Must-Visit Shopping Areas & Spots in Japan: 20 Top Picks

Harajuku is located in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward.
Within walking distance of Shibuya—and also close on foot to Aoyama and Omotesando, lined with brand-name shops—its convenient location has made it a world-famous shopping destination.
The approx. 350-meter shopping street Takeshita Street is packed with stores selling distinctive fashion items you won’t easily find elsewhere, and it’s also known as a center of the kawaii culture that draws attention worldwide.
From Cat Street, lined with trendsetting shops, to Laforet Harajuku, which has been showcasing the latest fashion since it opened in 1978, the area is full of places that keep inspiring style-conscious visitors.
It’s not just fashion—street food like crepes, takoyaki, and galettes is also part of the fun.
You’ll also spot street art throughout the area, with plenty of photogenic corners.
For more on shopping in Harajuku and nearby areas, check out the article below.

Shinjuku is home to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and major business districts. It’s a big-city area filled with skyscrapers, but you’ll also find old shrines and parks where you can enjoy nature, making it a place with many different ways to spend your time.
The entertainment district Kabukicho and the nostalgic Shinjuku Golden Gai are especially well known.
Shopping options are plentiful too, from long-established department stores and the latest trend shops to Japan’s largest bookstores, huge electronics retailers, sporting goods stores, drugstores, and more—new and old, large and small.
Classic department stores like Shinjuku Isetan, designated as a historic building, and Takashimaya, conveniently connected to Shinjuku Station’s New South Gate, are gorgeous and fun even just to browse.
Newer commercial complexes like NEWoMan SHINJUKU and Shinjuku MYLORD feature over 100 specialty stores, including cosmetics, fashion, gifts, goods, restaurants, and cafes.
If you want to learn more about shopping in Shinjuku, take a look at this article too.

Shibuya City sits on the western side of Tokyo’s 23 wards.
With iconic spots like the Scramble Crossing—often said to be the world’s busiest intersection—and Shibuya Center-Gai, a bustling entertainment area lined with a wide range of trend-forward shops, Shibuya draws huge crowds from Japan and abroad.
With fashion, lifestyle goods, and almost every kind of item you can think of, you could easily spend an entire day just shopping here.
Shibuya is also known for offering the latest trend pieces as well as truly unique finds.
It’s a dense area full of shopping complexes, from SHIBUYA109, long supported by fashion-conscious young shoppers for its wide selection of on-trend clothing, to station-connected Shibuya Scramble Square and Shibuya Hikarie, which cater to everyone from teens to adults.
To make the most of Shibuya, this article is also worth a read.

Just a few minutes on foot east of Tokyo Station, Ginza is lined with large commercial facilities, luxury brand boutiques, and long-established famous shops.
If Shibuya and Shinjuku—on the west side of the Yamanote Line—are centers of youth culture, Ginza is best described as an elegant, refined “grown-up” neighborhood.
On Ginza-dori, where modern and traditional architecture blend beautifully, you’ll find historic department stores like Mitsukoshi and Wako, luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel, and flagship stores from well-known labels—perfect for shopping in a polished setting.
It’s an upscale shopping town where trends and tradition come together.
If you want to fully enjoy shopping in Ginza, take a look at this article.

Akihabara—around the area spanning Taito City’s Akihabara and Chiyoda City’s Kanda—is synonymous with otaku culture and its famous electronics district.
With specialty shops for anime and game goods, maid cafes, and other uniquely Japanese subculture experiences, plus an electronics district lined with a wide variety of stores, it’s fun just to walk around—and it’s a great place to satisfy any enthusiast’s curiosity.
If you love anime or games, don’t miss the Akihabara branch of Animate, one of Japan’s largest specialty stores for anime, comics, and games, as well as Mandarake’s mega store, part of a nationwide chain known for buying and selling subculture items.
If electronics are your thing, Yodobashi Akiba is a must—one of the largest in Akihabara, with six floors (out of B1 to 9F) dedicated to multimedia products.
And if you’d like a break in a retro setting, we recommend mAAch ecute Kanda Manseibashi, a commercial facility created by renovating the Manseibashi viaduct built in 1912.
If you want to enjoy sightseeing and shopping in Akihabara, this article is also helpful.

Osaka is the largest city in the Kansai region and Japan’s second-largest city.
Long known as the nation’s kitchen, it has grown as a “city of commerce.”
Among its districts, the area that feels the most “Osaka” is the Minami area, centered on Namba.
Dotonbori—famous for classic Osaka foods like takoyaki and okonomiyaki—is also in Minami.
There are plenty of shopping spots too, with everything from Osaka-specific items to the latest trends.
In Shinsaibashi, one of Osaka’s top shopping districts alongside Dotonbori, you’ll find major facilities like Daimaru Shinsaibashi and Shinsaibashi PARCO, plus fast fashion and popular clothing stores lined up along the streets.
Namba Parks, directly connected to Nankai Namba Station, is a nine-story mixed-use complex with over 200 stores, including fashion, lifestyle goods, restaurants, and a movie theater.
Historic shopping streets like Kuromon Ichiba Market—beloved as Osaka residents’ kitchen since the late 19th century—and the 150-meter Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street have also become popular tourist destinations in recent years.

Yokohama is located in eastern Kanagawa Prefecture, next to Tokyo.
Its modern skyline of high-rises blends with an international vibe, creating a romantic atmosphere.
With many historic buildings of Western modern architecture, it’s popular with tourists and couples alike.
Shopping options are plentiful, including Mitsui Outlet Park Yokohama Bayside, where you can shop and dine while looking out over one of Asia’s largest marinas and enjoy outdoor experiences in the plaza; MARINE & WALK YOKOHAMA next to the Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse; and the refined, Western-style Yokohama Motomachi Shopping Street, a 600-meter shopping street with over 150 years of history.
If you’d like to fully enjoy sightseeing and shopping in Yokohama, this article is also worth checking out.

Kyoto flourished as Japan’s capital for over 1,000 years, and many historically valuable buildings remain today—one reason it’s such a popular destination.
Beyond its beautiful, old-world streets and famous sights, the city itself still carries the distinctive atmosphere of an ancient capital.
Kawaramachi refers to the area around Kawaramachi Street, which runs north–south through central Kyoto. It’s Kyoto’s largest downtown area and is often summed up by the phrase, “If you want to have fun in Kyoto, go to Kawaramachi.”
Nearby, you’ll also find places like Pontocho, a narrow lane that runs approx. 500 meters along the Kamo River, lined with izakaya, kappo restaurants, geisha and maiko practice houses, and teahouses—perfect for experiencing Kyoto’s charm.
For shopping, we recommend department stores like Takashimaya Kyoto Store, Kyoto’s top-selling department store, as well as the long-established Daimaru Kyoto Store and the youth-oriented Fujii Daimaru.

Aichi Prefecture is located near the center of Japan.
Long a key transportation hub, its capital Nagoya is one of Japan’s three major cities.
With diverse appeal—history, rich nature, industry, and culture—it’s also known as a place of manufacturing, home to many companies in traditional industries and advanced production.
There are plenty of attractive shopping spots too, from commercial facilities where you can feel the latest trends to shopping streets where you can pick up Aichi specialties.
Osu Shopping Street, Nagoya’s largest shopping arcade, is lined with approx. 1,200 stores across every genre, while the skyscraper Midland Square near Nagoya Station features overseas brand boutiques, upscale restaurants, and cafes.
If you want to enjoy sightseeing and shopping in Nagoya, this article is also a good reference.

Hyogo Prefecture lies at the western edge of the Kinki region, bordered by the Sea of Japan to the north and the Seto Inland Sea to the south.
It has the largest land area in Kansai, with attractive tourist spots scattered throughout the prefecture.
Among them, Kobe—one of Kansai’s major cities alongside Osaka and Kyoto—is a popular destination known for its cosmopolitan port-town atmosphere.
In Kobe Motomachi, which flourished as a foreign residential area from the late 19th century, impressive modern Western-style architecture lines the streets, letting you enjoy a European feel while still in Japan.
With luxury brands, distinctive international shops, and plenty of cafes and lifestyle stores, it’s a great place to shop while soaking up the romantic ambiance.
Kobe Harborland, with multiple large waterfront complexes, is also appealing for its wide range of leisure activities in addition to shopping.
If you’d like to enjoy sightseeing and shopping in Kobe, check out this article as well.

Hibiya is an “adult” neighborhood that helped lead Japan’s modernization as a center for international business and arts and culture. Tokyo Midtown Hibiya is a landmark complex in the area.
This 35-story tower (with four basement levels) has offices on the upper floors, while the commercial levels run from B1 to 7F, with around 60 distinctive shops.
With its modern design and calm, sophisticated atmosphere, it’s a great place to stroll through a more elevated side of the city.

A large complex that brings together a shopping mall, movie theater, theater, amusement facilities, two hotels, and more across an expansive approx. 43,500 m² site.
Its symbol is the approx. 180-meter canal running through the center of the colorful buildings.
Beyond shopping and entertainment, Canal City Hakata is designed to be enjoyable just to be in.

Mitsui Outlet Park Kisarazu is a large outlet mall in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture.
It offers carefully selected, high-quality items from well-known Japanese and international makers, brands, and select shops at outlet prices—and it’s one of Japan’s largest, with over 300 stores.

A shopping center on a vast site located in the Chiba harbor area.
Inside, it’s divided into three zones—North, South, and West—so you can shop at a relaxed pace in a bright space with high ceilings and natural light.
Approx. 440 specialty stores are gathered here, from fashion to dining. With some large-format stores as well, you’re sure to find exactly what you want.

Kawasaki City is in northeastern Kanagawa Prefecture, bordering Tokyo across the Tama River.
Lazona Kawasaki Plaza is a large shopping mall directly connected to JR Kawasaki Station, the city’s transportation hub.
With around 350 specialty stores covering fashion, dining, interior goods, and everyday items, plus a movie theater and a sports gym, it’s a facility people of all ages can enjoy all day.
At its center is a plaza called Roofa Plaza, approx. 60 meters in diameter, where more than 200 live events are held each year.
With a variety of lighting and sound effects, the atmosphere changes between daytime and night.

This shopping street is said to have emerged naturally around 1945 and has a long history. Along a short street of roughly 170 meters, around 60 shops are packed together—from old-school independent stores like butchers, produce shops, fishmongers, and electronics stores to donut shops and lifestyle stores that visitors can also enjoy.
Cheerful conversations between regulars and shopkeepers, the excited voices of children, and the mouthwatering aromas drifting from prepared-food shops—the scene feels like “good old Japan.”

Nagoya’s largest shopping street, stretching across an area enclosed by four roads: Wakamiya Odori, Fushimi-dori, Osu-dori, and Minami-Otsu-dori.
With around 1,200 stores and facilities across every genre—restaurants, vintage clothing shops, variety stores, electronics retailers, and more—it has a distinctive atmosphere.
These days, it’s also packed with shops selling trendy foods, drawing crowds of young people enjoying street food.

A shopping street that stretches east–west for Approx. 1.3 km from Togoshi Ginza Station on the Tokyu Ikegami Line.
About 400 businesses line the street, from shops selling fresh foods to cafes, bakeries, and even public baths (sento).
It’s the longest shopping street in Tokyo, and the name “Togoshi Ginza” was chosen both because it received bricks from Ginza after the Great Kanto Earthquake left Ginza-dori in rubble and because the area hoped to share in the bustle of the Ginza shopping district. It’s also said to be the original “XX Ginza” among the many similar names found across Japan.

Tanuki Koji Shopping Street is one of Hokkaido’s oldest shopping streets, with over 140 years of history.
Located in central Sapporo, it stretches approx. 900 meters east to west and is lined with around 200 shops.
Long-established local businesses, craft stores, and souvenir shops create a retro atmosphere, and you’ll also find plenty of well-known restaurants where you can enjoy Hokkaido specialties like authentic Sapporo beer and jingisukan.

Shizuoka Prefecture is located near the center of the Japanese archipelago.
On Shizuoka’s Pacific coast, closer to Kanagawa, you’ll find Atami, a famous hot spring resort often called the “Hawaii of Japan.”
In front of Atami Station, the gateway to the city—popular for hot springs, delicious seafood, and spectacular fireworks festivals—Heiwa-dori Shopping Street is lined with specialty shops.
Along with local products and souvenirs, there are plenty of spots for street food and well-known eateries.
In particular, don’t miss street foods you can only try here, like seafood-based fish cake tempura called iso-age, okaki rice crackers, and the unique sake manju.