TOKYO SHOPPING

*within 20 minutes (train ride) of the ISPSR Venue.

If it is for sale anywhere in the world, you can probably buy it in Tokyo. Tokyo is one of the fashion and cosmetic centers in the world. Items to look for include electronics, funky fashions, antique furniture and kimono, and specialty items like Hello Kitty goods, anime and comics, and their associated paraphernalia. Tokyo has the some of the largest electronic industries in the world, such as Sony, Panasonic, and Toshiba etc.

Cash payment is the norm. Although credit cards are more and more widely accepted, they are far less widespread than in most other developed countries. There are numerous convenience stores throughout Tokyo, which are open around the clock, and sell not only food and magazines, but also daily necessities such as underwear and toiletries. Supermarkets are usually open until 10 PM, while drugstores and department stores usually close at 9 PM.

Shopping Suggestions

Antiques

Serious collectors should head for the Antique Mall in Ginza* or the Antique Market in Omotesando*, which despite the rustic names are collections of small very specialist shops (samurai armor, ukiyo-e paintings, etc) with head-spinning prices. Mere mortals can venture over to Nishi-Ogikubo, where you can pick up scrolls of calligraphy and such for a few thousand yen.

Books

Jinbocho* is to used books what Akihabara* is to electronics. It’s clustered around the Jinbocho subway stop. The Blue Parrot is another shop located at Takadanobaba* on the Yamanote line, just two stops north of Shinjuku*.

Cameras and electronics

Ever since Sony and Nikon became synonymous with high-tech quality, Tokyo has been a favored place for buying electronics and cameras. Though the lines have blurred since the PC revolution, each has its traditional territory and stores: Akihabara* has the electronics stores, including a large number of duty-free shops specializing in export models, and Shinjuku* has the camera stores.

Fashion

Shibuya* and neighboring Harajuku* are the best-known shopping areas for funky, youthful clothes and accessories. Department stores and exclusive boutiques stock every fashion label imaginable, but for global labels prices in Tokyo are typically higher than anywhere else in the world. The famous Ginza* and Ikebukuro’s* giant Seibu and Tobu department stores (the largest in the world) are good hunting grounds. Recently, Roppongi Hills* has emerged as a popular area for high-end shopping, with many major global brands. Other department stores in Tokyo are Mitsukoshi, Sogo, Marui (OIOI), and Takashimaya. Mitsukoshi is Japan’s biggest department store chain. Its anchor store is in Nihonbashi*. Marui Men store in Shinjuku* has eight floors of high-end fashion for men only.

Kitchenware

The district for this is Kappabashi Street near Asakusa*, also known as “Kitchen Town.” The street is lined with stores selling all kinds of kitchen wares — this is where the restaurants of Tokyo get their supplies. It’s also a great place to find cheap Japanese ceramics, not to mention plastic food!

Music

Ochanomizu* is to the guitar what Jinbocho* is to used books. There, you’ll find what must be the world’s densest collection of guitar shops. Plenty of other musical instruments (though not traditional Japanese ones) are also available.

Street markets

Bustling open-air bazaars in the Asian style are rare in Tokyo, except for Ueno’s* Ameyoko, a legacy of the postwar occupation. Yanaka Ginza in the Shitamachi* Taito district, a very nice example of a neighborhood shopping street, makes for an interesting afternoon browse. There are often small flea and antique markets in operation on the weekend at major (and minor) shrines in and around Tokyo.

Souvenirs

For touristy Japanese knickknacks, the best places to shop are Nakamise in Asakusa* and the Oriental Bazaar (best-known gift store in Omotesando with a temple-like exterior) in Omotesando*, which stock all the kitschy things like kanji-emblazoned T-shirts, foreigner-sized kimonos, ninja outfits for kids and ersatz samurai swords that can be surprisingly difficult to find elsewhere. 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.

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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. Below are some that may be worthwhile visiting:

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

isetan

ISETAN*:

Innovative 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

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.

SHOPPING SPOTS:

GINZA*:

From 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.

ASAKUSA*:
asakusa

Home 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 STREET*:

Fulfill 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.

AKIHABARA*:

The world’s number-one electric & anime city

Akihabara is known worldwide for its consumer electronics. Akihabara, Tokyo’s Electric Town, is now also the unquestioned center of its otaku community, and the stores along Chuo-dori are packed to the rafters with anime (animation) and manga (comics). 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.

SHINJUKU*:

A 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* & HARAJUKU*

Tokyo 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.