Shopping - Tokyo - page 234

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Isetan-Mitsukoshi conglomerate, it has a good line of conservative work clothes, as well
as contemporary and fashionable styles, including designer goods by Issey Miyake, Yohji
Yamamoto, Hanae Mori, Comme des Garçons, Marc Jacobs, and Salvatore Ferragamo,
as well as large dress sizes (on the second floor). It has a great kimono section along with
all the traditional accessories (obi, shoes, purses). Its basement food hall is legendary, with
its dessert and massive chocolate sections an especially illuminating commentary on
Japan's obsession with food. An annex offers eight floors of men's clothing and accesso-
ries. Open daily 10am to 8pm. 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku. & 03/3352-1111. Station:
Shinjuku Sanchome (1 min.) or Shinjuku (east exit, 6 min.). On Shinjuku Dori, east of Shinjuku
Station.
Takashimaya Shinjuku Since its opening in 1996, Takashimaya has been the
number-one draw in Shinjuku and is packed on weekends. Much larger than Takashi-
maya's Nihombashi flagship, this huge complex boasts 10 floors of clothing and restau-
rants (lower floors target the affluent elderly, while upper floors appeal to younger
shoppers and families; petite and “queen-size” clothing are on the sixth floor). There's
also Tokyu Hands with everything imaginable for the home hobbyist, and Kinokuniya
bookstore with English-language books on the sixth floor. Open daily 10am to 8pm.
5-24-2 Sendagaya, Shinjuku-ku. & 03/5361-1111. Station: Shinjuku (1 min.). Across the street
from Shinjuku Station's south exit.
In Shibuya
Shibuya is a shopping mecca for the fashionable young, with so many stores that there's
a bona fide store war going on. Tokyu and Seibu are the two big names, but in addition
to these two, see the “Fashions” section, below.
Seibu Shibuya's largest department store consists of two buildings connected by
pedestrian skywalks, with lots of designer boutiques such as Issey Miyake, Comme des
Garçons, Tsumori Chisato, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Vivienne Tam.
Nearby are Loft, with household goods, and Movida, a fashion department store with
fun young fashions for waifs. See the listing for the main store in Ikebukuro, above. Open
Sunday to Wednesday 10am to 8pm, Thursday to Saturday 10am to 9pm. 21-1 Udaga-
wacho. & 03/3462-0111. Station: Shibuya (Hachiko exit, 3 min.).
Tokyu Honten (Main Store) With its conservative styles in clothing and house-
wares, the Tokyu chain's flagship store appeals mainly to a 40s-and-older age group. You'll
find women's fashions (including departments for larger sizes), men's fashions, children's
clothing and toys, arts and crafts, and restaurants. It adjoins the ultramodern Bunkamura
complex, the largest cultural center in Tokyo, with cinemas, theater and concert halls, a
museum, a bookstore, and cafes. Open daily 11am to 7pm. 2-24-1 Dogenzaka. & 03/3477-
3111. Station: Shibuya (Hachiko exit, 7 min.).

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ELECTRONICS
The largest concentration of electronics and electrical-appliance shops in Japan is in an
area of Tokyo called Akihabara, also known simply as Akiba and centered on Chuo Dori
(station: Akihabara). Although you can find good deals on video and audio equipment
elsewhere (especially just west of Shinjuku Station, where Yodobashi dominates with
several stores devoted to electronics), Akihabara is a must-see simply for its sheer volume.
With hundreds of multilevel stores, shops, and stalls, Akihabara accounts for one-tenth
of the nation's electronics and electrical-appliance sales. An estimated 50,000 shoppers
come here on a weekday, 100,000 per day on a weekend. Even if you don't buy anything,