The best way to see a city like Tokyo is via the suggestion of people who live there, day in and out. Whether you search for bargains, the best food, interesting hidden jewels, or just a unique experience, the local favorites are your best bet. Tokyo shopping will challenge your budget.
The local appetite for luxury is well known and well catered for. If you fancy a multi-million-yen calendar or a 5,000-yen loaf of bread, this city has both. But there’s also plenty of affordable shopping, from 100-yen stores to vintage clothing shops. If you steer clear of Ginza you should be able to enjoy the city’s rich consumer culture without straining the budget. Shibuya and Harajuku are both good bets for fashion seekers, and Akihabara deserves its reputation as the mecca of all things electronic. Shinjuku, as usual, has a little of everything. "Attributed to http://www.stay.com"
Fujiya is a specialty shop selling unusual work of arts: tenguis, traditional cotton hand towels used ever since the Edo period for everything from drying off to headware. Fujiya has turned tenguis in a genuine work of art. All models are carefully designed by a father and son artistic team using traditional motifs such as Kabuki actors, festivals, masks, or flowers. Tenguis are a quite inexpensive gift and can be either framed or fanshioned into scarfs.
The one-room Fuji-Torii shop has been on the market since 1948 and ever since then specializes in traditional Japanese artworks and antiques. Located in Harajaku, Fuji-Torii is always a quick and delightful plunge into the Japanese traditional arts. Their collection of local antiques and works of art is mainly made up of screens, scrolls, woodblock prints, and ceramics.
The extremely expensive Japan Traditional Craft Center (Zenkoku Dentoteki Kogeihin Senta) is worth your time visiting even if you don’t actually buy anything and just admire the crafts on display. It makes a fine job out of introducing tourist to both traditional and contemporary Japanese design. The Japan Traditional Craft Center (Zenkoku Dentoteki Kogeihin Senta) was originally established to offer information on Japanese crafts and to promote local artisans. This two-story shop sells all kinds of crafts, such as ceramics, textiles, paper products, bamboo items, calligraphy brushes, ink stones, knives, furniture, and rarely stone lanterns or Buddhist family altrs.
Covering no less than four floors, Hakuhinkan Toy Park is one of Tokyo’s best and largest toy stores, a real play heaven for all children. Like all respectable toy stores, Hakuhinkan Toy Parksells dolls, puzzles, games, and other items. It also has an extensive range of gag gifts and a highly entertaining game arcade up on the fourth floor.
Those looking for high-quality Japanese fabrics and antique traditional clothing will definitely enjoy a stop at the small Gallery Kawano. At Gallery Kawano you will find antique kimonos, obis and some of the best quality fabrics in Tokyo. This small specialty shop is perfect if you’re looking for a specific item in this range.
Although the name has little to do with what this store sells, Lemon specializes in old and new cameras from around the world of all makes and models, sold along with watches and eyeglasses. Lemon’s eight floor displays a large collection of new and used Japanese and foreign cameras, from digital to large-format models. Some of the brands sold by the shop are Leica, Hasselblad, Rolleiflex, Canon, and Nikon.
Wholesalers don’t usually make great tourist attractions, but Kappabashi is an exception. This Asakusa street is where restaurateurs buy everything from lacquer dishes to plastic replica food for their windows – and this is a great place to visit for souvenirs both comical and practical. If a six-foot noodle knife is too much to take home, at least pick up some handmade ceramics or a plastic onigiri (rice balls). With over 200 outlets to choose from, you won’t be short of options.
One of the best known bookstores in Tokyo, Kinokuniya is a great venue for book lovers, local and tourists alike as they have a great collection in the English language. The six-floor Kinokuniya bookstore features one of the widest collection of books and magazines in English in the city, including books on Japan, dictionaries and textbooks for those leargning Japanese, and an entire top floor dedicated to novels.
On the market for about 100 years, the Hayashi Kimono shop specializes in new, used and antiques kimonos and have the right one to fit any occasion. Hayashi Kimono has a wide collection of kimono, from wedding kimono, to cotton yukata and tanzen, a heavy winter overcoat that goes over a yukata, used kimonos and the much appreciated antique kimonos that come with a matching price.
If you’re an antiques lover, then a whole mall dedicated to them will definitely suit you. Antique Mall Ginza covers three floor and offers you the possibility to spend hours hunting for what pleases your eye. The Antique Mall Ginza offers everything in antiques and collectibles you might think of, from jewelry and furniture to ceramics,scrolls, kimonos, dolls and folk art. It is a perfect place for both personal and gift shopping.
