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Kinokuniya Bookshop - Shibuya
One of the best selections of English-language titles on the 6th floor, with another nearby branch east of Shinjuku Station.
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Kinokuniya Bookshop - Shinjuku
The popular Kinokuniya Bookshop is a great time killer. Here, you can pop in to browse its superb collection of foreign-language books and magazines on the 7th floor. And of course, this being Japan, no one will say anything to you if you decide to spend an hour or so reading something without buying it.
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Kinokuniya International Supermarket
Kinokuniya carries expat lifesavers like Marmite and peanut butter, Belgian chocolate and herbal tea. Foreign imports like cheese, salami and Finnish bread generally fetch high prices, much like the flawless fruit in the produce section.
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Kite Museum
The Kite Museum, just behind Tokyu department store in Shibuya-ku, is one big reproof to all those rinky-dink kites with plain plastic sails, plywood frames and a Sunday driver at the end of the string. Most of the 4000 kites in the museum are traditional Japanese kites ( edo nishiki-e dako ) but there are some fine examples from China and other Asian countries.
The frames are mainly bamboo, while the sails consist of washi , a type of handmade paper made from the kohzo tree (a species of mulberry). The paper is both lightweight and strong.
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Kurofune
Kurofune, run for the past quarter-century by a friendly American collector, carries an awesome treasure trove of Japanese antiques. Correspondingly awesome amounts of cash are necessary for acquiring some of the items, such as painstakingly constructed Edo-period tansu (Japanese chests of drawers), but serious antique connoisseurs are well-advised to have a look.
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Laforet
Expressing identity and individuality is a function of fashion, and Tokyo youth are famous for taking this concept to the next level. Sample this in action at Laforet; surveying the shoppers is equal to the window shopping, and once you've gotten the hang of the half-floor concept, you can count your way up to the 6th-floor museum.
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Laforet Building
This rounded '70s edifice must be the teen shopping capital of the world. The mall's hundreds of shops sell the trendiest garb, meant to be worn for a fleeting season and then tossed into the trash. Sizes here fit tiny Tokyo teens, so unless you're very petite, this will be a window-shopping, people-watching venture.
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Laox
The multilingual staff at this duty-free Laox will help you figure out whether the voltage on your new superjuicer is compatible with your home voltage before you lug it on the plane. This huge chain, selling discounted electrical equipment, has very competitive prices. There's another duty-free Laox nearby.
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Loft
Loft's multiple levels of housewares, accessories, travel supplies and stationery are more compact than at Tōkyū Hands, and, aimed toward younger shoppers, the bias leans toward fun and oddities. Stylish bedding and blob-shaped vases distract the shopper from titanium jewellery and trendy makeup before the kawaii (cute) plastic toys and mobile-phone charms do 'em in. Another branch is in Ikebukuro ( M020B).
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Mandarake - Ikebukuro
A must-stop for manga maniacs, Mandarake also has more than a dozen shops spread throughout the Nakano Broadway mall.
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Mandarake - Nakano
A must-stop for manga maniacs, Mandarake has more than a dozen shops spread throughout the Nakano Broadway mall.
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Mandarake - Shibuya
The Shibuya branch of Mandarake stocks a range of new manga and also boasts performances by real, live cosplay (costume-play) kids in full-on anime character drag. Avid fans should also make the trek to Mandarake's huge flagship store in Nakano, with three floors packed with all manner of new and used manga, anime , games and character-related collectibles.
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Manhattan Records
Rifle through the records in Manhattan for hip-hop and a look at the flyers for local club schedules. There's also a cluster of record shops down the alleys on either side of the Manhattan building, so shop around a bit.
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Marui Young
You can't swing a coat hanger in Shinjuku without hitting a Marui (look for the Marui logo: OIOI), as there's a passel of its speciality branches here. Marui Young is the place to start if you want to buy Goth-Lolita garb with the local whitest-shade-of-pale girls.
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Maruzen Bookshop - Marunouchi
Based in the curvy Oazo Building just across from Tokyo Station's Marunouchi exit, Maruzen boasts a satisfyingly wide selection of English-language books and magazines. The 4th floor is where you'll find the foreign-language material, a stationery shop and a café.
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Maruzen Bookshop- Nihombashi
Established in 1869, this is Japan's oldest Western bookshop (recently rebuilt) and has one of the best selections of English-language books in Tokyo. Its founder is said to have invented Japanese curried rice - there's a restaurant serving the dish here.
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Matsuya
Apart from a restaurant open shorter hours than the rest of the store, Matsuya offers fine men's and women's clothing on the 1st floor and a good breadth of traditional Japanese crafts, pottery and knick-knacks on the 7th. Boons for foreign visitors are the international shipping service, tax-exemption assistance and useful, in-store English-speaking guides. There are branches in Asakusa and Ahikabara.
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Matsuzakaya
For 300 years Matsuzakaya has been selling traditional garments and crafts. Today the range is broader, though the store still has a first-rate kimono shop. Matsuzakaya is one of those grand department stores with a fabulous depachika in the basement. Find other branches in Ueno and Ebisu.
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Meidi-Ya - Minato
Established in the 19th century, not too long after strangers in black ships started arriving on Japan's shores, Meidi-ya specialises in higher-end groceries for foreign predilections. It's a midsized store with a corresponding selection of goods, so you should find ample fixings for a picnic. There are other locations throughout the city.
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Mikimoto Pearl
Founded in 1899, Mikimoto Pearl was founded by the self-made Mikimoto Kokichi. At an early age he became fascinated with pearl divers and later developed the cultured pearl, building Mikimoto into the most famous of Tokyo's pearl shops. The store is located right next door to Wakō department store in Ginza.
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Mitsukoshi - Chūō-ku
Tokyo's oldest department store was originally modelled on that London bastion of commerce, Harrods. Mitsukoshi is a posh, polished leviathan filled to the gills with tempting wares. Look for the Mitsukoshi lion at the corner entrance, a popular local meeting spot. There's also the original store in Nihombashi.
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Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten
If it's festival products you're after, Miyamoto is one-stop shopping, from mikoshi (portable shrines) to drums, clappers and festival masks. It's on the ground floor of the building and downstairs from the drum museum.
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Muji
Tokyo's famously understated no-name brand is one of the hippest names in Paris. But Muji still sells simple, unadorned clothing and accessories for men and women. It also carries hard-to-find M and L sizes (though these, too, are small). This large outlet in Yurakuchō also has a great cafeteria.
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Nakamise-Dōri
Nakamise-dōri, the long, crowded pedestrian lane running from Kaminarimon gate to Hōzōmon gate, has more than 80 stalls that for centuries have been helping the Japanese people fulfil their gift-giving obligations. The wide alley is chock-a-block with small shops selling temple paraphernalia as well as traditional items of varying beauty and quality. The little arcade of Nakamise-dōri is also the place to pick up locally made, salty sembei (crispy rice crackers) and age-manju (deep-fried bean buns).
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National Azabu
Based in Azabu, where a high concentration of expats also happen to base themselves, National Azabu carries an impressive array of expat staples like imported cheeses, wines, Vegemite and natural foods as well as hard-to-find produce. Also notable is the pharmacy with English-speaking staff and the small bookshop upstairs.
