electronics, camera and computer goods, and also has a restaurant floor, a branch of popular Uniqlo budget clothing…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Vase is a perfect example of one of Naka-Meguro's tiny, impeccably curated boutiques: a mix of vintage and one-off pieces from designers unknown to anyone…
Tokyo
As far as vintage shops go, Sokkyō is more like a gallery of cool. The stock is impeccably edited for a look that is both dreamy and modern. That said, we…
Southern Higashiyama
If you've taken a shine to the soft warm glow of paper lanterns in your ryokan and want one to take home, this is the shop to get one. In business for…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Matsuya is one of Ginza's long established department stores (but with a shiny remake). It has all the usual international designer brands, but the…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Starchitect Kengo Kuma designed this slick revamp of an old book warehouse, turning it into a lifestyle boutique stocking a keenly edited range of fashion…
Kanazawa
Here you can observe the kinpaku (gold-leaf) process and pick up all sorts of gilded souvenirs, including pottery, lacquerware and, er...golf balls. It…
Tokyo
Fujiya Camera opened its doors in 1938 and has been beloved by photographers ever since. Of particular appeal is the selection of used equipment,…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Cow Books is a Naka-Meguro institution, a secondhand bookstore specialising in counter-culture works, rare first editions, small print runs and…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
…research General Store sells original made-in-Japan outdoor wear and gear for the most stylish of mountain hermits (or what designer Kobayashi Setsumasa…
Southern Higashiyama
Peruse the cosmetics and skincare here at one of Kyoto's most well-known brands. The famous oil-blotting facial papers make a great lightweight and cheap…
Downtown Kyoto
This is an attractive shop dealing in wood-block prints. All prints are accompanied by English explanations and the owner is happy to take the time to…
Yokohama
This pair of century-old red-brick warehouses by the bay are home to dozens of stores selling quirky gifts, handmade wares and boutique clothing and…
Ginza & Tsukiji
This tiny bookshop showcases a single title a week, be it a novel, a cook book or an art tome, alongside an exhibition. However, the real reason for…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Kyoto brand Sou-Sou is best known for making jikatabi – the rubber-soled, split-toed shoes worn by construction workers in Japan – in fun, playful prints…
Downtown Kyoto
Tsujikura is a small store stocking the beautiful wagasa (waxed-paper umbrellas) the company has been manufacturing since the 17th century, which come in…
Nara
This sixth-generation fan maker sells Nara-style uchiwa, paddle-style fans whose washi (Japanese handmade paper) covering has been intricately carved with…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Gallery Kawano's selection of vintage kimonos are in good shape and priced reasonably (from ¥10,000). If you're serious about buying, the staff will help…
