Where to Shop in Japan: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto Edition

If you’re going to Japan, especially its cities of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, it’s best that you set aside a day or two that’s just you and your group going shopping! A trip to the Land of the Rising Sun isn’t complete if you don’t go on a shopping spree at all. There’s no better way (aside from snapping photos) to commemorate and remember your trip than shopping! Think of all the cool stuff you can buy that you probably won’t find anywhere else, especially back home.

There are numerous shopping centers in the many different areas of Japan’s major cities, so, we’ve prepared a short list indicating some of the best areas to go shopping, specifically in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, so that you have an idea of where to go and what you can buy!

If you love fashion and are looking into immersing yourself in the world of Japanese clothing, then you shouldn’t pass up on visiting the most popular fashion district in Tokyo: Harajuku! This crowded place is a gathering hub for sartorialists because this is where you’ll see different youth groups sporting trendy clothing (from goths to rockabillies), plus, numerous stores, some of which are thrift shops and some being designer boutiques.

It’s also the home of the famous Laforet Mall, which houses over 140 shops, many of which are clothing stores. From men's and women’s fashion to eccentric outfits, you’ll be surprised with the diversity of clothing styles you’ll find inside.

Shibuya is one of the most iconic places in Tokyo, especially because of its famous Shibuya Crossing where thousands of people coming from all directions spill into the middle of this intersection. If you’re shopping in Tokyo, then this is one of the places that you must visit. If it’s not on your itinerary yet, add it!

Like Harajuku, Shibuya is also a center for fashion. If you’re looking for some cool, eccentric, or edgy clothing, then you’re in luck because there’s no shortage of clothing inside Shibuya 109. If you’re coming from the side of the crossing near the Hachiko Statue, it’s very likely you’ll see this building immediately. It’s a 10-floor fashion paradise where you’ll find various kinds of styles, from sporty but sexy outfits, to gothic but cute.

Shibuya is also home to one of the largest music stores in the world, which is also one of the remaining Tower Records branches around the globe. It has eight floors filled to the brim with CDs and vinyl, plus, they’re arranged by genre! Whether you’re looking for J-pop or classical music, or hip-hop to the heaviest metal, you have a really good chance of finding what you’re looking for and more.

This one is for the weebs and the geeks! If Harajuku is the mecca of fashion in Tokyo, then Akihabara is the mecca for electronics and Otaku culture! If you’re looking for electronic appliances, gadgets, toys, and even video games, then there’s no better place to be in Tokyo than the city’s iconic Electric Town.

One department store that you should definitely visit is Yodobashi Camera. This store sells cameras and other photography equipment, hence its name, but it’s more than just a mall that sells cameras. Inside, you’ll find PC parts, fully-built computers, laptops, AV equipment, TVs, phones, appliances, and more. If you’re looking for high-end gadgets, then look no further!

Radio Kaikan is another iconic building. If you’ve watched the anime called Steins;Gate, you will recognize this. Inside this building are numerous shops that sell toys, collectible trading cards, manga, anime figurines, albums by Japanese idol singers and groups, and more! It’s one of the best places to indulge your love for all things anime and Japanese pop culture!

If you’re visiting Tokyo and are thinking of going on a shopping spree, then arguably one of the best places to do so is Odaiba, one of the most popular shopping centers in Tokyo. It was built on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. Even getting there is an experience in itself because you either have to cross the Rainbow Bridge (yes, that’s what it’s called) or ride the driver-less and conductor-less high-tech Yurikamome train!

Once you arrive there, there are numerous shopping complexes that you can visit. One of the most popular is Aqua City, which houses 140 facilities, ranging from shops and restaurants to entertainment! If you’re looking to buy apparel, accessories, cosmetics, and even toys, there’s no shortage of any of them in Aqua City! If you want to watch a movie, you can do so because there’s a cinema area.

Another notable shopping complex is DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. It’s hard to miss, given there’s a massive Gundam statue right in front of it. If you love all things Gundam, then you’re in luck because there’s a store there called Gundam Base Tokyo, which sells Gundam model products that you won’t find anywhere else. If you’re more of a Hello Kitty fan, there’s a store that’s all about the iconic Sanrio character on the second floor that sells stationary, plush dolls, and more.

You can’t say you’ve shopped in Osaka without visiting one of its most popular shopping areas: the Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Arcade. This is one of the busiest shopping arcades and is always crowded because there’s always an influx of tourists and many locals shop here as well. The street is also 600 meters long and is lined up with probably anything and everything you’re looking for!

If you’re looking for discount shops, then the world-renowned 100-yen store Daiso is here as well as a 300-yen store called 3COINS. If you’re looking to buy cheap items from household goods to socks, you can’t go wrong with visiting these stores.

There’s also an Onitsuka Tiger shop here. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s one of the most famous athletic shoe store chains in Japan! If you want to own a pair of shoes made by a Japanese brand, then you have a great opportunity to buy one here.

Taking your time exploring this street will reward you with great finds. Who knows? You might score good deals for the likes of second-hand kimonos at WEGO Shinsaibashi-ten, shoes, cultural items for souvenirs, and more!

Namba Nannan is an underground mall. In fact, it is THE underground mall of Osaka because it was the first one to ever exist in the city! It’s also more than just an underground mall. Over the years, it got turned into a station mall because it’s directly linked to Namba Station, turning it into a rest stop for those making their way to and from work via the station.

The mall is divided into three zones!

First up is Yosoi, which is the fashion and accessories zone. Much of what you’ll find there are women’s clothing and shoes. You can even find used kimonos being sold by one of the stores called Tansu-ya, plus, get your nails done at Manicure House!

Second is Yorozu, the daily goods, drugs, and cosmetic zone! As the name implies, this is where you can get some medicine and cosmetics, specifically from KoKuMin. You can even get an acupuncture treatment in a clinic!

Last is Shoku, where all the restaurants are found. If you’re hungry and need to take a break from sightseeing, then this is one of the best places to visit. Yaokitei sells charcoal-grilled yakitori chicken skewers, Ramen Yokozuna offers some of the best ramen in town, and Temma Curry has curry rice meals that’ll leave you wanting more!

Den Den Town is Osaka’s version of Akihabara! If you’re looking for some electronics, you’ll find the latest models of pretty much anything over here. If you want to indulge your love for anime, manga, and video games, you can do so here as well.

Like Tokyo’s Electric Town, Den Den Town has its own Sofmap store, so if you want to buy a pre-built PC, a laptop, or PC parts to build your own PC when you get home, you can score some pretty good deals here. It’s tax-free for tourists, too.

There are also hobby stores as well. The likes of Super Kids Land and Volks Hobby Square are treasure troves of Japanese model toys, and the likes of Animate and Mandarake are must-visits for the otaku tourist. Gamers who have a fondness for retro games will also be in heaven here because Den Den Town has a Super Potato store, where you can purchase old consoles and games that never got localized for global audiences.

Tennoji is one of Osaka’s wards and is a must-visit for any traveler visiting Japan because it’s a place where you’ll find important cultural attractions like Tennoji Park, Shitenno-ji Temple, and Isshin-ji Temple. There are also numerous shopping complexes, making the ward one of the perfect places in the city to go sightseeing and shopping!

If you love fashion, then Tennoji MIO is one of the shopping complexes that you must visit. This massive upscale mall has more than 360 branded shops that sell clothing. If you need formal dresses, there’s AIMER. For women’s clothing, you’ll be spoilt for choice because there are quite a number of shops that cater to women like Moussy, Ungrid, Lucida, and a whole lot more. For the men, there are the likes of Only, tk. Takeo Kikuchi, and Tete Homme.

Another complex that you should visit is Kintetsu Department Store. In fact, we highly recommend that you visit this department store if you don’t understand Japanese at all because management has made sure that non-Japanese speakers are well taken care of here with their Services for Foreign Travelers. There are English, Korean, and Chinese-speaking staff; foreign currency exchanges, tax exemption procedures, and more! Now, as for what you can find in the department store, there’s clothing for men and women, cosmetics, jewelry, and even travel goods.

Out of all the shopping areas that we’ve talked about, this one is unique in that it can be found in front of a temple and that it’s only open on the 21st of each month, so you might want to time your visit to Kyoto in order to shop here!

The Toji Temple Flea Market is a great place to buy souvenirs for good rates! You can buy Kyoto pottery, bonsai trees, calligraphy materials, paper art, and more! If you like haggling with vendors, you might want to try your luck here. Knowing how to speak Japanese will help you out with getting vendors to lower their prices for some products. There are also food stalls here, so it’s a perfect place to try the local street food, like grilled yakitori on sticks!

Even if you don’t buy anything here, visiting the flea market is an experience in itself! You can even observe how locals haggle. Who knows, you might learn a thing or two from them. You might also hear the chanting of the temple’s monks blending with the noise of fellow marketgoers, too!

If you’re visiting Kyoto, it’s very likely that you’re doing so to see its many well-preserved shrines and other cultural attractions. It’s Japan’s cultural capital, after all, so many of its shops deal with the traditional in some shape or form.

One of the best shops to visit for traditional and cultural items is the Kyoto Handicraft Center. You can buy the likes of ukiyo-e woodblock prints, folding screens, maiko and kokeshi dolls, lacquerware, and incense to bring home as souvenirs. There are also kimono, yukata, and even ornamental swords for sale!

Despite being a handicraft center, the place also sells local sweets and cakes, like cinnamon cookies, rice crackers, and green tea chocolate! There’s also sake as well as a special kind of Uji tea that has the smell of coffee and the taste of green tea. These make for perfect gifts for loved ones, or you can keep them yourself so you can taste authentic Kyoto sweets and tea back home!

If you’re staying at an accommodation that has a kitchen and utensils you can use, then you might want to visit Kyoto’s pantry: the Nishiki Market! This market is hundreds of years old and is considered to be the best place to shop for ingredients. While their prices are higher than ones in supermarkets, you’re guaranteed the best quality here.

There are over a hundred stalls in this bustling market, and many of them have been run by the same families for generations! From vegetables to tofu, sweets to sake, and even kitchenware, everything you need to cook can be found here.

Like with the Toji Temple Flea Market, it’s totally fine if you don’t buy anything because simply visiting the market is an experience with all the locals, tourists, and vendors walking around and interacting with each other over food. A visit will give you a glimpse of what it must have been like here hundreds of years ago. There are also restaurants that offer traditional meals and street food!

It’s not all traditional in Kyoto, of course. It also has its fair share of shopping complexes, and one of the best ones to visit, especially if you’re with family, is Aeon Mall!

Aeon Mall is divided into two buildings. The first one is the Sakura Building, which has 5 floors. The second one is the Kaede Building, which has 4 floors. They’re both connected by walkways on the second and third floors.

The Sakura Building has a supermarket and pharmacy on the first floor, making it a good place to stock up on supplies for your sightseeing days in and outside the city. If you’re looking for some coffee and wine, make sure to drop by Kaldi Coffee Farm. A wide variety of coffee beans and wine are sold there.

For clothing, you can drop by the second and third floors. There, you’ll find stores like Tommy Hilfiger, Muji, UNIQLO, and even smaller boutiques. Whether you’re looking for men’s, women’s, or kids’ fashion, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

On the third and fourth floors, you’ll find a lot of hobby stores. If you happen to be looking for musical instruments, you can visit TENRI-Gakki. Arc Oasis sells art supplies and stationary, Hobby Station sells collectible trading cards, Sofmap sells computers and video games, and Popondetta sells model trains.

The fifth floor has a cinema that shows both local and international movies.

At the Kaede Building, the first floor has a Toys R Us and Babies R Us. It’s the best place to be if you need to purchase toys for your little tikes.

On the second floor, you’ll find the Ogaki Shoten Bookstore, which has a section that sells books in English! There are also pet stores on the same floor, so if you’re looking to buy your pet something from Japan, don’t pass up on checking out PeTeMo and Pet Plus!

The third floor has a Super Sports Xebio, which sells sports apparel, equipment, and outdoor goods. Let’s say you’re gonna hike up a nearby mountain attraction, perhaps Mount Hiei or Mount Kurama, then you can get some hiking gear here!

The fourth floor has Interior Hearts by Manabe, which sells furniture and interior decoration goods. If you’re looking for cheap souvenirs or other goods to buy, there’s a DAISO here as well.

These are just some of the best shopping areas in all three cities! We hope this short Japan shopping guide of sorts narrows your choices so you can better plan your shopping days when you visit Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto!