Must-see shopping in Tokyo

  • Street entrance for the original Mitsukoshi in Nihombashi

    Mitsukoshi

    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…

  • Store front of Muji's Yurakucho flagship store, Marunouchi & Nihombashi

    Muji

    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…

  • Tokyu Hands

    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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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 …

  • Marugoto Nippon

    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…

  • House @Mikiri Hassin

    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…

  • Takumi

    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,…

  • Pottery Display at the Oedo Monthly Antique Market at the Tokyo International Forum Building, Japan, Yurakucho,

    Ōedo Antique Market

    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…

  • 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan

    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 –…

  • Same to Esa

    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…

  • Toraya

    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…

  • Babaghuri

    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…

  • Mandarake Complex

    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…

  • Akomeya

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Rice ('kome') is at the heart of Japanese cuisine. This stylish store sells not only many types of the grain but also products made from it (such as sake)…

  • Beams Japan

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Beams, a national chain of trendsetting boutiques, is a Japanese cultural institution and this multistorey Shinjuku branch has a particular audience in…

  • Yoshitoku Dolls

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Founded in 1711, this traditional Japanese doll manufacturer is the place to come to see the exquisite craftsmanship of these ornamental figurines,…

  • Ink Stand

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    If the basic black or navy blue ink of pens is too common for you, let Ink Stand help you create your own personalised colour. For ¥2700 for a 33ml bottle…

  • Souvenir from Tokyo

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    There's always an expertly curated and ever-changing selection of home-grown design bits and bobs that make for unique souvenirs at this shop.

  • MAY 9, 2015: Inside the Modern Roppongi Midtown complex.
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    Tokyo Midtown

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    This sleek complex, where escalators ascend alongside waterfalls of rock and glass, brims with sophisticated shops. Most notable is the selection of…

  • Street entrance to building with Kinokinuya bookstore on the 6th floor, Shinjuku & Ikebukuro

    Books Kinokuniya Tokyo

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    A long-time lifeline for Tokyo English-speakers, Kinokuniya stocks a broad selection of foreign-language books and magazines. Particularly of note is its…

  • Uniqlo street front, Ginza & Tsukiji.

    Uniqlo Ginza

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Stop any Tokyoite on the street and odds are they're wearing at least one thing from Uniqlo, the ubiquitous retailer of indispensible basics. There are…

  • Facade of Tsukikageya, Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa.

    Tsukikageya

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Designer Natsuki Shigeta creates yukata (cotton kimonos) with a punk-rock slant (and sometimes outré prints). Nevermind if you can't tie the obi (sash)…

  • Dover Street Market shopfront, Ginza & Tsukiji.

    Dover Street Market Ginza

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    A department store as envisioned by Rei Kawakubo (of Comme des Garçons), DSM has seven floors of avant-garde brands, including several Japanese labels and…

  • Street entrance to Bingoya, a shop specialising in the traditional crafts., Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo.

    Bingoya

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Bingoya has five floors of quality, unpretentious crafts sourced from all over Japan. There’s a particularly good selection of folksy pottery and textiles…

  • Example of one of the shop curtains (noren) and other wares sold at Bengara, Asakusa & Sumida River.

    Bengara

    Asakusa & Sumida River

    Spend any amount of time in Japan and you become quickly familiar with noren, the curtains that hang in front of shop doors. This shop sells beautiful…

  • Ginza Six streetfront image, Ginza & Tsukiji.

    Ginza Six

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    This high-end mall was designed by architect Taniguchi Yoshio, who also did the Gallery of Hōryū-ji Treasures. Large-scale art installations are held in…

  • Shop entrance, on the ground floor of an apartment building on the Kamiyamacho shotengai., Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa.

    Shibuya Publishing & Booksellers

    Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa

    Come browse the selection of art, food and travel magazines and small-press offerings at this indie bookshop, open late among the bars of Shibuya's…

  • Street entrance on Omote-sando, Harajuku & Aoyama.

    Pass the Baton

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    There are all sorts of treasures to be found at this consignment shop, from 1970s designer duds to delicate teacups, personal castaways to dead stock from…

  • Bic Camera store front, with Yurakucho station on the right, Marunouchi & Nihombashi

    Bic Camera

    Tokyo

    Cameras are just the start of the electronic items and much more (toys, sake, medicine, cosmetics, wine) sold in this mammoth discount store occupying a…

  • Shinjuku Tokyu Hands facade, Shinjuku & Ikebukuro

    Tokyu Hands Shinjuku

    Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo

    Ostensibly a do-it-yourself store, Tokyu Hands stocks a wide-variety of totally random (but oddly enticing) household, beauty and office supplies. Though…

  • Entrance to Sanrio World, from inside the Nishi Ginza shopping centre, Ginza & Tsukiji

    Sanrioworld Ginza

    Ginza & Tsukiji

    Sanrio's flagship store is piled high with all the Hello Kitty merchandise your heart could desire, including some pretty blinged-up items of the famous…

  • Kiddyland at Jingumae.

    KiddyLand

    Harajuku & Aoyama

    This multistorey toy emporium is packed to the rafters with character goods, including all your Studio Ghibli, Sanrio and Disney faves. It’s not just for…

More destinations you need to see