Tokyo shopping has it all: high-end and offbeat fashion, traditional crafts, vintage wares, all manner of only-in-Japan souvenirs, and that gadget you didn't know existed but now desperately want.
Whether you prefer department-store browsing or rummaging for secondhand treasures, read on to discover which Tokyo neighbourhood meets your shopping needs.
1. Asakusa: laid back, souvenir strolling
Now decidedly relaxed, the Asakusa neighbourhood was once the heart of Edo’s low city, home to artisans and merchants. Its small lanes and winding alleyways are still full of surprises, including the vintage curios at Tokyo Hotarudo and the beautiful noren (shopfront curtains) for sale at Bengara. For straight-forward gift shopping, Nakamise-dōri (leading up to temple Sensō-ji) is good for souvenir trinkets – try the back streets for better-quality stuff. Marugoto Nippon has a good collection of arts and crafts boutiques, while the long stretch of Kappabashi-dōri also yields uniquely Japanese curiosities in its little culinary-supply shops.
2. Ginza: glitz and glam
Ginza is the affluent shopping district in Tokyo, home to the city's posh boutiques and gleaming department stores, such as the classic Mitsukoshi and avant-garde Dover Street Market Ginza. There’s also the glitzy high-fashion mall, Ginza Six. But tucked in between some of the more imposing facades are simpler pleasures, like the fine crafts at Takumi, the gourmet food items at Akoymeya, and the nine floors of stationery and art supplies at Itōya. Shopping options in this neighbourhood reflect the breadth and depth of the city’s consumer culture, which stretches from high-fashion glam to down-to-earth crafts.
3. Kuramae: original arts
Once a drab warehouse district along the Sumida-gawa (Sumida River), Kuramae has been refashioned as the place for young artisans to set up shop. Check out Camera for leather goods (and smoothies); Maito for clothes coloured with traditional, natural dyes; and Kakimori, where you can design your own notebook and ink colour. Stroll around the district and you’re bound to find more boutiques with one-of-a-kind goods.
4. Kōenji and Kichijōji: kooky bits
Just west of Shinjuku, Kōenji is a bastion of counterculture with lots of secondhand shops and unusual finds. Don't miss the collection of fashion stores inside the ramshackle Kita-Kore Building and the coveted vintage goods at easy-to-miss Sokkyō. Travel further west on the Chūō line to hit Kichijōji, which is a popular place to trawl for homewares. Start with the boho objets at Outbound and the antique ceramics at Puku Puku.
5. Daikanyama and Naka-Meguro: books, boutiques and bohemian
Near Ebisu, Daikanyama is a residential enclave of cafes and boutiques, with fashion and accessories specialists such as Okura. Bibliophiles should head to Daikanyama T-Site. Naka-Meguro, a stroll away, is Daikanyama's more bohemian neighbour and is home to secondhand stores and hidden lounge bars. Vase, with its vintage pieces, is among the shopping highlights here.
6. Shibuya: hip haunts
Shibuya is a fountain of teen trendiness in Japan. If you’re over 30 you might feel way too old here, but just cruise and amuse yourself in the madness. Music shops and cheap, outrageous apparel are everywhere, as are the hip kids who come to primp and pose. Check out the youth-focused fashion at Shibuya 109, underground designers at Candy, and don't miss browsing the floors of homewares, gadgets and accessories at Tokyu Hands.
7. Shimo-Kitazawa: vintage and vinyl
Southwest of Shibuya is the small neighbourhood of Shimo-Kitazawa (aka Shimokita), a favourite haunt of students and arty types, with quirky shops, restaurants and hole-in-the-wall bars. Stroll the narrow streets here to discover Tokyo's highest concentration of vintage-clothing stores – Haight & Ashbury is among the best. Shimokita is also good for its record stores, and the mixed bag of stalls at the covered market Shimokita Garage Department.
8. Harajuku and Aoyama: believe the hype
The twin neighbourhoods of Harajuku and Aoyama are home to the youthful shopping strip Takeshita-dōri and the stylish boulevard of Omote-sandō. Sophisticated high fashion rules the Aoyama end of Omote-sandō, while the experimental hipsters of Harajuku layer haute couture with vintage finds. And then there is Ura-Hara, the maze of backstreets behind Omote-sandō, where you'll find eccentric little shops and secondhand stores. There are countless shopping options: get started at Laforet, 6% Doki Doki and Sou-Sou for clothes and accessories; Gallery Kawano for vintage kimono; or RagTag for pre-loved fashion.
9. Shinjuku: something for everyone
Shopping in Shinjuku can be a little overwhelming. From the moment you step out of the train station, the lights and noise make the whole neighbourhood seem like the interior of a bustling casino, but there are some great shops amid all the chaos. Here you'll find Isetan, one of Tokyo’s most revered department stores; the something-for-everyone 'variety' store Don Quijote; and Disk Union, where music lovers can lose a day browsing the eight storeys of secondhand vinyl and CDs.
10. Akihabara: the new otaku hub
The neighbourhood of Akihabara is Tokyo's traditional hub for electronics, and these can still be found in the Akihabara Electric Town district and stores such as Akihabara Radio Center. The neighbourhood has also become known as a centre for otaku (geeks) and their penchant for anime, manga and J-Pop culture. Among the stores catering to the otaku crowd is the huge Mandarake Complex. Also in the area is the excellent under-the-train-tracks crafts bazaar 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan; and Jimbōchō, boasting more than 170 bookstores.
Tokyo shopping top tips:
- More and more stores (especially department stores) offer tax-free shopping to foreign tourists spending over ¥5000. Bring your passport and look for the tax-free stickers in the window. See also enjoy.taxfree.jp.
- Carry some cash with you: traditional and smaller stores may not accept credit cards.
- Though bargaining is the norm in most of Asia, in Japan it’s not done, except at flea markets and the occasional electronics store.
- Tokyo’s department stores have excellent basement food halls, which are great for finding foodie gifts (or for a mid-shopping treat).
This article was first published in July 2010, and last updated in December 2019.