Must-see shopping in Japan

Shinsaibashi Big Step

Osaka

An eight-storey mall with dozens of fashion and lifestyle shops, a huge Kinji used-clothes shop, mid-priced restaurants and a retro video/pinball arcade.

Condomania

Harajuku & Aoyama

Tucked away on a Harajuku backstreet, with a much larger selection of condoms than you'll find in the drugstore – plus cheeky gifts.

Ekimachi I-chōme

Beppu

For last-minute purchases before you catch your train, the shopping arcade inside Beppu Station offers souvenirs, crafts and snacks.

Daimaru Department Store

Kōbe

Large department store at the western edge of Kyū-Kyoryuchi‎ (the former foreigners' settlement).

Kinokuniya

Osaka

Inside Hankyū Umeda Station, this shop stocks a decent selection of foreign books and magazines.

Parco Department Store

Kumamoto

A popular department store near the intersection of the Kamitōri and Shimotōri Arcades.

Pokemon Centre

Osaka

Pokemon-branded goods inside Daimaru Umeda.

Hanshin Department Store

Osaka

The most down-to-earth department store in the Osaka Station area.

Otsu Furniture

Ebisu, Meguro & Around

Early-20th-century Japanese antiques, refinished in-house.