Shopping - Tokyo - page 244

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Today such handcrafted combs are a dying art. The combs here range in price from about
¥2,500 to more than ¥25,000; hair ornaments are also sold. Open Thursday to Tuesday
from 10:30am to 6:30pm. 1-37-10 Asakusa, Taito-ku. & 03/3844-1755. Station: Asakusa (3
min.). On Demboin Dori (also spelled Dempoin Dori), just off Nakamise Dori.
Z Yoshitoku Yoshitoku has had a shop at this location since 1711, making it
Tokyo's oldest wholesale doll and traditional crafts store. It carries a variety of Japanese
dolls on its first floor, most traditionally dressed as samurai, geisha, Kabuki actors, sumo
wrestlers, and other Japanese personalities. There are also fine—and expensive—dolls
representing the Imperial court, dressed in silk kimono that follow the originals down to
the minutest detail. Obviously, these dolls are meant not for children's play but for dis-
play by collectors. Upstairs are more mundane modern dolls, including stuffed animals.
Open daily 9:30am to 5:30pm. Closed Sunday and holidays May 5 to November. 1-9-14
Asakusabashi, Taito-ku. & 03/3863-4419. Station: Asakusabashi (1 min.).
KIMONO
The Oriental Bazaar (see “Japanese Crafts & Traditional Products,” above) sells new and
used kimono, including elaborate wedding kimono. Department stores also sell kimono,
notably Takashimaya and Mitsukoshi in Nihombashi and Isetan in Shinjuku. They
also have yearly sales of used, rental wedding kimono. Flea markets are another good
option for used kimono and yukata, particularly the antiques market at Tog o Shrine
(discussed earlier). There's also a secondhand kimono stand in Harajuku open for busi-
ness every Saturday, Sunday, and holiday from 11am to 5pm on the corner of Meiji Dori
and Omotesando Dori. Prices start at ¥500, making them affordable even as gifts for
friends.
Chicago This basement shop specializes in used American clothing, but also stocks
hundreds of affordable used kimono (including wedding kimono), cotton yukata (for
sleeping), and obi (the sash worn around a kimono), all located in its Kimono Corner in
the very back left corner of the shop. Open daily 11am to 8pm. 6-31-21 Jingumae,
Shibuya-ku. & 03/3409-5017. Station: Meiji-Jingumae (1 min.) or Harajuku (2 min.). On Omote-
sando Dori, btw. Meiji Dori and Harajuku Station.
Gallery Kawano Antique kimono, obi, and high-quality fabrics are for sale at this
small shop, including those that are hand-painted and beautifully embroidered. Open
daily 11am to 6pm. 4-4-9 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. & 03/3470-3305. Station: Omotesandoumae
(4 min.). Off Omotesando Dori; opposite the Hanae Mori Building. Take the side street (btw.
McDonald's and Ito Hospital, with a harajuku arch over it), turn left at Royal Host restaurant,
and then right; it will be on your right.
Hayashi Kimono Established in 1913, Hayashi sells all kinds of kimono, including
wedding kimono, cotton yukata, and tanzen (the heavy winter overcoat that goes over
the yukata), as well as used and antique kimono. If you're buying a gift for someone back
home, this is a good place to start. Open Monday to Saturday 10am to 7pm, Sunday
10am to 6pm. In the International Arcade (underneath the JR Yamanote Line's elevated
tracks), 2-1-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku. & 03/3501-4012. Station: Yurakucho (2 min.). Near the
Imperial Hotel.
[ Tatsumi This small shop in Asakusa sells antique and used kimono and obi at
reasonable prices. Open daily 10:30am to 7pm. 1-39-11 Asakusa, Taito-ku. & 03/3843-7606.
Station: Asakusa (4 min). On the corner of Demboin Dori and Orange St.

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