Tokyo
Mitsukoshi's venerable Nihombashi branch was Japan’s first department store. It's a grand affair with an entrance guarded by bronze lions and a…
Must-see shopping in Japan
Southern Higashiyama
This company has been making its canvas bags for over 110 years and the store is often crammed with those in the know picking up a skillfully crafted…
Ginza & Tsukiji
You could hear the collective swoon of all devotees of functional design when this huge Muji flagship opened in 2019. Floors two through five carry the…
Downtown Kyoto
This old-style tea shop sells some of the best Japanese tea in Kyoto, and you'll be given an English leaflet with prices and descriptions of each one. Its…
Kyūshū
Dating from the 1850s and a registered cultural property, this busy, rustic blade shop is filled with incredible knives, hatchets, swords and even ninja…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
This DIY and zakka (miscellaneous things) store is a Tokyo landmark, loved by locals and tourists alike. It has eight fascinating floors of everything you…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 …
Asakusa & Sumida River
Think of this as a small shopping centre, showcasing the best of Japan's speciality food and drink (ground floor) and arts and crafts (2nd floor). The 3rd…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Hidden deep in the side alleys of Harajuku, House stocks an ever-changing selection of experimental Japanese fashion brands. Contrary to what the coolness…
Downtown Kyoto
The grande dame of Kyoto department stores, Takashimaya is almost a tourist attraction in its own right, from the mind-boggling riches of the basement…
Ginza & Tsukiji
You're unlikely to find a more elegant selection of traditional folk crafts, including toys, textiles and ceramics from around Japan. Ever thoughtful,…
Osaka
One of the best record stores in the city, Time Bomb stocks an excellent collection of vinyl and CDs from '60s pop and '70s punk to alternative, soul and…
Downtown Kyoto
This place sells a fabulous variety of washi for reasonable prices and is a great spot to pick up a gift or souvenir. Look for the Morita Japanese Paper…
Matsumoto
Glass and pottery aficionados will find this wonderful boutique on Nakamachi-dōri a must.
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Tokyo's most famous bookstore, spread out over three buildings (with a cool basket-weave facade designed by KDa), has a dazzling collection of books on…
Osaka
This long arcade sells just about anything related to the preparation, consumption and selling of Osaka's principal passion: food. There's everything from…
Naha
This amusement-park-esque, American-themed shopping mall is as kitsch as they come, but if you can resist your instinctive resistance, closer exploration…
Beppu
Opened in 1948 and recently renovated, this gallery feels like an intimate museum of Japanese bamboo art. Many of the works were made by well-known…
Osaka
Tower Knives has a fantastic selection of kitchen knives – both carbon steel and stainless steel; some are hand-forged by Osaka artisans. The English…
Osaka
Hankyū, which first opened in 1929, pioneered the now ubiquitous concept of the train-station department store. One of Japan's largest department stores, …
Naha
Naha's busiest downtown mall is always a hive of activity for its many duty-free stores (including Tokyū Hands – great for, well, anything you can think…
Tokyo
Held in the courtyard of Tokyo International Forum (check the website for exact dates), this is a brilliantly colourful event with hundreds of dealers in…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Okura specialises in clothing and accessories dyed with indigo, which has a long tradition in Japan. There are contemporary T-shirts and hoodies and also…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This ace arcade under the JR tracks (its name refers to the distance from Tokyo Station) offers an eclectic range of stores selling Japanese-made goods –…
Tokyo
Same (pronounced sah-mé; 'shark') is the super secret flagship store (with limited edition merch) for cult Japanese streetwear brand Lonely. So secret, in…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Founded in the 16th century in Kyoto, Toraya's traditional confectionery has long been patronised by the Imperial Court, giving it a cachet that other…
Downtown Kyoto
While you’re in Nishiki Market, have a look at this store – it has some of the best kitchen knives in the world.
Asakusa & Sumida River
German fashion designer Jurgen Lehl (1944–2014) lived in Japan for decades while building the fashion house Babaghuri, known for its use of natural…
Fukuoka
Hakata is renowned for it weaving tradition, called Hakata-ori, and this chic shop, to the right as you enter Hakata Riverain mall, has been producing…
Tokyo
This is the original Mandarake, the go-to store for all things manga (Japanese comics) and anime (Japanese animation). Once a small, secondhand comic-book…
