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Ando
Tokyo
Opened in 1880, this shop probably has Tokyo's largest selection of Japanese cloisonné, including jewelry, vases, and plates. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6:30pm, Saturday to Sunday 10:30am to 6:30pm. Closed holidays.Opened in 1880, this shop probably has Tokyo's largest selection
Antique Mall Ginza
Tokyo
Japanese, European, and some American antiques, collectibles, and odds and ends crowd three floors of Tokyo's largest antiques mall, where you could spend hours browsing among furniture, jewelry, watches, porcelain, pottery, dolls, scrolls, glassware, kimono, folk art, and much more. Open Thursday to Tuesday 11am to 7pm.Japanese, European, and some American antiques, collectibles, and odds and
Bengara
Tokyo
Noren are the doorway curtains hanging in front of Japanese restaurants, public bathhouses, and shops, signaling that the establishment is open. Bengara sells more than 400 different models of both traditional and modern noren of various sizes and colors, including those bearing kanji (Chinese characters) or scenes from famous woodblock prints. You can look through catalogs or have a noren custom-made with your own name. Open daily 10am to 6pm; closed the third Thursday of every month.Noren are the doorway curtains hanging in front of Japanese
Bic Camera
Tokyo
This huge, eight-floor store near the Ginza offers not only single-lens reflex, large and medium format, and digital cameras, but also computers, DVD and MP3 players, video cameras, watches, toys, and much more. Note, however, that it caters primarily to Japanese; English-speaking sales clerks are scarce, and export models are limited. Ask for the English-language brochure, and if you're buying sensitive equipment, make sure it will work outside Japan and comes with English-language instructions. Open daily 10am to 10pm. There's a branch in Shibuya at 1-24-12 Shibuya (tel. 03/5466-1111; open daily 10am-8pm; station: Shibuya, 2 min.).This huge, eight-floor store near the Ginza offers not only
Blue & White
Tokyo
American Amy Katoh has been the driving force behind this small but unique 27-year-old shop specializing in Japanese modern and traditional crafts, including textiles, yukata, porcelain, candles, picture frames, notebooks, fans, and more, mostly in colors of indigo-dyed blue and white. Of note is the creative clothing made especially for this shop, and the crafts designed by artists with disabilities. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday and holidays 11am to 6pm.American Amy Katoh has been the driving force behind this
Chicago
Tokyo
This basement shop specializes in used American clothing, but also stocks hundreds of affordable used kimono (including wedding kimono), cotton yukata (for sleeping), and obi (the sash worn around a kimono), all located in its Kimono Corner in the very back left corner of the shop. Open daily 11am to 8pm.This basement shop specializes in used American clothing, but also
Complex
Tokyo
Unlike the other galleries listed here, this one has an unlikely home in the Roppongi nightlife district. Actually, it consists of five small galleries spread on several floors of two adjoining buildings, most of them dealing in cutting-edge, contemporary Japanese and international art. Among them, Ota Fine Arts (tel. 03/5786-2344; www.otafinearts.com) is probably the most well established and represents Yayoi Kusama, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, and other big names in contemporary Japanese art. With the nearby Art Triangle Roppongi, defined by the Mori Art Museum, National Art Center, and Suntory Museum of Art, Roppongi may just be the future's art scene. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm.Unlike the other galleries listed here, this one has an
Fuji-Torii
Tokyo
Open since 1948, this small, one-room shop in Harajuku specializes in traditional Japanese works of art and antiques, mainly screens, scrolls, woodblock prints, and ceramics. Open Wednesday to Monday from 11am to 6pm; closed the third Monday of the month.Open since 1948, this small, one-room shop in Harajuku specializes
Fujiya
Tokyo
Tenugui are cotton hand towels used since the Edo Period for everything from drying off after bathing to headgear. In this small shop they're elevated to works of art, designed by a father-and-son team and featuring traditional motifs, including Kabuki actors, festivals, masks, flowers, and much more. Inexpensive gifts, they can be fashioned into scarves, framed as pictures, or used in countless other ways. Open Friday to Wednesday 10am to 6pm.Tenugui are cotton hand towels used since the Edo Period
Gallery Kawano
Tokyo
Antique kimono, obi, and high-quality fabrics are for sale at this small shop. Open daily 11am to 6pm.Antique kimono, obi, and high-quality fabrics are for sale at
Ginza Antiques
Tokyo
While not nearly as extensive as the Antique Mall Ginza (above), the half-dozen or so stalls here on the second floor of the Ginza 5 Building (located under an expressway) offer a variety of high-end antiques, including porcelain, furniture, dolls, kimono, and other treasures from Japan and Europe. Open daily 10am to 7pm.While not nearly as extensive as the Antique Mall Ginza
Hakuhinkan Toy Park
Tokyo
This is one of Tokyo's largest and best toy stores, with four floors. In addition to the usual dolls, puzzles, games, and other items, there's a large assortment of gag gifts, and a games arcade on the fourth floor. Open daily 11am to 8pm.This is one of Tokyo's largest and best toy stores,
Hashi Ginza Natsuno
Tokyo
This shop is tiny, but so are the products it sells -- chopsticks and chopstick holders, in all designs and colors. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday and holidays 10am to 7pm.This shop is tiny, but so are the products it
Hayashi Kimono
Tokyo
Established in 1913, Hayashi sells all kinds of kimono, including wedding kimono, cotton yukata, and tanzen (the heavy winter overcoat that goes over the yukata), as well as used and antique kimono. If you're buying a gift for someone back home, this is a good place to start. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm.Established in 1913, Hayashi sells all kinds of kimono, including
HMV
Tokyo
HMV offers five floors of music, from Japanese pop to dance, soul, reggae, rock, and New Age, to jazz, classical, and opera, with listening stages so that you can hear before you buy. Open daily 10am to 11pm.HMV offers five floors of music, from Japanese pop to
Hyakusuke
Tokyo
For traditional Japanese cosmetics (kesho hin), come to Hyakusuke, a 200-year-old, family-owned shop. During the Edo Period, it did a brisk trade in teeth blackener (white teeth were considered ugly), but today it offers rather mundane products, as well as such traditional treatments as kombu to funori (a seaweed hair treatment), tsubaki (camellia) oil for healthy hair, and -- perhaps most interesting -- uguisu no hun, nightingale droppings that are said to leave your skin soft and smooth. Simply mix it with a little soap to wash your face. A purchase of ¥1,000 ($8.30/£4.20) will give you about a month of daily use. Makeup used by geisha and Kabuki actors is also sold here, attracting customers in these traditional professions, but I'm partial to face paper, used on humid days to blot away perspiration and grime. Open Wednesday to Monday from 11am to 5pm.For traditional Japanese cosmetics (kesho hin), come to Hyakusuke, a
Isetan
Tokyo
Isetan is a favorite among foreigners living in Tokyo. It has a good line of conservative work clothes, as well as contemporary and fashionable styles, including designer goods by Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Hanae Mori, Comme des Garçons, Marc Jacobs, and Salvatore Ferragamo; also large dress sizes (on the second floor). It has a great kimono section along with all the traditional accessories (obi, shoes, purses). An annex offers eight floors of men's clothing and accessories. Open daily 10am to 8pm.Isetan is a favorite among foreigners living in Tokyo. It
Japan Sword
Tokyo
Coming here is like visiting a museum. Established more than 100 years ago, this is the best-known sword shop in Tokyo, with a knowledgeable staff and an outstanding collection of fine swords, daggers, sword guards, fittings, and other sword accessories, as well as antique samurai armor. The place also sells copies and souvenir items of traditional swords at prices much lower than those of the very expensive historic swords. Note that antique and modern swords require permission to export, which takes about 2 weeks (the company can ship purchases to you), but you can take replicas with you -- just be sure to pack them in checked bags. Open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 6pm, Saturday 9:30am to 5pm. Closed holidays.Coming here is like visiting a museum. Established more than
Japan Traditional Craft Center (Zenkoku Dentoteki Kogeihin Senta)
Tokyo
This store is worth a trip even if you can't afford to buy anything. Established to distribute information on Japanese crafts and promote the country's artisans, this two-story center is a great introduction to both traditional and contemporary Japanese design, with explanations in English. It sells various top-quality crafts from all over Japan on a rotating basis, so there are always new items on hand. Crafts for sale usually include lacquerware, ceramics, textiles, paper products, bamboo items, calligraphy brushes, ink stones, fans, metalwork, knives, furniture, and sometimes even stone lanterns or Buddhist family altars. Prices are high, but rightfully so. Unfortunately, its location in out-of-the-way Ikebukuro makes a trip here feasible only if you have the time; otherwise, you're probably better off shopping in the crafts section of a department store. Open daily from 11am to 7pm.This store is worth a trip even if you can't
Kanesoh
Tokyo
Knives and scissors (including gardening scissors) have been sold from this tiny shop since the 1870s, now in its fifth generation of knife makers. Open daily 11am to 7pm.Knives and scissors (including gardening scissors) have been sold from
Kiddy Land
Tokyo
Toys, games, puzzles, dolls, action figures, Pokémon cards, and much more are packed into this immensely popular shop, usually so crowded with teenagers that it's impossible to get in the front door. It also has a large selection of gag gifts, including temporary tattoos and who knows what else. Open daily 10am to 9pm. Closed the third Tuesday of some months.Toys, games, puzzles, dolls, action figures, Pokémon cards, and much
Kinokuniya
Tokyo
This is one of Tokyo's best-known bookstores, with one of the city's largest selections of books and magazines in English -- including books on Japan, dictionaries and textbooks for students of Japanese, and novels -- on its sixth floor. Open daily 10am to 8pm; closed some Wednesdays.This is one of Tokyo's best-known bookstores, with one of
Kitazawa
Tokyo
The largest of several English-language bookstores in Kanda, Kitazawa boasts an overwhelming selection of books, including the most recently published novels, American and English classic literature, topical books ranging from history to philosophy to politics, books on Japan, and antiquarian books (reservations needed to peruse the antique editions). Don't neglect the bargain-priced books on the trolleys outside the front door. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm; closed holidays.The largest of several English-language bookstores in Kanda, Kitazawa boasts
Kotobukiya
Tokyo
This crowded shop specializes in vases and accessories for flower arranging, of mostly contemporary designs. It also features objects used in tea ceremonies, including cast-iron teapots. Open daily 9:30am to 7:30pm; closed the first and third Tuesday of each month.This crowded shop specializes in vases and accessories for flower
Kurodaya
Tokyo
If you're visiting Asakusa, you might want to stop in at this shop. First opened back in 1856, it sells traditional Japanese paper and paper products, including kites, papier-mâché masks, boxes, and more. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 7pm.If you're visiting Asakusa, you might want to stop in
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Tokyo
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Ando
Tokyo
Opened in 1880, this shop probably has Tokyo's largest selection of Japanese cloisonné, including jewelry, vases, and plates. Open Monday to Friday 10am to 6:30pm, Saturday to Sunday 10:30am to 6:30pm. Closed holidays.Opened in 1880, this shop probably has Tokyo's largest selection
Antique Mall Ginza
Tokyo
Japanese, European, and some American antiques, collectibles, and odds and ends crowd three floors of Tokyo's largest antiques mall, where you could spend hours browsing among furniture, jewelry, watches, porcelain, pottery, dolls, scrolls, glassware, kimono, folk art, and much more. Open Thursday to Tuesday 11am to 7pm.Japanese, European, and some American antiques, collectibles, and odds and
Bengara
Tokyo
Noren are the doorway curtains hanging in front of Japanese restaurants, public bathhouses, and shops, signaling that the establishment is open. Bengara sells more than 400 different models of both traditional and modern noren of various sizes and colors, including those bearing kanji (Chinese characters) or scenes from famous woodblock prints. You can look through catalogs or have a noren custom-made with your own name. Open daily 10am to 6pm; closed the third Thursday of every month.Noren are the doorway curtains hanging in front of Japanese
Bic Camera
Tokyo
This huge, eight-floor store near the Ginza offers not only single-lens reflex, large and medium format, and digital cameras, but also computers, DVD and MP3 players, video cameras, watches, toys, and much more. Note, however, that it caters primarily to Japanese; English-speaking sales clerks are scarce, and export models are limited. Ask for the English-language brochure, and if you're buying sensitive equipment, make sure it will work outside Japan and comes with English-language instructions. Open daily 10am to 10pm. There's a branch in Shibuya at 1-24-12 Shibuya (tel. 03/5466-1111; open daily 10am-8pm; station: Shibuya, 2 min.).This huge, eight-floor store near the Ginza offers not only
Blue & White
Tokyo
American Amy Katoh has been the driving force behind this small but unique 27-year-old shop specializing in Japanese modern and traditional crafts, including textiles, yukata, porcelain, candles, picture frames, notebooks, fans, and more, mostly in colors of indigo-dyed blue and white. Of note is the creative clothing made especially for this shop, and the crafts designed by artists with disabilities. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday and holidays 11am to 6pm.American Amy Katoh has been the driving force behind this
Chicago
Tokyo
This basement shop specializes in used American clothing, but also stocks hundreds of affordable used kimono (including wedding kimono), cotton yukata (for sleeping), and obi (the sash worn around a kimono), all located in its Kimono Corner in the very back left corner of the shop. Open daily 11am to 8pm.This basement shop specializes in used American clothing, but also
Complex
Tokyo
Unlike the other galleries listed here, this one has an unlikely home in the Roppongi nightlife district. Actually, it consists of five small galleries spread on several floors of two adjoining buildings, most of them dealing in cutting-edge, contemporary Japanese and international art. Among them, Ota Fine Arts (tel. 03/5786-2344; www.otafinearts.com) is probably the most well established and represents Yayoi Kusama, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, and other big names in contemporary Japanese art. With the nearby Art Triangle Roppongi, defined by the Mori Art Museum, National Art Center, and Suntory Museum of Art, Roppongi may just be the future's art scene. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm.Unlike the other galleries listed here, this one has an
Fuji-Torii
Tokyo
Open since 1948, this small, one-room shop in Harajuku specializes in traditional Japanese works of art and antiques, mainly screens, scrolls, woodblock prints, and ceramics. Open Wednesday to Monday from 11am to 6pm; closed the third Monday of the month.Open since 1948, this small, one-room shop in Harajuku specializes
Fujiya
Tokyo
Tenugui are cotton hand towels used since the Edo Period for everything from drying off after bathing to headgear. In this small shop they're elevated to works of art, designed by a father-and-son team and featuring traditional motifs, including Kabuki actors, festivals, masks, flowers, and much more. Inexpensive gifts, they can be fashioned into scarves, framed as pictures, or used in countless other ways. Open Friday to Wednesday 10am to 6pm.Tenugui are cotton hand towels used since the Edo Period
Gallery Kawano
Tokyo
Antique kimono, obi, and high-quality fabrics are for sale at this small shop. Open daily 11am to 6pm.Antique kimono, obi, and high-quality fabrics are for sale at
Ginza Antiques
Tokyo
While not nearly as extensive as the Antique Mall Ginza (above), the half-dozen or so stalls here on the second floor of the Ginza 5 Building (located under an expressway) offer a variety of high-end antiques, including porcelain, furniture, dolls, kimono, and other treasures from Japan and Europe. Open daily 10am to 7pm.While not nearly as extensive as the Antique Mall Ginza
Hakuhinkan Toy Park
Tokyo
This is one of Tokyo's largest and best toy stores, with four floors. In addition to the usual dolls, puzzles, games, and other items, there's a large assortment of gag gifts, and a games arcade on the fourth floor. Open daily 11am to 8pm.This is one of Tokyo's largest and best toy stores,
Hashi Ginza Natsuno
Tokyo
This shop is tiny, but so are the products it sells -- chopsticks and chopstick holders, in all designs and colors. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm, Sunday and holidays 10am to 7pm.This shop is tiny, but so are the products it
Hayashi Kimono
Tokyo
Established in 1913, Hayashi sells all kinds of kimono, including wedding kimono, cotton yukata, and tanzen (the heavy winter overcoat that goes over the yukata), as well as used and antique kimono. If you're buying a gift for someone back home, this is a good place to start. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm, Sunday 10am to 6pm.Established in 1913, Hayashi sells all kinds of kimono, including
HMV
Tokyo
HMV offers five floors of music, from Japanese pop to dance, soul, reggae, rock, and New Age, to jazz, classical, and opera, with listening stages so that you can hear before you buy. Open daily 10am to 11pm.HMV offers five floors of music, from Japanese pop to
Hyakusuke
Tokyo
For traditional Japanese cosmetics (kesho hin), come to Hyakusuke, a 200-year-old, family-owned shop. During the Edo Period, it did a brisk trade in teeth blackener (white teeth were considered ugly), but today it offers rather mundane products, as well as such traditional treatments as kombu to funori (a seaweed hair treatment), tsubaki (camellia) oil for healthy hair, and -- perhaps most interesting -- uguisu no hun, nightingale droppings that are said to leave your skin soft and smooth. Simply mix it with a little soap to wash your face. A purchase of ¥1,000 ($8.30/£4.20) will give you about a month of daily use. Makeup used by geisha and Kabuki actors is also sold here, attracting customers in these traditional professions, but I'm partial to face paper, used on humid days to blot away perspiration and grime. Open Wednesday to Monday from 11am to 5pm.For traditional Japanese cosmetics (kesho hin), come to Hyakusuke, a
Isetan
Tokyo
Isetan is a favorite among foreigners living in Tokyo. It has a good line of conservative work clothes, as well as contemporary and fashionable styles, including designer goods by Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Hanae Mori, Comme des Garçons, Marc Jacobs, and Salvatore Ferragamo; also large dress sizes (on the second floor). It has a great kimono section along with all the traditional accessories (obi, shoes, purses). An annex offers eight floors of men's clothing and accessories. Open daily 10am to 8pm.Isetan is a favorite among foreigners living in Tokyo. It
Japan Sword
Tokyo
Coming here is like visiting a museum. Established more than 100 years ago, this is the best-known sword shop in Tokyo, with a knowledgeable staff and an outstanding collection of fine swords, daggers, sword guards, fittings, and other sword accessories, as well as antique samurai armor. The place also sells copies and souvenir items of traditional swords at prices much lower than those of the very expensive historic swords. Note that antique and modern swords require permission to export, which takes about 2 weeks (the company can ship purchases to you), but you can take replicas with you -- just be sure to pack them in checked bags. Open Monday to Friday 9:30am to 6pm, Saturday 9:30am to 5pm. Closed holidays.Coming here is like visiting a museum. Established more than
Japan Traditional Craft Center (Zenkoku Dentoteki Kogeihin Senta)
Tokyo
This store is worth a trip even if you can't afford to buy anything. Established to distribute information on Japanese crafts and promote the country's artisans, this two-story center is a great introduction to both traditional and contemporary Japanese design, with explanations in English. It sells various top-quality crafts from all over Japan on a rotating basis, so there are always new items on hand. Crafts for sale usually include lacquerware, ceramics, textiles, paper products, bamboo items, calligraphy brushes, ink stones, fans, metalwork, knives, furniture, and sometimes even stone lanterns or Buddhist family altars. Prices are high, but rightfully so. Unfortunately, its location in out-of-the-way Ikebukuro makes a trip here feasible only if you have the time; otherwise, you're probably better off shopping in the crafts section of a department store. Open daily from 11am to 7pm.This store is worth a trip even if you can't
Kanesoh
Tokyo
Knives and scissors (including gardening scissors) have been sold from this tiny shop since the 1870s, now in its fifth generation of knife makers. Open daily 11am to 7pm.Knives and scissors (including gardening scissors) have been sold from
Kiddy Land
Tokyo
Toys, games, puzzles, dolls, action figures, Pokémon cards, and much more are packed into this immensely popular shop, usually so crowded with teenagers that it's impossible to get in the front door. It also has a large selection of gag gifts, including temporary tattoos and who knows what else. Open daily 10am to 9pm. Closed the third Tuesday of some months.Toys, games, puzzles, dolls, action figures, Pokémon cards, and much
Kinokuniya
Tokyo
This is one of Tokyo's best-known bookstores, with one of the city's largest selections of books and magazines in English -- including books on Japan, dictionaries and textbooks for students of Japanese, and novels -- on its sixth floor. Open daily 10am to 8pm; closed some Wednesdays.This is one of Tokyo's best-known bookstores, with one of
Kitazawa
Tokyo
The largest of several English-language bookstores in Kanda, Kitazawa boasts an overwhelming selection of books, including the most recently published novels, American and English classic literature, topical books ranging from history to philosophy to politics, books on Japan, and antiquarian books (reservations needed to peruse the antique editions). Don't neglect the bargain-priced books on the trolleys outside the front door. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 6pm; closed holidays.The largest of several English-language bookstores in Kanda, Kitazawa boasts
Kotobukiya
Tokyo
This crowded shop specializes in vases and accessories for flower arranging, of mostly contemporary designs. It also features objects used in tea ceremonies, including cast-iron teapots. Open daily 9:30am to 7:30pm; closed the first and third Tuesday of each month.This crowded shop specializes in vases and accessories for flower
Kurodaya
Tokyo
If you're visiting Asakusa, you might want to stop in at this shop. First opened back in 1856, it sells traditional Japanese paper and paper products, including kites, papier-mâché masks, boxes, and more. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 7pm.If you're visiting Asakusa, you might want to stop in
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