Must-see shopping in Asia

  • Coredo Muromachi

    Tokyo

    More like a purpose-built town than a mall, Coredo Muromachi is spread over three buildings and a terrace complex. It's stylish and upscale, focused more…

  • Love Anchor

    Canggu

    Built in a traditional joglo style, this wood- and palm-tree-laden Canggu village is the trifecta of hipster retail, food and shopping. You can kick back…

  • Shibuya Parco

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Shibuya Parco has been a trendsetter for decades and now, after a renovation finished in 2019, it is back in top form. There are global brands, but also…

  • Turquoise Mountain

    Yangon

    Reviving traditional crafts, including jewellery making and textile weaving, is the mission of this NGO which occupies a beautifully restored, heritage…

  • Zōhiko

    Downtown Kyoto

    Zōhiko is the best place in Kyoto to buy one of Japan's most beguiling art-and-craft forms: lacquerware. If you aren't familiar with just how beautiful…

  • Isetan

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Isetan is Tokyo's most fashion-forward department store. Head to the 2nd-floor Tokyo Closet and 3rd-floor Re-Style boutiques in the main building, and the…

  • Hla Day

    Yangon

    Meaning 'beautiful' in Burmese, Hla Day is a superb example of a social-enterprise shop. It offers quality contemporary and traditional handicrafts…

  • ICONSIAM

    Bangkok

    This megamall on the Chao Phraya River has six floors dedicated to luxury shopping, encompassing everything from high-end to high street. It also rolls in…

  • Lolo Love Vintage

    French Concession

    There are dozens of 1920s brooches and pearl necklaces in glass display cabinets, rock and roll on the stereo and brilliantly kitsch bits and bobs like a…

  • Y. & Sons

    Kōrakuen & Akihabara

    Bespoke tailor Y. & Sons creates contemporary kimono that are 100% iki (chic and urbane), tied low on the hips (a style typically worn by men) and…

  • Subhash Emporium

    Agra

    Some of the pieces on display at this renowned marble shop are simply stunning (ask to see the 26 masterpieces). While it's more expensive than some shops…

  • Aksara

    South Jakarta

    A wide selection of books (many in English) plus fine stationery and writing accessories make this hip hang-out a must-stop for anyone interested in words…

  • Kapital

    Ebisu, Meguro & Around

    Cult brand Kapital is hard to pin down, but perhaps a deconstructed mash-up of the American West and the centuries-old Japanese aesthetic of boro (tatty…

  • Wattis Fine Art

    Hong Kong

    This upstairs gallery has an outstanding collection of antique maps, lithographs, photos and posters for sale. Rarely will you find such an extensive…

  • Peduli Alam Bali

    East Bali

    A non-profit outfit encouraging recycling and raising eco-consciousness in Amed, Peduli Alam ('Protect Nature') collects 50 tonnes of rubbish from this…

  • Seekers Independent Spirits

    Phnom Penh

    Cambodia's only gin distillery makes its smooth, sippable Mekong Dry Gin from 13 botanicals, including pandan leaves, galangal, kaffir lime and lemongrass…

  • Art Sanctuary Allan West

    Ueno & Yanesen

    Long-time Yanaka resident Allan West, a graduate of Japan's prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, paints gorgeous screens and scrolls in the classical…

  • Plastered 8

    Beijing

    A visual celebration of Beijing in all its chaotic glory, the T-shirts, hoodies, tote bags and gifts at this iconic streetwear shop make funky and…

  • Kama-asa

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    A Japanese knife is not only a highly practical and prized piece of kitchenware, it can also be extremely beautiful in its design. Admire an excellent…

  • Kulture Shop

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Behold Bandra's – and Mumbai's – coolest shop, featuring exclusive graphic art and illustrations sourced from a global army of Indian artists. You'll find…

  • Rumah Bebe

    Singapore

    Bebe Seet is the owner of this 1928 shophouse and purveyor of all things Peranakan. She sells traditional kebayas (Nonya-style blouses with decorative…

  • Jepun Bali

    Denpasar

    It's like your own private version of the Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali: Gusti Ayu Made Mardiani is locally famous for her endek (traditional sarong) and…

  • Pasar Santa

    South Jakarta

    On the 2nd floor of a rundown old-school mall you'll find Jakarta's hipster entrepreneurs. Dozens of individual booths sell everything from retro…

  • Old Heaven Books

    Shenzhen

    A delicious bookshop specialising in cultural and academic titles, Old Heaven also doubles as a vinyl-music shop, cafe, live venue and community creative…

  • G.O.D.

    Hong Kong

    Goods of Desire – or G.O.D. – is a cheeky local lifestyle brand, selling homewares, clothes, books and gifts with retro Hong Kong themes. Fun buys include…

  • Nuam Chin Traditional Store

    Chin State

    Handmade, elaborately patterned Chin longyi at this shop across from the CB Bank can sell for a whopping K260,0000 – antique ones for K600,000! That gives…

  • Imadeya

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Imadeya is a respected sake specialty store, but they carry more than that, including small batch shōchū (distilled alcohol usually made from sweet…

  • Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    Supported by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, this is as much a showroom as a shop, exhibiting a broad range of traditional crafts…

  • MBoutik

    Bagan

    This colourful boutique has gorgeous textiles, bags, toys, handicrafts and clothing that are entirely produced by a women's cooperative started by the…

  • Design Republic

    Shanghai

    Run by esteemed interior-design duo Neri & Hu – the last word on everything tasteful in Shanghai – Design Republic has set up this multilevel showroom…

  • Dakshinapan Shopping Centre

    Kolkata (Calcutta)

    It’s worth facing the soul-crushing 1970s architecture for Dakshinapan’s wide range of government emporia, which brings together a mind-boggling artisanal…

  • Kulture Shop

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Mumbai's coolest design shop has thankfully arrived in South Mumbai! Fittingly, the Pop Art cool kid from Bandra has set up shop in Kala Ghoda, where its…

  • Lhong 1919

    Chinatown

    Spanning a group of restored defunct Chinese warehouses on the western bank of the Chao Phraya River, this concept shopping complex combines the old-world…

  • Itōya

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Explore the nine floors (plus several more in the nearby annex) of stationery at this famed, century-old Ginza establishment. There are everyday items …

  • T'Shop Lai Gallery

    Vientiane

    Imagine a melange of aromas – coconut, aloe vera, honey, frangipani and magnolia – all of them emanating from body oils, soaps, sprays, perfumes, lip…

  • Sifr Aromatics

    Little India & Kampong Glam

    This Zen-like perfume laboratory belongs to third-generation perfumer Johari Kazura, whose exquisite creations include the heady East (30mL S$125), a…

  • Museum of Ethnic Arts

    Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas

    Although billed as a museum, the bulk of items are for sale in this extraordinary private collection of tribal arts from Borneo. You'll also find Nonya…

  • Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium

    Kowloon

    This five-storey behemoth is one of only a few old-school Chinese department stores left in the city. Products include silk scarves, traditional Chinese…

  • Municipal Market

    Mae Sot

    Mae Sot’s municipal market is among the largest and most vibrant we’ve encountered anywhere in Thailand. There’s heaps of exotic stuff from Myanmar,…