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GoWithGuideFind your perfect tour guide at GoWithGuide. Relax and cherish unforgettable tours with loved ones. Create personalized tours for a truly memorable trip!

Shopping in Japan: 10 Great Places

Amy Dodgson

by GoWithGuide travel specialist:Amy Dodgson

Last updated : Jan 11, 20249 min read

Shopping

Japan is a shoppers' paradise. The top 10 best places for shopping in Japan are Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinsaibashi shopping street, Minato mirai, Canal city Hakata, Umeda, Omotesando, Tenjin underground shopping street, Sannomiya centre street and Ginza. Harajuku is the mecca for all things kawaii and of course no trip to Tokyo is complete without visiting Takeshita dori to look at the latest fashion trends. If you want upscale shopping then Ginza, Omotesando or Umeda are perfect. If you are in Kobe, why not take a walk down the Sannomiya centre shopping street, which will take you all the way to Kobe harbourland. 

Harajuku


Enjoy shopping in the neighborhood where ‘kawaii’ culture began
Harajuku’s Takeshita Street has recently been ranked as the most desired place to visit by visitors to Japan. Harajuku continues to broadcast its distinct fashion, responsible for the ‘kawaii’ (cute) sub-culture.

Takeshita Street There has been recent data on TripAdvisor that Harajuku’s Takeshita Street is the number one attraction that tourists wish to visit when in Japan.

Feel like you are in Harajuku and see how Harajuku's Takeshita street TRULY is like in this 360º video:

Takeshita Street is Harajuku’s shopping area, and the narrow street is dotted with shops selling clothes distinctive of “Harajuku-style”. While the Salon and Lolita styles are some of the most famous style trends in Harajuku, it cannot be so specifically characterized into one particular style. The reason for this is that Harajuku-style fashion is about re-...

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Website
www.takeshita-street.com

Shibuya


Shibuya, the Pulse and Heart of Tokyo’s Youth
The scramble intersection of the youth mecca of Shibuya is the world’s busiest, with 500,000 people crossing it daily. Besides the shopping and cuisine, enjoy the unique atmosphere of this neighborhood

The appeal of Shibuya Out of all the areas in Tokyo, Shibuya is the city center with the largest number of young people. A trendy area, it is filled with many stores and cafés. Once you leave Shibuya Station and walk straight across the main crossing, you will hit the main shopping street in Shibuya. Once known as ‘Shibuya Centre Street’, it is a place where you can find anything from amusement centers to fast food chains to large-scale CD shops. From 2011 onwards, however, there was a name change of the street to ‘Basketba...

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Website
shibuyakukanko.jp.e.ea.hp.transer.com

Shinsaibashi

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Osaka’s greatest shopping area, sharing old and new
One block east of Mido-suji Street, it is a shopping area centering on Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street with department stores and expensive brand-name goods shops. Naturally, it’s attractive for the latest trends and traditional goods.

A shopping street representing Osaka, The Shinsaibashi area, is inserted in the south between Minami-Senba and Nagahori Street. In its center is Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street which lines up traditional shops, department stores and specialty brand outlets. This street has a long history going back to the middle of the 18th century. From the Meiji Era, establishments such as small stores dealing in imported goods and fancy stores started increasing. During the Taisho and Showa Eras, there was a shift to dry-goods shops and department stores, ...

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Phone
06-6211-1114
Website
www.shinsaibashi.or.jp

Minato Mirai 21

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Shopping, interactive museum, night view…Minato Mirai has plenty to enjoy
Minato Mirai is an area within Nishi and Naka Wards facing Yokohama Harbor. Close to one-half of the area is reclaimed land, and it’s a region that has a lot of offices and shopping malls.

The soaring Yokohama Landmark Tower is a high-rise building which is 296m in height and has 70 floors. It is a multipurpose complex consisting of offices, a hotel and a shopping mall. Following Tokyo Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower, it is the 6th-tallest structure in Japan. The Sky Garden observation deck is located on the 69th floor, where you can get a panoramic view of Yokohama Harbor and the streets of the city. The night view from here is remarkable. Landmark Tower was created on the remnants of a former shipyard, and part of...

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Website
www.minatomirai21.com

Canal City Hakata


Kyushu’s largest shopping mall with many individualistic shops
Adults and children can enjoy a full day going through the duty-free shops, the popular character goods stores and the Ramen Stadium which has amassed ramen shops from all over Japan including the island of Kyushu.

Kyushu’s largest shopping mall complex This is a multicomplex facility with a shopping mall, movie theaters, stage theater, amusement park, two hotels, showroom and offices on its 43,500㎡ grounds. It has easy access to Hakata Station, Fukuoka’s largest commercial area of Tenjin, and Nakasu which is famous for its yatai food stands. Flowing among the buildings is a 180m canal, and there is a dynamic water fountain-and-music show which happens on the hour. At the Sun Plaza Stage in the basement, there are events daily in which pe...

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Business hours
- Everyday (10:00 AM ~ 9:00 PM )
ショップ10am-9pm
レストラン11am-11pm

Phone
092-282-2525
Price
- Free
Website
canalcity.co.jp

Umeda

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Umeda is THE place for everything from Japan’s cutting-edge trends to household applicances.
Umeda is the perfect place for shopping, bringing together department stores, malls and household appliance shops. You can walk around the area so you can smoothly enjoy the shopping.

From casual goods to cutting-edge trends, Let’s introduce the Umeda (Kita) area, a must-see shopping spot with Osaka’s latest trends. LUKUA, in front of JR Osaka Station, is the most popular mall for the locals with trendy products geared for people in their 20s and 30s. For families who want to enjoy shopping, take the connecting passage from LUKUA to Grand Front, Osaka. Grand Front is a large mall with north and south buildings focused on families, and so you can get all your shopping done there since Japan’s latest kids&rsqu...

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Phone
06-6282-5900
Website
www.osaka-info.jp

Omotesando

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A trendy area. A neighborhood where you can encounter cutting-edge fashion and various other items
A sophisticated sense of high class engulfs the pedestrians walking there. From the main street to the backstreets, there is a variety of shops. Even walking through the back alleys brings an air of celebrity

How Omotesando developed into a trendy area Its origins lay in the opening of an avenue leading to Meiji-Jingu Shrine in 1920. There are a number of reasons behind its birth as a trendy area. One reason is the appearance of the Doujunkai Aoyama Apartments where high-ranking officials and people of culture had resided and the Washington Heights (the facility that housed GHQ officers) that was constructed after the 2nd World War. The Washington Heights was then opened as the Athletes’ Village at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and for other reas...

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Website
www.gotokyo.org

Tenjin Underground Shopping Center

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Kyushu’s largest underground shopping area, stretching for a total length of 1km between stations
An underground center where travelers can do their shopping or move about without having to worry about rain. Convenient for buying the latest fashions and souvenirs.

An underground shopping center with excellent access to subways Underneath Hakata’s commercial district of Tenjin, the largest underground shopping area in Kyushu stretches for a distance of approximately 1km, consisting of 2 avenues each with a 590m span from north to south. There are up to 150 shops specializing in items such as fashion, cuisine, cosmetics and stationery with direct access to the two subway stations of Tenjin and Tenjin-Minami, and also Nishitetsu Fukuoka Train Station and Nishitetsu Tenjin Bus Center. It also has ver...

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Business hours
- Everyday (10:00 AM ~ 8:00 PM )
Phone
092-711-1903
Price
- Free
Website
www.tenchika.com

Sannomiya Center Street

Kobe’s prominent shopping street with stores selling fashion, accessories, miscellaneous goods, etc.

Sannomiya Center Street with its latest trends attracts 100,000 visitors on a holiday. It extends from east to west from Flower Road to Koikawa-suji Road. Because it is a covered arcade, it’s convenient even during rainy days.

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Phone
078-393-3358
Website
www.kobe-sc.jp

Ginza

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Photo by Planetyze

Enjoy your day shopping for all things ‘Made in Japan’
Ginza is recognized as of one of Japan’s most sophisticated shopping districts. Lined with modern buildings, this neighborhood has many luxury brand stores and restaurants.

Shopping in Ginza Many of the tourists visiting Japan likely want to spend some time shopping. Nestled in Ginza’s central area is the Hattori Wako Clock Tower, which has become the neighborhood landmark. At the luxury department retailer Ginza Wako, you will find carefully selected luxury goods ranging from watches, accessories, to even baby gifts. You can also purchase quality products at famous established department stores such as Mitsukoshi, Matsuya, and Printemps Ginza. The Ginza chain of Uniqlo, a brand that has become hugely popul...

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Written by Amy Dodgson

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GoWithGuide’s writers are passionate travel specialists sharing unique tips and essential information for global explorers.

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