Shopping - Tokyo - page 229

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its Design Festa art events held twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight, featuring more than
8,000 artists from around the world (see “When to Go” in chapter 3). Open daily 11am
to 8pm. Closed during Design Festa art event weekends. 3-20-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku.
& 03/3479-1442. www.designfesta.com. Station: Harajuku (8 min.) or Meiji-Jingumae (4 min.).
From Harajuku Station, take the north exit, walk down Takeshita Dori, cross Meiji Dori and
continue walking straight. It will be on a side street to the left.
Nishimura Gallery This gallery, with an unlikely location on the third floor of an
office building, represents an even mix of established Japanese and foreign (mainly Brit-
ish) painters and sculptors, including David Hockney, Peter Blake, Paul Davis, Richard
Hamilton, Kobayashi Takanobu, Machida Kumi, and Funakoshi Katsura. Open Tuesday
to Saturday 10:30am to 6:30pm. 2-10-8 Nihombashi, Chuo-ku. & 03/5203-2800. www.
nishimura-gallery.com. Station: Nihombashi (4 min.). Just off Showa Dori, on a side street
north of Takashimaya department store.
Sakai Kokodo Gallery This gallery claims to be the oldest woodblock print shop in
Japan. It was first opened back in 1870 in the Kanda area of Tokyo by the present
owner's great-grandfather; altogether four generations of the Sakai family have tended the
store. It's a great place for original prints, as well as reproductions of such great masters
as Hiroshige. (If you're really a woodblock print fan, you'll want to visit the Sakai family's
excellent Japan Ukiyo-e Museum, in the small town of Matsumoto in the Japan Alps.)
Open daily 11am to 6pm. 1-2-14 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku (across from the Imperial Hotel's
Tower). & 03/3591-4678. www.ukiyo-e.co.jp/index-e.html. Station: Hibiya (1 min.).
Shiseido Gallery Founded in 1919 by the Shiseido cosmetics company's first presi-
dent, this is the Ginza's oldest gallery but it occupies very updated quarters in a basement
room with super-high ceilings (5m/16 ft.). It features contemporary art by young, prom-
ising talent, both Japanese and foreign. Open Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm; Sunday
and holidays 11am to 6pm. Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building, B1, 8-8-3 Ginza, Chuo-ku.
& 03/3572-3901. www.shiseido.co.jp/e/gallery/html. Station: Ginza (3 min.). On Chuo Dori,
south of Ginza 4-chome Crossing.
S. Watanabe This 100-year-old shop deals mostly in contemporary woodblock
prints with traditional themes, as well as reproduction and antique ukiyo-e. Open Mon-
day to Saturday 9:30am to 8pm; holidays 9:30am to 5pm. 8-6-19 Ginza, Chuo-ku.
& 03/3571-4684. Station: Shimbashi (2 min.). On Namiki Dori.
Yoseido Gallery Established in 1953, this shop deals in modern woodblock prints,
etchings, silk-screens, copper plates, and lithographs, including lithographs by one of my
favorite Japanese artists, Shinoda Toko. Open Monday to Saturday 11am to 7pm. Closed
holidays. 5-5-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku. & 03/3571-1312. www.yoseido.com. Station: Ginza (1 min.).
On Namiki Dori near Harumi Dori.
BOOKS
Yasukuni Dori, in Jimbocho, Kanda (station: Jimbocho), is lined with bookstores selling
both new and used books, with several dealing in English-language books. Keep in mind,
however, that English-language books are usually more expensive in Japan than back
home. Still, no bibliophile should pass this street up, especially if your interest is in books
related to Japan.
Kinokuniya This is one of Tokyo's best-known bookstores, with one of the city's larg-
est selections of books and magazines in English—including books on Japan, dictionaries
and textbooks for students of Japanese, and novels—on its sixth floor. Open daily 10am

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