The best shops in Harajuku and Omotesando

Basement boutique Dog has wooed some unusual customers with its blend of outlandish vintage and reworked clothing – not least Lady Gaga, who’s been known to visit incognito on her trips to Tokyo. Indeed, those with a taste for the theatrical will appreciate its remakes, which include replicas of costumes from Gaga’s own shows...

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...

Kiddy Land is a Tokyo institution. This main 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...

For those still grieving the loss of Omotesando Koffee, which closed down back in late 2015, this place is sure to bring respite: opened by the same man, Eiichi Kunitomo, and located in the exact same place (albeit in a new building), Koffee Mameya is a bean specialist with enough shebang to turn you into a proper barista at home...

This classy vintage store first opened more than 20 years ago and has thus far been able to survive the continuous storm of new trends emanating from Harajuku. Mainly housing casual basics such as military pieces, jersey and denim, the store also offers a wide range of sneakers...

Pop star and style icon Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is a fan of this vintage clothing shop, though she's hardly the first Harajuku girl to have fallen in love with the quizzically titled G2? [sic.]. The selection of second-hand clothes on sale at this fashion boutique – mainly running from the '50s to '80s...

Koenji and Shimokitazawa aren't the only places to go to get your quota of secondhand clothing: Kinji in Harajuku is well worth visiting for some bargain hunting, offering T-shirts from ¥735 and shirts from ¥945. There are plenty of quality items to be found if you dig around a bit...

New York’s Museum of Modern Art has made its way to Japan with the opening of its first shop outside the US. Located on the third floor of Omotesando's plush Gyre building, the shop stocks over 1,800 goods, many of them exclusive to MoMA (including some featuring art works from the museum's permanent collection)...

The Omotesando branch is the second store for Pass the Baton, a modern recycle shop that opened their first post within Marunouchi Brick Square. Inside, you’ll find a range of second-hand items, including antiques, furniture, clothing and art – many of which have been previously owned by celebrities...

Ragtag has been pretty busy since its first branch popped up on Takeshita-dori in 1985: the chain now has 15 branches across Japan, all specialising in second-hand designer clothing for men and women. Its new Harajuku branch, which opened in August 2012, occupies a plum spot in narrow Cat Street and spans three floors...

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...

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. It opened in July 2012 and is run by a pair of brothers from Osaka – Tatsuya Okamoto and Rio Okamoto – who can also customise, repair and restore antique frames, or even create bespoke spectacles...

Created by mastermind Yasuko Furuta, this ever-popular brand has been turning heads both at home and abroad. Toga presents sophisticated yet avant-garde garments and accessories for men and women and has even shown throughout Paris and London fashion weeks...

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...