Shopping - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 188

DESIGN ON THE PAGE
Japan publishes some of the world's most beautiful design and culture magazines, and
they make for great primers on places you might want to see and things you might want to
buy in Tokyo. Popular titles like Casa Brutus, Brutus , PEN , and Real Design tend to accentuate
the visuals so don't worry if your Japanese isn't up to scratch. Some, like AXIS and +81 and
Kateigahō International Edition (available as a digital magazine at W int.kateigaho.com) are
bilingual or fully English.

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flagship store stocks a wide range of imported and locally
published books, with a strong showing in art and design,
plus magazines in a variety of languages on the fourth
floor. It also sells stationery and gifts. Daily 9am-9pm.
Ì Tsutaya ͭͨ΍ 17-5 Sarugaku-chō, Shibuya-ku
T 03 3770 2525, W tsite.jp; Daikanyama station; map

pp.100-101. This award-winning bookshop, filled with
a young, hip crowd, is a wonderful new addition to the
Daikanyama area. As well as the CDs and DVDs that the
chain's regular stores provide, this one has a tremendous
selection of English-language books, as well as a café and
lounge bar. Daily 7am-2am.

CAMERAS AND ELECTRONIC GOODS
Akihabara boasts Tokyo's biggest concentration of stores selling electronic goods . Shinjuku is Tokyo's prime area for
cameras and photographic equipment, though Ikebukuro also has a solid reputation for new and secondhand deals
at reasonable prices. There are also plenty of discount outlets in Shinjuku and Shibuya. Compare prices - many
shops are open to bargaining - and make sure there's the appropriate voltage switch (the Japanese power supply is
100V). It's also important to check that whatever you buy will be compatible with equipment you have at home.
For English-language instructions, after-sales service and guarantees, stick to export models, which you'll find
mostly in the stores' duty-free sections. Some of the larger Akihabara stores offering export models are listed below
and at W e-akihabara.jp.

±0 Aoyama ੨ࢁ 6-15-6 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku
T 03 5778 5380, W plusminuszero.jp; Meiji-jingūmae
station; map p.113. The brand is pronounced “Plus Minus
Zero” and designer Fukusawa Naoto's concept is to create
household appliances, audiovisual equipment, interior
furnishings and other miscellaneous items that are “not
boring”. In this he succeeds admirably, and in addition to
this showroom space you'll clock his products - such as a
humidifier resembling a smooth bun - in the trendiest
places. Fri-Tues 11am-7pm.
Ì Amadana ΞϚμφ 1-12-6 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku
T 03 3408 2018, W amadana.com; Omotesandō
station; map p.113. The name refers to the old area of
Amadana, near Nihombashi, which was famous for
lacquerware artisans during the Edo period. That craft's
traditional respect for design and beauty is reflected in
the look of Amadana's top-end DVD players, headphones
and so forth, produced by big-name manufacturers to the
designs of architect Tei Shūwa. Mon-Sat 11am-9pm,
Sun until 8pm.
BIC Camera ϏοΫΧϝϥ 1-11-1 Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda-ku
T 03 5221 1111; Yūrakuchō station; map p.48. The main
branch of BIC offers hard-to-beat prices for cameras and
audio and electronic goods - practically any gizmo you
want can be found here, plus (strangely enough) discounted
wine and liquor. You'll find other branches scattered around
Tokyo's main shopping centres, including several in
Ikebukuro, Shinjuku and Shibuya. Daily 10am-10pm.

Laox ϥΦΫε 1-2-9 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku T 03 3255
9041; Akihabara station; map p.56. One of the most
prominent names in Akiba and probably the best place to
start browsing: they have a well-established duty-free
section with English-speaking staff, and nine stores where
you can buy everything from pocket calculators to plasma
screen TVs. Daily 10am-8pm, Fri & Sat until 9pm.
Shimizu Camera ਗ਼ਫΧϝϥ 4-3-2 Ginza, Chūō-ku
T 03 3564 1008; Ginza station; map p.48. Reputable
used-camera specialist in the backstreets of Ginza, two
blocks west of the Apple Store. Mon-Sat 10.30am-8pm,
Sun 11am-7pm.
Tsukumo ۝े۝ 1-9-7 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku T 03
3253 5599; Akihabara station; map p.56. Tsukumo is
a general electrical store with three outlets - look for the
one with the sign “Robot”. Upstairs you'll find a floor
aimed at model enthusiasts building their very own
androids, but there are also a few demonstration models
of working robots. The videos are fun to watch, too. Daily
10am-10pm.
Yodobashi Camera ϤυόγΧϝϥ 1-11-1 Nishi-
Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku T 03 3346 1010; Shinjuku station;
map pp.118-119; 1-1 Kanda-Hanaokachō, Chiyoda-ku;
Akihabara station; map p.56. Claiming to be the world's
largest camera shop, this chain's Shinjuku outlet offers decent
reductions and stocks the broadest range. The Akihabara
branch sells everything from PCs to exercise bikes, by way of
cameras. Daily 9.30am-10pm.