You can celebrate the New Year with the traditional hatsumode (first temple visit) and fancy dinners, but don't forget about the grand sales happening across Japan’s major department stores and shopping centres.
To nab a bargain, you’ll need to be willing to queue up from the crack of dawn – this stuff isn't for the faint of heart, especially if you're looking to grab a fukubukuro (lucky bag). So to save you time and help narrow down your options, we've rounded up the starting dates for the major New Year sales in Tokyo.
Note: the opening times listed apply to the first day – check individual store details for opening times on other dates.
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This Odaiba shopping mall is more than just a place to see a giant Gundam. The selection of shops includes fashion retailers like Hollister, Stussy and even Armani Exchange. The complex also houses a bowling alley, concert venue and – no joke – a rooftop vegetable patch. It also boasts the longest New Year sale on the list, running throughout the whole of January.
Sales: December 26 (Sunday) to January 31 (Monday)
Open: 10am
Don’t be deterred by the luxury stores on the ground floor – there’s more to this shopping centre than just designer labels. Aside from a cool mix of shops and restaurants, there are art galleries, a cinema and a theatre. Plus, there's an entire floor dedicated to manga and gaming, featuring the only official Nintendo Store in the world.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) to January 16 (Sunday)
Open: 11am
This sprawling shopping centre spreads all the way inside Shinjuku Station around the New South exit. Newoman features a mind-boggling array of shops, cafés and restaurants as well as a full-scale concert hall/event space, a rooftop garden and even a kindergarten.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) to January 10 (Monday)
Open: 11am
Mitsukoshi is Japan's oldest surviving department store chain, dating back to 1673, and this vast edifice is its flagship store.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) to 11 (Tuesday)
Open: 10am
Touted as the largest commercial complex in all of Ginza, this humongous shopping centre sits on the Chuo-dori lot previously occupied by the Matsuzakaya department store.
Sales: January 2 (Tuesday) to January 21
Open: 10.30am
This massive branch of Parco is the place to go for men's and women's fashion, as well as beauty items.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) to January 16 (Sunday)
Open: 10am
Mitsukoshi's Ginza branch has womenswear and accessories on the first five floors, menswear on the sixth, and household goods on the seventh. The B2F and B3F is the Ginza Food Garden with edible souvenirs and cafés.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) to 11 (Tuesday)
Open: 10am
Arguably the trendiest department store in Japan, Isetan Shinjuku is renowned for having its window displays created by leading artists and offers only the finest in food, clothing and homeware.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) to 11 (Tuesday)
Open: 10am
The Nihonbashi branch has menswear, womenswear, children's clothing, furniture and kimono spread across seven floors. The massive Shinjuku branch – Takashimaya Times Square – contains a host of boutiques and restaurants, plus a branch of hardware shop Tokyu Hands.
Sales: January 2 (Sunday) January 11 (Tuesday)
Open: 10am
This big department store near the east exit of Ikebukuro Station carries fashion, food and homewares. It’s one of the busiest shops in Japan in terms of customers, and has a lot of popular in-store concessions such as Mujirushi Ryohin, Libro, Loft and Illumus.
Sales: January 1 (Sunday) to January 10 (Monday)
Open: 10am
Established in 1976, this shopping mall is connected to Shinjuku Station and targets mainly 20-something women with plenty of disposable income.
Sales: January 1 (Sunday) to January 10 (Monday)
Open: 11am
Located next to the Sukiyabashi crossing in the Yurakucho-Ginza area, this mall is one of the most popular destinations for stylish gents and ladies working in the nearby offices.
Sales: January 1 (Sunday) to January 10 (Monday)
Open: 10.30am (11am from January 2)
Roppongi Hills is an entire mini city – with 200 shops and restaurants, the Grand Hyatt hotel, many private apartment buildings, a multiplex cinema, a TV studio and the colossal Mori Tower, which is topped by the excellent Mori Art Museum and Tokyo City View observation deck.
Sales: January 1 (Monday) to January 16 (Sunday)
Open: 11am
Opened in 2006, this shopping complex started out as the redevelopment of the Dojunkai Aoyama Apartments. Now one of the city's fanciest malls, it probably doesn't offer much for the frugal shopper.
Sales: January 1 (Sunday) to January 16 (Sunday)
Open: 11am
One of teenage Tokyo’s hallowed sites, Laforet is located in the heart of Harajuku, on the corner of Omotesando and Meiji-dori; this multi-level emporium contains numerous small boutiques selling clothes and accessories aimed at young wearers of garish, eccentric fashion.
Sales: January 22 (Saturday) to January 30 (Sunday)
Open: 11am
The Shibuya store is split into two buildings, Annexes A and B, which face each other across the street. Annex A sells mainly womenswear; Annex B menswear, children’s clothes and accessories.
Sales: January 1 (Saturday) to January 10 (Monday)
Open: 10am
The main building houses clothing for all occasions on the lower floors (including kimonos on the ninth), with an enormous selection of restaurants from the 11th to 17th floors. In the basement is Tokyo’s largest food hall. The central building sells clothing in larger sizes, plus a good range of interior goods and office supplies. The plaza building contains the designer collection. The currency-exchange and tax-exemption counters are on the basement first floor of the central building.
Sales: from January 2 (Sunday)
Open: 10am
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