100 best shops in Tokyo

Shibuya's famed Cat Street welcomes the first-ever flagship for Tokyo-based brand Ambush. The space stretches across 140 square metres and its design remains true to the gender-neutral vibes of the brand’s collections. Situated in the former site of American Apparel’s Shibuya Men’s store, the store houses the brand’s conceptual jewellery alongside a growing number of its original apparel range...

A streetwear brand run by a trio of illustrators and graphic designers – Skate Thing, Toby Feltwell and Yutaka Hishiyama – C.E opened its first brick-and-mortar store earlier this year in Aoyama. Elements of the UK-born Feltwell's background run up against Skate Thing's trademark Tokyo sensibilities, resulting in a constant stream of interesting creations...

Epitomising Tokyo’s youth fashion culture, Candy is a popular haunt for young fashionistas and offers a wide range of labels from high-end international brands (J.W. Anderson and Valentino) to cutting-edge Japanese brands (99%IS- and Christian Dada). Take inspiration from their styling portfolio or just browse through the store for some much needed retail therapy...

One of the most iconic stores in the Omotesando/Harajuku area, this highly conceptual space shows off pieces by the late fashion designer and artist Christopher Nemeth. An important figure in the ’80s London fashion scene, Nemeth's influence on fashion was made known by his carefully crafted garments interlaced with intricate cutting and sewing techniques...

This Shimokitazawa store – sibling to its Harajuku and Kichijoji namesakes – opened in 2005, stocking a mix of new clothing and American vintage duds starting at the ’40s and ending at the ’80s. Thanks to its US-based buyer, new stock comes in quickly, and there’s a good selection of both men and women’s clothing – as well as a few added extras such as retro-look tableware...

Expressing the very specific ambition of being the store selling the cutest ties in the entire world, Giraffe deals only in original products – from colourful bow ties to classic business ties, simple skinny ties and chic bolo ties. We also like their women's necklace selection...

Even among the shopping chaos that is Harajuku's Laforet, this store dealing in 'cutting-edge' fashion stands out from the rest. The neon lighting inside lends a quirky glow to styles from up-and-coming and edgy designers like Hyein Seo, Astrid Andersen and Shaun Samson. They also host a range of items from popular designer collabs including the coveted Kanye West and Adidas Yeezy collection...

This shop nestled in Nakameguro is not to be missed as it’s one of the last of its kind, promoting what’s left of the area’s grungy street art culture. Browse through their collection of cool art which comes in the form of casual fashion pieces like T-shirts and sweat tops, as well as small memorabilia like stickers and accessories. Besides their house brand, they also have capsule collaborations...

Formerly housed on the second floor of an apartment building just off Harajuku's famous Cat Street, Mikiri Hassin – which is run by renowned stylist Sota Yamaguchi – moved to its current backstreet location in August 2016. An essential stop for in-the-know Harajuku fashionistas, it boasts an unfailingly cutting-edge selection...

A Sumida-based clothing manufacturer, Ikiji brings together a collective of skilled artisans working with shirts, knitwear, leather and more, and combine traditional techniques with modern silhouettes and textiles. They deal in everything from polo shirts and sweaters to bags, business card cases and other small accessories – all of which draw on the Edo-era concept of iki (sophistication). Their line is simple but unique, and incorporates patterns that have been used in Edo-Tokyo for centuries...

In addition to their Aoyama shop and café, Parisian brand Kitsuné also operate this chic Daikanyama location since spring 2016. Said to be inspired by the late Hotel Okura's retro interior, the décor at Maison Kitsuné Daikanyama is the work of co-founder Masaya Kuroki himself. You'll find womenswear on the ground floor, while the second floor offers men's clothing and accessories...

One of the longest-standing stores on Ueno's Ameyoko, Nakata is a purveyor of surplus military gear and leather jackets. They source both the real thing and replicas from all over the world, and boast an excellent selection of reasonably priced boots, coats and various accessories...

If you need to spice up your outfit before hitting a fashionable party in Shibuya (perhaps at hipster playpen Trump Room, just upstairs), stop by this long-standing vintage clothing shop beforehand. Run by absurdist fashionista Hayao Matsumura (who originally started the shop in Koenji in the late ’80s), Nude Trump is a chaotic jumble of outré garments and accessories...

At Okura you'll find clothing and other textiles based on traditional Japanese tailoring techniques and designs. The store itself housed in a beautiful old building and invokes a real Japanese atmosphere – it even features a weathered curtain over the door at the entrance. Browse through a wide range of items including indigo-dyed (a Japanese dyeing method used since ancient times) T-shirts...

Look no further for the best quality denim, leather and other cosy wardrobe staples at The Real McCoy’s. From worn-in T-shirts and heathered grey sweats to vintage-inspired souvenir jackets and military bombers, there’s no shortage of fine fashion staples at this urban cool dealer. Although most pieces in the shop look like they are well-maintained vintage items from as early as the ’50s, don’t be fooled...

After years of ducking the spotlight, Chitose Abe finally embraced the growing acclaim for her Sacai brand by opening this Aoyama flagship store in 2011. The veteran designer (who worked under Rei Kawakubo and Junya Watanabe before going it alone in 1999) is best known for her innovative knitwear, but her women's and mens lines now...

This landmark Shibuya store is the domain of the joshikosei – the fashion-obsessed teenage girls who don’t just follow trends but start them. Take a stroll around to see them in action and indulge in some amateur anthropology. Nearby 109 Men's is the male version...

Rows of colourful, wrapped-up shoes line the walls at this Kichijoji store that offers an exhaustive range of sneakers from the likes of Adidas, Puma, Nike, Admiral, Reebok and Onitsuka Tiger. They deal in everything from the latest models to 'dead stock' while also carrying limited-edition versions – enough to pique the interest of even the most discerning sneakerhead...

Not your typical eyewear shop, Solakzade’s Harajuku boutique is home to a distinctive range of unused vintage and antique frames sourced from Japan and around the globe. The shop carries over 10,000 unique styles from each era of the 1800 to 1900s. Solakzade opened in July 2012 and is run by a pair of brothers from Osaka...

Stocking Japanese brands only, Studious is a rising 'select' store that seeks to promote local products to a global audience. Its store in Shibuya's Jinnan is a high-end version selling leading Japanese brands like N.Hoolywood and White Mountaineering. Be sure to check out the ‘Tokyo Souvenir’ section for stylish Tokyo-related goods...

Intrepid fashion hounds in search of unusual designs won’t be disappointed by this used clothing shop, opened in 2007 and run by designer Yasuko Furuta’s Toga brand. The choice of location – it's effectively squatting in the ground-floor parking space next to Toga’s Harajuku branch – is thoroughly in keeping with the eccentric nature of the selections within. Toga XTC focuses on second-hand European clothes, shoes and accessories...

An offshoot of the nationwide Tansuya chain, Tokyo135's Shinjuku Alta branch attracts a diverse crowd looking for slightly funkier kimono for all occasions. Their colour scheme and style is decidedly more pop art-y and modern than traditional, and they also sell a large selection of vibrant hair adornments and other accessories, alongside some cool remade items. Not all pieces for sale are secondhand, but they have a good mix of new and old...

Although floors one to five were unfortunately closed in August 2016, Kinokuniya's other Shinjuku outpost is still one of the best bookstores in Tokyo for foreign-language publications. Head to the sixth floor for books, magazines and more in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and many other languages...

In a perfect world, all bookshops would be like this. Tokyo's Klein Dytham Architecture won an award at the World Architecture Festival for their work on Daikanyama T-Site, which is spread across three interlinked buildings adorned with lattices of interlocking Ts. That 'T' stands for rental chain Tsutaya, whose seemingly bottomless pockets helped fund the kind of book emporium that most capital cities can only dream of...

This massive eight-floor music treasure trove will surely have any music geek drooling over their stock of secondhand CDs and vinyl. The store received a makeover last year categorising each floor with a different music genre where you'll find the likes of punk and hardcore on the top seventh floor down to Japanese rock and indie music on the basement level...

One of the top record stores in Shimokitazawa, an area littered with shops dealing in both vinyl and CDs, the spacious Flash Disc Ranch is found on the second floor of a run-down building on the south side of the station. The vintage sound system is usually turned up almost all the way, accompanying your search for everything from rock and jazz to house and new wave...

Based in Shimokitazawa and Kyoto (and online), Jet Set covers all genres with albums selected by their expert buyers. Best if you’re looking for soft rock, soul, house, disco and techno. And if you’re into Japanese pop, you’ll be amazed by Jet Set’s limited-edition 7/12 inch records...

Japanese photography expert John Sypal calls this Jinbocho bookstore ‘four floors of incredibleness’. Komiyama stocks photobooks by all the giants of Japanese photography as well as plenty of Western photography. Primarily but not exclusively a photo shop, Komiyama also carries books on fashion, design, Japanese history and art. Things get progressively rarer and more expensive as you ascend up to the top floor...

This atmospheric Shibuya record store focuses on genres such as house, disco and Balearic house, and also boasts a pair of handsome vintage Klipschhorn floor speakers. Prices are very reasonable, and the shop gets a shipment of new stock every week, so check back regularly...

Founded in a Shinjuku apartment building back in 1994, this well-supported record shop was based in Hatagaya for well over a decade before moving to its current Koenji location in 2015. Underground records are the main draw, but you'll also find plenty of quirky T-shirts and self-published music mags here...

The concept of this bookstore, which opened in 2015, is ‘a single room with a single book’. Focusing on just one book each week, the store creatively exhibits each work in a beautiful space within a wonderfully retro building...

You'll find this brick-and-mortar branch of the online secondhand bookshop Nostos on Shoinjinja Dori in Setagaya. The shop opened in a renovated grocer's shop in August 2013, its all-glass exterior easily catching the attention of stylish locals. Carrying about 3,000 publications from the '60s through to the '80s, its main focus is on design, art, photography and essays...

Shelf specialises in photography books, from newly published to out-of-print editions. Found near the Watari-Um Museum of Contemporary Art, this is a treasure box for those who work in the field or who simply can’t get enough of arty imagery...

Tower Records was given an extensive overhaul in late 2012 that increased its whopping 5,000 square metres of floor space. There’s now a bookstore and a decent café on the second floor, the music sections now give prominent placement to back catalogue stock as well as new arrivals...

Tokyo is well known for its vibrant record store scene, but finding a shop specialising in good old cassette tapes might surprise even the most hardcore of collectors. Waltz stocks a whopping 3,000 tapes amassed one-by-one by the owner, plus an extensive selection of vinyl, VHS tapes, vintage mags and boomboxes...

Originally established in 1950, this is one of those venues that’s become a symbol of Akihabara’s tech and fictional character culture. It closed down for renovation in 2011 but was relaunched in 2014, with a bigger and better selection of stores selling all sorts of ‘electric town’ goods such as figurines, idol merchandise, trading cards and pretty much any electronic equipment you need...

A stone's throw from the futuristic marvel that is the Tokyo Skytree, Atelier Sougeikan offers calligraphy lessons where you’ll get a chance to decorate an item of your choosing, such as a fan or a lantern, and take your creation home with you. They also sell reasonably priced souvenirs – we love the lacquer-drawn Skytree poster...

A yarn specialist on Kichijoji's Nakamichi-dori, Avril occupies a cutesy red-walled building on the north side of the station. Step inside and be greeted by the sound of winding machines – the staff are always hard at work here, organising the countless varieties of yarn that adorn the walls. In addition to regular varieties, you'll find natural fibers, ribbons, stainless steel string and even raw wool...

Specialising in Edo Kiriko glassware, Kameido-based Hanashyo also operates this Nihonbashi store and showroom. One of today’s premier names in this traditional art, the origins of which reach back into the 1820s, Hanashyo’s gorgeous, stylish wares make for impressive souvenirs....

Founded in 1962, Shinjuku's Kagaya is one of the city's longest-running smoke shops and deals in everything from standard cigarettes to cigars, pipes and lighters. Brands from around the world are represented, with the cigar lineup being particularly impressive: you'll find fine Cubans alongside product from places like Dominica, Honduras and Nicaragua...

You might find yourself falling in love with the art of writing again after a visit to this specialist stationery shop. Kakimori’s range of pens, inks and letter sets are chosen on the basis of how comfortable they are to use, and customers are welcome to try out the fountain pens in store. Best of all are the made-to-order notebooks...

Unique cacti and succulents in an almost overwhelming variety fill the main greenhouse and spill out onto the roof at this Komagome specialist, where you'll find plants from as far afield as Peru and South Africa. It's always a fun place to visit, whether you’re a cactus enthusiast or a newcomer to the world of succulents...

Founded in 1908, Kama-Asa in Asakusa’s Kappabashi (also known as Kitchen Town) deals in everything from kitchen knives (up to 80 different kinds) and exquisite Nanbu Tekki ironware to items like stylish crane-shaped graters and some of the best frying pans. Buy a knife and they’ll engrave it for you...

Turning out exquisite handmade furniture since 1940, Karimoku 60 is an institution. The company’s creations are all made from domestic wood and designed to suit Japan’s smaller homes. Their iconic K Chair’s design has stayed the same since 1963 and remains the company’s flagship product...

Kiddy Land is a Tokyo institution. The main Harajuku shop is a noisy, heaving maze of mascots, dolls, cuddly toys, furry toys, action figures, Disney, Kitty, Doraemon, Godzilla and more. Warning: this much cuteness can damage your mental health...

Japanese paper specialist Kyukyodo opened its first shop in Kyoto in 1663 and supplied incense to the Imperial Palace during the Edo period. Still run by the Kumagai family that founded it, the shop moved to Tokyo in 1880. This branch in Ginza, with its distinctive arched brick entrance, still sells incense, alongside a selection of seasonal gift cards and lots of small, moderately priced items...

The creativity involved in Japan's porn industry is on full display at this seven-floor sex goods shop next to Akihabara Station, and the best way to peruse their wares is slowly, from the top down. The top three floors are given over to DVDs. Hop out of the lift at the seventh, walk past the posters of porn stars, and you're immediately confronted with hundreds of transgender skin flicks and shelves packed with 'mature' content...

You don’t have to go all the way to Akihabara to get your otaku fix: this subterranean shop in central Shibuya is overflowing with manga, anime, collectible toys and more. Stay tuned for store events and auctions where collectors can get their hands on rare finds...

Look for the giant turtle painted on a flashy yellow building and you'll be on the doorstep of this 50-year-old store that sells everything from knickerbockers and jika-tabi (work shoes) to hot-pink helmets and Hello Kitty items...

Find out what’s behind the mask at Shuhei Okawara's funky store in old Tokyo: Omote is found along a quiet, nostalgia-oozing shopping street in Sumida's Kyojima and has become a favourite among the city's actors, mask-makers and headwear enthusiasts. The selection ranges from the usual to the fetishistic, including Venetian-style masks...

Three generations of bamboo craftsmen have practised their art at this Yanaka shop, which was first established back in 1908. The elegant products on display range from flower baskets to chopsticks, bookmarks and lunchboxes, but the exquisite insect cages are the real standout. If you can't afford one of those, opt for the 'renkon coasters' (¥500), fashioned to resemble a slice of lotus root...

Fittingly located on the north side of Asakusa’s Kappabashi (aka Kitchen Town), this specialist shop carries a dizzying variety of chopsticks in different lengths, colours and shapes – ask the staff to pair you up with ones that fit perfectly in your hands. An engraving service is also available...

Established in Nara back in 1716, Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten is one of those venerable crafts purveyors that have survived through the centuries by relying on quality, tradition and gradual adaptation to changing times. This Marunouchi store, their Tokyo flagship, stocks an extensive range of collaborative items, including the Hasami line made with Nagasaki porcelain...

Walk down the cathedral-like shotengai in Nakano and you’ll reach the covered Broadway section. A popular haunt for Tokyo's otaku community, this five-floor complex contains numerous outlets of Mandarake, specialising in new and second-hand manga; branches of Fujiya Avic, the second-hand CD/DVD/anime store offering rarities and bootlegs...

Unlike conventional flower shops, this one primarily stocks wild grass. The seasonal plants and blooms they carry may be simple, but they're sourced from all over Japan and hold a certain charm. You'll also find flower pots and bonsai trees, while there's a tea room – decorated with more wild grass, of course – on the second floor...

Run by the Terrada warehouse company – which actually does far more than just stock Tokyoites' leftover belongings – this art supplies 'laboratory' was designed by internationally renowned architect Kengo Kuma and inspired by the look and feel of bamboo. It stocks more than 4,200 colour pigments, as well as a number of top-quality traditional East Asian tools...

Take the main street from the north exit of Nishi-Ogikubo Station and walk all the way to the Zenpukuji River to find Rozan, a seemingly unassuming pottery shop. Owner Fumihiko Oshima has built a large and devoted following on the back of his refined aesthetic: every month, he chooses a different contemporary artist to exhibit at Rozan...

The showroom of Takeo, Japan's foremost expert in paper trading. Find all kinds of paper for printing, artworks, envelopes and much more – a whopping 2,700 different kinds are available. The second floor is dedicated to exhibits highlighting paper samples from both Japan and elsewhere...

Add to your collection at this well-stocked hobby shop in Shinbashi, which carries every Tamiya product you could possibly imagine. The range totals around 6,000 different items, including toy cars, model planes and accessories. There's even an event space above the shop where various events take place...

Found on the National Museum's ground floor, this store carries a whopping 4,500 items at all times – from paraphernalia related to ongoing exhibitions to original products themed on works from the museum's permanent collection. You'll find bags, stationery, accessories, replicas of famed artworks...all superb souvenir options...

It could be said that Tokyobike is the design embodiment of the Yanaka mindset. The company have been knocking out simple, attractive bicycles, just a hop and a skip from Nezu Station, ever since they opened in 2002. The concept is simple: comfort above speed (Yanaka in a nutshell), ideally put together for the local life...

From its name, you’d expect this five-floor store to sell, well, tomatoes. Instead, it sells fabric at wholesale prices. Around the neighbourhood, there are several branches of this shop which also stock beads, accessories and other crafty items. Located in Nippori Fabric Town, it's the one stop shop for all your textile needs...

Look out for the gleaming blue building in the residential backstreets of Aoyama: Kichijoji-based Billboard's more centrally located outpost deals in greeting cards and postcards from all over the world – hence the shop name. Choose from over 700 kinds to make sure you get the right one for the occasion and the recipient. They also sell a range of unusual envelopes...

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