Shopping - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 187

RENTAL BOX SHOPS
In a city where space comes at a premium, it can be near impossible for aspiring artists and
designers to afford the rent to open their own shop. The solution is hako-gashi or rental box
shops. These gallery-like shops are divided into display cubes of around 30cm square, each
with its own rental fee depending on its position, and each serving as a micro-shop for the
“tenant” to display their wares - typically accessories, jewellery and artworks. The main shop
sells the goods, in exchange for the rent and a commission . You'll generally find hako-gashi in
areas such as Harajuku, Shibuya and Akihabara.

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Cube Space Club Aoyama 4F Aoyama Nara Bldg,
5-1-27 Aoyama, Minato-ku; T 03 3409 5748;
Omotesandō station; map p.113. Probably the best

of Tokyo's many rental box shops, with an ever-
changing roster of displays. Daily noon-7pm.

for its miniature, handmade plaster dolls in Edo-period
costume, joined nowadays by models of TV stars and
other aidoru (idols). Daily 10am-6pm.
Takahisa ߴٱ 1-21-7 Asakusa, Taitō-ku T 03 3844
1257; Asakusa station; map p.70. Shop selling row upon
row of richly decorated hagoita : battledores which are
traditionally used by young girls playing shuttlecock at
New Year. You wouldn't want to be playing sport with these
fancy, lacquered versions, but they make great souvenirs.
Daily 10am-8pm.
Takumi ͨ͘Έ 8-4-2 Ginza, Chūō-ku T 03 3571 2017;
Shimbashi station; map p.48. Folk-craft shop offering a
small but select range of bags, baskets, pots, toys, fabrics
and other items from around Japan. Mon-Sat 11am-7pm.
Yamada Heiandō ࢁాฏ҆ಊ 2F Hillside Terrace,
18-12 Sarugaku-chō, Shibuya-ku T 03 3464 5541,
W heiando.com; Daikanyama station; map pp.100-101.

Hunt down this store for lacquerware - both traditional and
contemporary - found on tables no less distinguished than
those of the imperial household and Japan's embassies.
Mon-Sat 10.30am-7pm, Sun until 6.30pm.
Yanaka Matsunoya ୩தদ໺԰ 3-14-14 Yanaka,
Taitō-ku T 03 3823 7441; Nippori station; map p.61.
Appealing hand-crafted everyday items such as shopping
bags, baskets, brooms and stools are the stock-in-trade of
this artfully rustic shop at the top of the steps linking
Nippori station with Yanaka Ginza. Daily except Tues
11am-7pm.
Yonoya Kushiho Αͷ΍۳ฮ 1-37-10 Asakusa, Taitō-ku
T 03 3844 1755; Asakusa station; map p.70. Tokyo's
finest hand-crafted boxwood combs and hair decorations;
much of the wood used here is sourced from forest land
south of Kagoshima, and it's reputed to be particularly
suitable for hair. Daily except Wed 10.30am-6pm.

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
Despite high prices, it can be enjoyable to browse the city's many bookshops, and bookworms should also rummage
around the secondhand outlets of Jimbōchō (see p.58). Most big hotels have a shop stocking English-language books
on Japan, as well as imported newspapers and magazines. Apart from the places listed below, Shibuya's Tower Records
(see p.198) has a great selection of English books and magazines on its seventh floor.

Aoyama Book Centre ੨ࢁຊ԰ Garden Floor 2BF
Cosmos Aoyama, 5-53-67, Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku T 03
5485 5511; Omotesandō station; map pp.108-109.
Innovative bookshop with a fine collection of titles related
to design, architecture and photography. Also carries lots
of foreign magazines. There's also a branch in Roppongi
(see map, pp.90-91). Daily 10am-10pm.
Ì Good Day Books 3F Big B Shoes Building, 2-4-2
Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku T 03 6303 9116,
W gooddaybooks.com; Gotanda station; map pp.100-
101. One of Tokyo's best selections of secondhand books.
Their monthly author talks and book club are popular
with expats - see the website for details. Mon-Sat
11am-8pm, Sun until 6pm.
Kinokuniya لҏᅳ԰ Takashimaya Times Square,
Annex Building, 5-24-2 Sendagaya, Shinjuku-ku

T 03 5361 3301; Shinjuku station; map pp.118-119.
The sixth floor of Kinokuniya's seven-storey outlet
offers Tokyo's widest selection of foreign-language books
and magazines. Daily 10am-8pm; closed one Wed
each month.
Kitazawa Shoten ๺୔ॻళ 2F 2-5 Jimbōchō,
Chiyoda-ku T 03 3263 0011; Jimbōchō station; map
p.56. The stately granite- and brick-fronted building
houses one of the best selections of English-language titles
among the dozens of secondhand stores in Jimbōchō. It's
on Yasukuni-dōri, just west of the junction with Hakusan-
dōri, on the second floor of the Bookhouse store. Mon-Fri
11am-6.30pm, Sat noon-5.30pm.
Maruzen ؙળ Oazo Building, 1-6-4 Marunouchi,
Chiyoda-ku T 03 5288 8881, W www.maruzen.co.jp;
Tokyo or Ōtemachi stations; map p.48. Maruzen's