Destination Tokyo
Shopping Suggestions
Ranging from superb department stores and specialty shops to discount stores, Tokyo is truly a shopper’s heaven. The city boasts 35 department stores and countless boutiques and specialists stores. Pearls, lacquerware, Japanese dolls are just some of Japan’s famous products on sale.
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JAPANESE SOUVENIRS
Japanese souvenirs come in all sizes and to suit all budgets. Fine craft souvenirs include ceramics, woodblock prints, pearls, dolls and kimonos. More affordable items include chopsticks, hand towels, stationery and sake sets. Fine ceramic ware is a popular souvenir from Japan. Various kilns produce designs that have been adored by visitors for centuries and a variety of styles and sizes are on sale in Tokyo.
ORIENTAL BAZAARBest-known gift store in Omotesando with a temple-like exterior
5-9-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001
Hours: Hours: 10:00 - 19:00
Closed on Thursdays. Opening hours and days are subject to change.
DEPARTMENT STORES
Tokyo boasts an array of large department stores that rival those of other global cities. Tokyo’s department stores are renowned for their polite and attentive service. Staff in the grocery and food sections are at hand to offer shoppers samples of new and exotic products.
MITSUKOSHI (HONTEN)
Former kimono shop founded in 1673 developed into Japan’s first Western style department store
1-4-1 Nihonbashi-muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8001
Hours: Hours: 10:00 - 19:30 daily
ISETANInnovative store with the latest in fashion
3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022
Hours: 10:00 - 20:00 daily (occasional extended opening)
TOKYU (HONTEN)Huge selection of food, clothing and furniture, in trendy Shibuya
2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8019
Hours: 11:00 - 19:00 daily (B1, 1F open until 20:00)
Closing days vary. Opening hours and days are subject to change.
GINZAFrom traditional stores to luxury name brands
Ginza is the most prestigious shopping area in Japan, comparable to the Champs Elysées in Paris or 5th Avenue in New York. The district stretches down a broad avenue lined with department stores, brand-name boutiques and jewelry stores. Traditional stores that have been selling their wares here for generations still remain a vibrant part of the Ginza shopping scene.
ASAKUSAHome of traditional shops dating back to Edo period
Asakusa is more than just a shopping district. It is an entire cultural experience. Nakamise is the main pedestrian shopping street that lies between the enormous red lantern at “Kaminarimon” and the main hall of Sensoji Temple, and is full of stores selling traditional goods and souvenirs. Other streets in the vicinity sell a variety of traditional products and many restaurants offer a place for tired shoppers to take a rest.
KAPPABASHI STREETFulfill all your kitchenware desires at this wholesale area
Located west of Asakusa, Kappabashi Street, known as "Kitchen Town," is filled with 170 wholesale stores selling all goods necessary to start a restaurant business. Unique to this neighborhood are stores carrying plastic and wax food samples that are commonly used for restaurant displays in Japan. These surprisingly accurate models are what draw tourists and shoppers to the area.
AKIHABARAThe world’s number-one electric city
Akihabara is known worldwide for its consumer electronics. It is also a center for O-taku, a sub-culture centered on animated cartoons and comics of recent years. Even for those not seeking to buy any products this district is worth a visit to experience the newest gadgets that are being introduced to the Japanese market.
SHINJUKUA center for discerning and cosmopolitan shoppers
The key to exploring Shinjuku is to first select one of three exits from the station. The East Exit leads to the older part of Shinjuku, home to famed department stores and on to the racy entertainment district of Kabukicho. The West Exit directly links to two department stores and a concentration of electronics shops comparable to the Akihabara district. The South Exit is a newly developed area featuring a wide range of stores, most of which are concentrated in the Takashimaya Times Square complex.
OMOTESANDO-HARAJUKUTokyo heaven for fashionistas
Omotesando-Harajuku is one of Tokyo’s most fashionable districts, appealing to hip teenagers and stylish adults alike. Dozens of name-brand stores and boutiques line the streets here, enticing customers in from under the leafy boughs of the zelkova trees on Omotesando Avenue. Meiji Jingu shrine is also close by for a peaceful post-retail therapy stroll.
