Tokyo Destination Guide

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Shopping
Guide to Shopping in Tokyo

Tokyo is a shopper's city and everywhere you go you'll find malls crammed with stores. Generally you get a bit of repetition of the merchandise available, but you should still explore, as the super modern malls are as fascinating as the stores they are home to.

You should note that although shopping is generally available around the clock, public holidays and religious observances may affect the opening times of some stores.

Where to Shop

Best Areas
Shibuya, Ginza and Shinjuku are the major shopping areas. The best bargains aren't generally found here, but being honest there are few genuine bargains to be had for the tourist shopper in Tokyo. Ginza is the most upmarket area with a selection of designer stores, while Shibuya and Shinjuku cater for shoppers with less expensive taste.

If you need a specific item a department store is the best place to start. Head for Shinjuku Station, which is surrounded by massive multi-level stores. Major chains Keio and Isetan have entrances directly on the station and both offer excellent international services including tax-free shopping and European languages. Mitsukoshi is the Harrod's of Tokyo, designed along European lines to offer the very best in service and refinement. Branches are found in all central locations around the city, with large outlets in Ginza and Shinjuku.

Other leading Japanese stores to look out for in the city include Seibu, Marui, Sogo, Hankyu and Takashimaya, all of which boast several floors of goods including clothes and accessories, furniture and home furnishings, crockery and kitchen items, cosmetics, perfume and gifts. Muji is a relatively new store that should be familiar to Europeans. Designed as an alternative to the overcomplicated fashions of the 90s the Japanese chain has become a fixture on many international city highstreets. Everything is for sale from pens and paperclips to sofas, beds and bikes, and everything is designed to Muji's distinctive plain and simple style. Interspersed among these you'll find Western imports including The Body Shop, Gap and Virgin Megastore.

Harajuku is good for cheap clothes and anything embroidered with a skull and crossbones or studs. As you might have guessed it is a popular place for Japanese youth to get their punky clothes, and some of the outfits border on the outrageous. Further up the hill, Omotesando has several small shops that are more conventional, offering a range of clothing and souvenirs. The Oriental Bazaar here has three floors of goods to tempt the tourist. Reasonably priced, it is the best place to go if you need presents for a long list of people.

Japan has long been famous for its technology. In Tokyo, Akihabara is the electronics area and the place to be if you're after a video, hi-fi, computer or combination of all three.

Markets
Tokyo doesn't really go in for markets but there are one or two worth a visit. Flea markets take place at the Togo Shrine in Harajuku on the first and fourth Sundays of each month (Harajuku Subway) and at the Nogi Shrine on the second Sunday of each month (Nogizaka Station).

Huge antiques fairs are held several times a year at the Heiwajima Centre out near Haneda Airport. (For details of dates and location, see the Japan Times listings). These are well worth a visit - occasionally cheap kimonos or tansu wooden chests can be found and there is generally an interesting array of traditional and modern items on show. The approach to the Asakusa Kannon Shrine is lined with little souvenir shops and stalls where you may find a treasure or two.

What to Buy

This is a tough one to call. Everything is for sale here that you could expect to find in London, Paris or New York and specialities are few and far between. Fashion naturally is big on the highstreet but Japanese style can often be a little over the top for Western tastes, particularly the space-age teenage clothing.

Prices really aren't cheap in Tokyo and there aren't many bargains to be found. An exception may be the electronic goods in Akihabara. Look around the stores here for quirky Japanese personal electronics, particularly games. In terms of value for money Tokyo isn't really the best place in Japan to buy traditional Japanese crafts such as lacquerware, pottery and ceramics, wood block prints and decorative knick-knacks such as chopsticks and wooden Daruma good-luck dolls. However, if you aren't travelling any further into the country these are well worth purchasing and are souvenirs idiomatic of Japanese culture.

The traditional Japanese kimono would make a fabulous souvenir but genuine silk is very expensive. Yukata (light summer kimonos made from cotton) are a better option and make excellent dressing gowns. Sake tastes good anywhere in the world and is an easily portable example of Japanese cuisine. Decorative bottles are often available for tourist souvenirs.

Amusing technological gadgets of the Tamagochi ilk are a good buy. The Japanese always have something new to play with, usually impenetrably off-beam to Western eyes but no less fun for all that. Japan is also home to many of the world's best computer and videogame manufacturers but make sure you check out the facts about regional compatibility before you shell out on any hard or software. Akihabara in the city is the best place to find shops selling all this kind of stuff.

Opening Hours

Tokyo is one of the world's top shopping city destinations and the opening hours are designed to facilitate as much commerce as possible around the working life of the city.

Large stores tend to open slightly later than in the West (around 10h00) but will not close until the late evening at around 20h00 or later. Smaller stores open 09h30/10h00-20h00 but some convenience and general stores will remain open for 24-hours a day. Note that most stores will have one day a week when they are closed, but this will vary from store to store meaning that somewhere is always open no matter what day of the week it is.

Tax Refund

Throughout Japan a rather complicated system of taxes and service charges can be added on to your bill to bump up the price of any purchase. Generally a five per cent consumption tax is added on to anything you buy. This can be augmented by a local tax of three per cent on higher-priced accommodation. In restaurants in addition to paying consumption tax you will be expected to pay anything up to 15 per cent on your bill as a service tax. For expensive meals the local tax is also applicable meaning you could be paying anything approaching 25 per cent extra if you decide to eat out at an upper class restaurant.

When purchasing goods, foreign visitors can obtain a rebate on the five per cent consumption tax paid on items to be shipped out of the country (alcohol and tobacco are not eligible). To do this you need to buy from a store that is equipped to offer the rebate. Most large department stores and stores specifically catering to the tourist trade fall into this category. You obtain your refund from a dedicated desk in the store, immediately following purchase. Note that you will require your passport to claim the refund and it is often only offered on items of a certain amount - JPY10000 is the usual minimum.

 

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