Tokyo Ginza
For the aesthetically inclined and design conscious there is probably no better place on earth than Tokyo. Things are similar enough and foreign enough in Tokyo to make it all the more exciting, even though in the last couple of years the intractable march of globalization of culture has left an indelible stamp on the city. It’s been seven years since this guide was originally published and the city undoubtedly feels more touristy. But it has lost almost none of its excitement or charm. Almost, because some areas, such as Harajuku, aren’t really not worth your time anymore.
I’ve been to Tokyo seven times and by now and there is still much to discover feel. Tokyo is different from Western cultural capitals – here it’s not about grand architecture and museums but about the fabric of the city. Therefore, I decided that the best approach is to break the guide down by neighborhood rather than make a list of places, because there are too many of them. Tokyo is vast – don’t even think about spending less than a week here. I’ll list the neighborhoods more or less in order of preference and/or proximity to each other. Aside from these recommendations, the best advice I can give you is to get lost in the wonderful maze of Tokyo’s streets – because the best spots are often in the back alleys off the main thoroughfares. You’ll need your GPS. I will leave it to you to google the addresses on your own.
Omotesando/Aoyama
This is the place to shop. Most of the flagships of Japanese brands are concentrated in these adjacent neighborhoods. Within several blocks of each other you will see shops of Comme des Garcons, Yohji Yamamoto, Undercover, Sacai, Kolor, and TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. But I’d start with the Nezu museum – its wonderful traditional Japanese garden is serenity itself, and will charge you for the onslaught of shopping. Next door to Nezu is the Rick Owens flagship, so you might as well start your shopping there. Then cross the street, go up the stairs to see the Grocery Store, which is actually The Soloist flagship. Adjacent to it are several small shops from Arts & Science, Sonya Park’s mini-empire, which are worth a visit.
Turn the corner and you’ll encounter the Yohji Yamamoto shop and then Comme des Garçons (and Issey Miyake across the street). Then loop around the Prada building and sneak into the Undercover flagship. If you are into Sacai or Kolor, those are also nearby. Most likely you will be ready for a coffee by then, and you could do worse than get one at Blue Bottle Aoyama. Make your way back to the main thoroughfare and take a peek at Omotesando Hills. Yes, it’s a mall, but it’s a mall built by Tadao Ando. You don’t need to spend a lot of time at Omotesando Hills, unless you want to get lunch there, although I really recommend the best branch of Maisen, Tokyo’s tonkatsu temple (go off hours if you don’t want to stand in a long line). Walk further and cross the main thoroughfare back by an overpass and make your way to the Gyre building, which has the Comme des Garcons Trading Museum the CDG Good Design Shop, and the Visvim flagship. If you are ready for a casual snack, you could grab some takoyaki – octopus balls – from a stand on Cat Street across from the Opening Ceremony building. If you have strength left you can check out the flagship of Graphpaper, the much hyped Japanese menswear brand, which also carries Lemaire and Aeta bags.
If you get sick of looking at stores, you can make your way up to the Yoyogi park. Despite being mobbed by tourists, it’s still a peaceful place. Check out the Meiji shrine, and than walk up and left to reach a pond, which is pretty and few tourists make it up there.
Daikanyama / Nakameguro
These two lovely neighborhoods are next to each other and a complete antidote to the two above. They are busy but not crowded and have a decidedly more village-like feel. Daikanyama is a posh area whose NYC equivalent is probably TriBeCa or West Village. You can start at T-Site, a sprawling branch of the bookstore chain Tsutaya. It carries a large selection of art and design books and seemingly every magazine under the sun. If your brain is about to explode because you are unable to choose which of the fifty Daido Moriyama books to buy, you can walk across the street and have a coffee on the back terrace of Saturday’s Surf. However, if you need to decide between coffee or tea, what you really want is the downstairs tea salon at the Daikanyama branch of the Conran Shop. And the store itself is brilliant – a completely different concept from other branches, it is devoted solely to Japanese and Asian craft. It carries clothes and blankets from Mittan, Aeta bags, and su Ha wooden jewelry, among many other treasures.
If you have time and want to make the effort, you can hunt down the well-hidden Daikanyama branch of Arts & Science. Otherwise, continue down the main drag until you come to The Address, which houses Lift Daikanyama. The store is beautiful and really gives justice to a large collection of Carol Christian Poell the shop carries, along with m.a.+, Label Under Construction and other artisanal brands.
From Daikanyama you’ll want to walk downhill to Nakameguro. If you are hungry by then and the weather is nice, make sure to stumble upon Carlino’s pizza truck – the pizza is outstanding (say hi to Hisa for me). Nakameguro’s main draw are the several peaceful, cherry tree-lined blocks by the Meguro river, which largely house independent shops, restaurants, and art galleries, as well as the little alleys behind them. You’ll probably want to also walk into the Nakameguro branch of Aesop, one of its best. The newly opened Visvim flagship, spread over two adjacent buildings is absolutely beautiful, and it has a cafe with one table. If vintage repro is your style you may also want to hit up the Nigel Cabourn flagship. If you are looking for a nice hat, check out Nine Tailor. Another shop worth browsing is 1LDK, which also has a cafe that’s a good option for lunch. Otherwise, I recommend Afuri for ramen. But if you want to stick to cafes, Epulor is a wonderful, vinyl-spinning all day spot that is equally good for a coffee in the afternoon or for a glass of wine in the evening.
For dinner I wholeheartedly recommend one of my most favorite izakayas, Tatemichiya. The chef-owner is an old punk, and the interior is lined in punk and Japanese gangster movie posters. You will be hearing punk all evening. Kick back with a beer and skate wings that you’ll have to grill yourself and which make a perfect beer snack, and get the divine steak.
LEMAIRE EBISU
Ebisu
Adjacent to Daikanayma, Ebisu is primarily a residential neighborhood, but it has some great retail spots that make it worth a visit. Getting out of the Ebisu train station and walking up a hill will bring you to the trio of Kapital stores. From there, you can walk to the Yebisu Garden Place, which is a weird structure that resembles an Atlanta mall. But, it does have a Yebisu Beer cafe, and I recommend tasting a local brew. You can check out what’s on view at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum next to it, or you can continue walking past until you hit the newly opened Lemaire flagship. The beautiful space occupies a private house that was built in the ’60s and Lemaire left the apartment atmosphere intact. Walk for another few minutes and around the corner there is The Viridi-Anne flagship with the most complete lineup of the brand’s offerings. There is also a Hender Scheme store nearby, and last not but least there is Biotop, which is one of those multibrand neighborhood stores that are too out of the way for tourists and therefore cater to the local affluent, and in my opinion such shops are always fascinating. Biotop carries The Row, Auralee, and HYKE, amongst others. Weirdly enough, I don’t have any must recommendations for food in Ebisu, unless you want to eat Afuri ramen again, but you should finish your night at Bar Martha, my favorite vinyl bar in Tokyo.
Roppongi
Roppongi gets a bad rep because a part of it is full of lame bars and banker expats, but there is a lovely part to it, whose epicenter is the Tokyo Midtown Tower. In the said tower the main draw are the interior design shops. If you are into Japanese ceramics, knives, and so on, this is the place, with stores like Time & Style, Hinobashi Kiya, Tenerita, and a small outpost of Itoya, the stationary emporium. And don’t miss the Nakagawa Masashichi Shotengai kiosk on the ground floor – it’s a great shop for small gifts. You will need to recharge your batteries before visiting the 21_21 Design Sight, an art gallery designed by Tadao Ando for Issey Miyake, so grab some dessert from Sadaharu Aoki, the Paris-trained Japanese patisserie maker, or a bento box from a slew of small stall and go out to the park in the back of Midtown Tower. You may also be tempted to walk into Barneys, but I don’t recommend it. If you are in luck, the National Arts Center will have a good exhibit on. And if not, then make your way to the Mori Art Museum. It occupies a top floor of another complex whose plaza features a giant Louise Bourgeois spider, and which also includes a mall that has two Kapital outposts in it.
Shibuya
It’s not that I hesitate to recommend Shibuya – it’s such a Tokyo icon – but just know what you are getting into. It’s a teenager and tourist mob, but you gotta do it once, preferably on a Tuesday. Go in the early evening, after the sun sets to experience the full effect of Shibuya’s lights. Start at the Shibuya crossing, as you must, and slowly (you’ll have no choice) make your way up. Breathe deeply and go with the flow and you’ll be fine. If you are into vinyl or CDs, your can pop into a branch of Disk Union and its five floors of goodies. If not, stop by Loft to load up on Japanese stationary and other knick-knacks you never new you needed. It’s also a one-stop shop for all the little gifts you may want to bring from Tokyo. Walk far up enough and you’ll hit branches of Neighborhood and (W)Taps. Keep walking and you’ll hit the huge flagship of Descente, one of my favorite Japanese outdoor brands. And from there, if you still have energy left, you can walk up Cat Street, which is full of high street stores, and eventually end up in Omotesando.
JIL SANDER GINZA
Ginza / Marunouchi
Ginza is the Tokyo equivalent of Fifth Avenue. It’s old glitz and glamour, and you should do it only if you have time. You will most likely start at Dover Street Market. No need to explain that one. Around the corner from DSM is the newis luxury mall called Ginza Six. Perhaps it’s worth checking out for some interior design shops and its restaurants. There is also a branch of Undercover, etc. On its top floor there is a bar called Mixology Salon, which makes phenomenal tea-based cocktails. From Ginza Six walk a couple of blocks to the flagship of Itoya for seven stories of all things stationary. Further up you will find a well-hidden branch of Highashiya, a shop that is part of the Ogata empire. This is the place to hit up for sweets and tea for yourself and for your loved ones back home. From there you can either pop around the corner to see the new Jil Sander shop with a stunning interior by Casper, Mueller, Kneer, one of my favorite architects, or continue on to the Hermés building by Renzo Piano. You don’t need to walk in, but cross the street and admire the stunning glass brick facade.
If you can still walk, I am one of the few weird people who actually likes Marunouchi, an office neighborhood of glass towers. Walk up to the Tokyo Station, one of the few old European style buildings that have been immaculately preserved. If you are hungry, there is a myriad of food options inside. There is a ton of shopping in the glass towers adjacent to the Tokyo Station. My favorite is Shin Marunouchi, which has a branch of Beams, the Conran Shop, and a few other interesting things.
Shinjuku
If you want to do all of your shopping in one place, you could do worse than Isetan, which has pretty much everything under the sun. You’ll want to strategize and only hit the floor that has Japanese designers, as well as the household floor, or you will exhaust yourself. Use the time and energy you saved and head straight for the basement food court, which is the eighth wonder of the world, right behind the pyramids of Giza. If the weather is nice, grab a bento box and head for the Shinjuku Gyoen, a lovely public garden, for a picnic (the $5 entry fee is well worth it). After you’ve fortified yourself you can go back where you started and hit up the Shinjuku branches of Disk Union and Beams, across from each other. You’ll probably be exhausted by then, so I’m keeping the Shinjuku part short.
Jimbocho
If you are a book hound, this neighborhood is your heaven. Start at Komiyama, the multi floor emporium that has every fashion, art, and photo book you’ve ever wanted and couldn’t find elsewhere. From there, loop around the corner, spot a beautiful concrete paneled building that houses Nanyodo, solely devoted to architecture books. The two-floor atrium space itself is a modernist architecture dream. Then make your way to Super Labo, a gallery / bookshop of one of the best photo book publishers in the world, whose selection of photographers as is high quality and tight as their paper, ink, and binding. If you have energy left, wonder around and you’ll find more book shops, as well as another branch of Disk Union.
Practical Info
You will need Internet access at all times. If you cannot use the GPS on your phone, you will get lost – guaranteed.
Use the subway. Unlike Tokyo’s notoriously hard to navigate streets, the subway system is easy to master, has all signs in English, and is incredibly efficient. Buy a Suica or a Pasmo card, or get them on your smartphone wallet, and load money on it. Not only it’s accepted by all Tokyo metro lines (which are run by different companies, which make buying one-time tickets even more annoying), but it serves as a de facto debit card that you can use at convenience stores, luggage lockers and more.
Forget about finding the best ramen shop or a tonkatsu spot or a coffee shop. There are simply too many good ones, and you don’t need to make the extra effort. If you need a telling sign that a place is good, it will probably be full and there will be a line to get in. Waiting in line for food is a thing in Japan, so get with the program.
Learn how to say “thank you” in Japanese, and maybe a few other phrases. It will get you far. Contrary to popular belief not many Japanese speak English, though you will be more or less Ok in central Tokyo. If you need something, point. In many restaurants menus come with pictures. In general, be polite and for god’s sake don’t be loud and respect personal space. Don’t talk on the phone on the subway and you are not allowed to smoke on the street.
