Tokyo - Where to Buy EVERYTHING | The Ultimate Guide

Summary

This video script offers a whirlwind tour of Tokyo's diverse shopping districts, each with its unique specialty. From the fabric shops of NE buy dubbed fabric town to the jewelry stores of Okachimachi, the traditional kimono shops in Asaka, and the bustling kitchenware street of Kappabashi, viewers are guided through a shopper's paradise. The script also highlights areas like Akihabara for anime and gaming, Ginza for luxury brands, and Shimokitazawa for vintage finds, showcasing Tokyo as a city where every district has something special to offer.

Takeaways

• 🏙️ Tokyo is a city divided into distinct areas, each with its own unique purpose or specialty.
• 🧵 NE Buy Dubbed Fabric Town is a hub for specialty fabric and textile shops, attracting people from all over Japan.
• 💎 Okachimachi is known for its jewelry shops, but also notorious for frequent heists and robberies.
• 👘 Asakusa's Nakamise Street is a tourist trap with many non-Japanese items, but is good for finding kimonos and festival supplies.
• 🔪 Kappabashi Dogenzaka is famous for kitchenware, including fake display foods and traditional Japanese plates.
• 🗡️ Kappabashi Hondori is lined with some of Japan's best knife shops, perfect for those seeking Japanese kitchen knives.
• 👗 Shibuya and Harajuku are fashion districts, with Shibuya focusing on youth fashion and Harajuku known for its unique styles.
• 📚 Jinbocho is a book lover's paradise, with a wide variety of bookstores and a deceptively quiet atmosphere on weekdays.
• 🎶 Ooedo is known as Music Town, offering a vast collection of music shops and instrument stores, including Guitar Street.
• 🎮 Akihabara is a top destination for anime, gaming, and retro gaming enthusiasts, with a dense concentration of related shops.
• 🛍️ Ginza is home to luxury brand shops and high-end fashion boutiques, reflecting Tokyo's status as a fashion capital.
• 👜 Shimokitazawa is a vintage clothing and consignment store hotspot, often mistaken for a thrift area but with higher prices.
• 🪑 Meguro is Tokyo's furniture district, offering unique and sometimes affordable furniture options compared to mainstream stores.
• 👠 Ebisu is known for its shoe stores and the Amoko market, which was once Japan's largest black market and now sells a variety of goods.
• 🎨 Nakano Broadway is an eclectic area filled with retro and collector's goods, as well as a multi-floor shopping arcade for all things vintage.
• 🍰 Shin-Okubo, or Little Korea, offers a range of Korean products from cosmetics to food, reflecting Tokyo's cultural diversity.
• 🚇 Tokyo Station's underground shopping arcade is a 'cheat code' for souvenir shopping, offering items from all over Japan and Tokyo-specific souvenirs.

Q & A

What is unique about the fish market in Toyosu?

The fish market in Toyosu is a specific area in Tokyo known for its specialty shops for fabrics, textiles, and a wide variety of items related to fishing and seafood.

Why is Okachimachi known for robberies?

Okachimachi is filled with jewelry shops, and the high value of the items attracts a steady and consistent flow of heist and robbery attempts.

What makes Nakamise Street in Asakusa a tourist trap?

Nakamise Street is densely packed with shops selling items that are not authentically Japanese, making it more of a tourist trap than a place for genuine Japanese goods.

Where in Tokyo can you find a large number of bookstores and what is this area known for?

Jinbocho is known for its large number of bookstores and is a deceptive area because, despite being quiet on weekdays, it is filled with more youth than areas like Harajuku on weekends.

What is special about the area of Ochanomizu in Tokyo?

Ochanomizu is known as 'music town' with more than 50 instrument shops and an entire street called 'guitar street,' making it a haven for musicians and instrument lovers.

What can be found in the area of Akihabara?

Akihabara is known for Japanese anime, gaming, retro gaming, figures, Pokemon cards, used records, and Airsoft shops, making it a top destination for enthusiasts.

What is the significance of the Tokyo Station underground shopping arcade?

The underground shopping arcade at Tokyo Station is filled with shops selling souvenirs from every region in Japan, making it a convenient place to buy regional souvenirs without leaving Tokyo.

What type of shops can be found in the area of Shimokitazawa?

Shimokitazawa is known for vintage clothing shops and consignment stores, which are often mistaken for thrift shops but are actually much more expensive.

What makes Ginza a notable area in Tokyo?

Ginza is known for having Tokyo's largest collection of luxury brand shops, along with secret and rooftop shrines, making it a high-end shopping destination.

What kind of shops are found in Nakano Broadway?

Nakano Broadway is known for its dedication to collector's items, retro goods, thrift shops, anime, and other eclectic goods, all contained within a multi-floor shopping arcade.

Outlines

00:00

🏙️ Tokyo's Specialized Districts

This paragraph introduces Tokyo as a city divided into smaller districts, each with its own purpose. It highlights the diversity of Tokyo, from the fabric town of NE buy dubbed to the fish market of Toyosu and the fighting area of Yoku. The script focuses on a speedrun of the city with the goal of finding where to buy everything, starting with NE buy dubbed fabric town, which is a hub for specialty shops for fabrics and textiles. The area is known for its extensive offerings, attracting people from around Japan. The script also mentions Okachimachi, an area notorious for robberies due to its many jewelry shops and wholesalers, which are frequented by Japanese jewelry designers and artisans for supplies. The narrator emphasizes the need to search for shops as they are spread throughout the areas, adding to the adventure.

05:00

🛍️ Shopping and Cultural Districts in Tokyo

This paragraph delves into the shopping and cultural districts of Tokyo. It starts with the Nakamise-dori in Asakusa, a traditional area filled with tourist traps and shops selling non-Japanese items. The narrator recommends avoiding this area for authentic Japanese goods. Instead, the focus shifts to kimono shops and festival supplies in the same area. The script also mentions the unpredictability of shop hours in Tokyo, advising viewers to check if shops are open before visiting. Moving on, the paragraph discusses Kappabashi-dori, known for kitchenware and supplies, and the nearby Kabashi Hondori, famous for Japanese knife shops. The narrator then explores the youth fashion districts of Shibuya and Harajuku, highlighting their unique shops and the Pokémon Center. The paragraph concludes with a mention of Jimbocho, an area dedicated to books and bookstores, and its proximity to other interesting districts like Ooizumi and Music Town.

10:01

🎶 Akihabara and Tokyo's Hidden Gems

This paragraph highlights Akihabara as a top location for Japanese anime, gaming, and retro gaming, with a dense concentration of shops selling figures, Pokémon cards, and even used records. The narrator also discusses the use of a VPN, specifically NordVPN, for accessing content and securing public Wi-Fi connections. The script then moves on to Ginza, known for its luxury brand shops and hidden back streets with secret shrines. The area of Omotesando is described as a high-end fashion boutique district, with a shopping mall that is surprisingly large on the inside compared to its exterior. The paragraph also covers Nihonbashi, which has a collection of GF-related shops and old department stores, and its transformation from a business-focused area to a residential one due to the shift to digital stock trading. The narrator ends with Shimawa, a common tourist mistake known as the subculture capital of Japan, filled with music options, bars, and vintage clothing shops.

🛋️ Tokyo's Furniture and Craft Districts

This paragraph explores Tokyo's furniture and craft districts. It starts with Megaro, a district known for furniture and used furniture shops, offering a unique alternative to Ikea. The narrator finds the prices reasonable and the selection diverse. Moving on, the script discusses Weno, a super area for souvenirs and shoes, with countless shoe stores and the Amoko market, which was once the largest black market in Japan. The area is also rich in toy and hobby shops. The narrator then describes the Naka-Broadway as an eclectic cornucopia of retro and collector's goods, similar to Akihabara, with a focus on collector's items, retro goods, and thrift anime. The paragraph concludes with a visit to Kuray, a craft town offering craft supplies, handmade bags, accessories, and opportunities to try traditional Japanese crafts. The script ends with Shin Ubo, or Little Korea, where visitors can find Korean cosmetics, fashion, food, and K-pop, and Tokyo Station, which offers souvenirs from every region in Japan.

Keywords

💡Toyosu Fish Market

Toyosu Fish Market is a major wholesale market for seafood in Tokyo. It is known for its vast variety of fresh fish and seafood, attracting buyers from all over Japan. The market exemplifies one of the specialized areas within Tokyo, emphasizing the city's unique and diverse zones.

💡Shinjuku

Shinjuku is a vibrant district in Tokyo known for its nightlife, shopping, and entertainment. It's a bustling area filled with neon lights, bars, and restaurants, illustrating Tokyo's dynamic urban culture. The reference highlights the diverse activities and energy of this part of the city.

💡Fabric Town

Fabric Town, referred to in the script as NE buy, is an area in Tokyo renowned for its numerous shops specializing in fabrics and textiles. It's a hub for fashion designers and textile enthusiasts, showcasing Tokyo's niche markets and the availability of specialized goods.

💡Okachimachi

Okachimachi is an area in Tokyo known for its abundance of jewelry shops and frequent robberies due to the high-value items sold there. This highlights the diversity of Tokyo's neighborhoods and the unique characteristics and challenges each area faces.

💡Asakusa

Asakusa is a traditional area in Tokyo famous for Nakamise Street, which leads to the historic Sensoji Temple. It's a popular tourist destination with many shops selling souvenirs, although many items may not be authentically Japanese. This contrasts with other parts of Tokyo that offer more genuine cultural experiences.

💡Kitchen Town

Kabashi-dori, or Kitchen Town, is an area in Tokyo known for its shops selling kitchenware, including fake food displays and high-quality Japanese knives. This area serves restaurant owners and cooking enthusiasts, highlighting Tokyo's specialized shopping districts.

💡Harajuku

Harajuku is a district in Tokyo famous for its youth fashion and unique street style. It is a hotspot for trendy clothing shops and accessories, particularly appealing to young girls. The area's vibrant and eclectic atmosphere is a significant aspect of Tokyo's cultural landscape.

💡Jimbocho

Jimbocho is an area in Tokyo known for its concentration of bookstores, making it a haven for book lovers. The quiet weekdays and bustling weekends contrast with the lively youth-oriented areas like Harajuku, illustrating Tokyo's diverse cultural offerings.

💡Akihabara

Akihabara, also known as Akiba, is a district in Tokyo famous for its electronics shops, anime, gaming, and otaku culture. It is a major destination for enthusiasts of Japanese pop culture, highlighting Tokyo's role as a global center for technology and entertainment.

💡Ginza

Ginza is a luxury shopping district in Tokyo known for its high-end brand stores, expensive boutiques, and hidden gems like rooftop shrines. This area exemplifies Tokyo's affluent and stylish side, attracting those interested in luxury goods and sophisticated shopping experiences.

Highlights

Tokyo is a city broken into smaller areas, each with its own specific goal or purpose.

NE buy dubbed fabric town is a hub for specialty shops for fabrics and textiles.

Okachi Machi is known for its jewelry shops and frequent robbery attempts.

Asaka's Nakamise-dori is a tourist trap with non-Japanese items, but has good food and drink options.

Kagurazaka is a traditional area for kimono and festival clothing supplies.

Kappabashi is a street for kitchen wear and restaurant supplies, including fake display foods.

Kabashi Hondori is lined with Japan's best knife shops.

Shinjuku and Harajuku are known for youth fashion with shops like Ichimiku and Magnet.

Jimbocho is an area dedicated to books and bookstores, with a unique weekend atmosphere.

Ogikubo, or Music Town, has over 50 instrument shops and is a haven for musicians.

Akihabara is a top destination for anime, gaming, figures, and cards.

Ginza has Tokyo's largest collection of luxury brand shops and high-end fashion boutiques.

Omotesando is a high-end fashion area with big fashion brands and an empty shopping mall.

Nihonbashi is known for its GF related shops and old department stores, with a business-focused atmosphere.

Shimokitazawa is a subculture capital with music options, bars, and vintage clothing shops.

Meguro is a furniture district with unique and potentially expensive furniture shops.

Ueno is an area for souvenirs, shoes, and the Amoko market with a variety of goods.

Nakano Broadway is an eclectic cornucopia of retro and collector's goods.

Kurayoshicho is a craft town offering craft supplies and opportunities to try traditional Japanese crafts.

Shin-Ubo, or Little Korea, offers Korean cosmetics, fashion, food, and K-pop.

Tokyo Station's underground shopping arcade sells souvenirs from every region in Japan.

Transcripts

Tokyo is a broken City it's broken into

well smaller cities or areas each with

their own specific goal or purpose for

example the fish market of toyosu or

Shinjuku nlife or even the area of Yoku

dedicated to rather large people

fighting each other or practicing

fighting each other and so today we're

doing a speedrun of the entire city with

one specific goal in mind looking at

where to buy everything in Tokyo

starting with NE buy dubbed fabric town

this is where people from around Japan

come for specialty shops for Fabrics

textiles and well pretty much everything

this this area has it

all there is a lot in this area and that

is kind of going to be our theme today

there's even a whole NE body fabric town

website for the area and that is NE body

short and sweet okachi Machi is an area

of robberies seriously the area is

filled to the brim with jewelry shops

and along with with that comes a steady

and consistent flow of heist and robbery

attempts and yes it does happen in Japan

more often than you might think there

are a large number of gem and material

wholesalers in the area so many of

Japan's amazing handmade jewelry

designers and Artisans will come out to

okachimachi to get their supplies also

keep in mind as we do this today and

this applies to all areas these shops

aren't all just perfectly lined up

beside each other they're spread

throughout the area and require a bit of

searching but that that is where the fun

comes in next area avoid shopping the

nakam street in tokio's traditional area

of Asaka it's that densely packed row of

front-facing shops leading from kamong

gate all the way down to the sen SOI

Temple itself it's a tourist trap and

it's filled with 90% of stuff that isn't

even close to being Japanese like these

fake silk kimono esque things here this

this is not a kimono

there are a few good food and drink

options but that kind of feels like

another video what a sunet is good for

is two to three things mainly number one

is kimono both new and used the area is

filled with shops my personal favorite

is Ogawa I've bought all of my kimona

there and number two is Festival clothes

or supplies for Japanese

festivals also be careful with the sucks

any area of Tokyo really things just

will close randomly there's no set close

day so make sure the shop that you want

to go to is actually open before you go

it's old but I'll link an entire Guide

to the yaka area up here just down the

road and wild is kabashi DOI a street

known for everything at kitchen wear

their entire shops just for fake display

foods and you can get everything from

Kitchen wear to traditional Japanese

plates to supplies to set up and run

your own restaurant

and this giant Chef's head so that's the

thing and since an impressive number of

people want to buy Japanese kitchen

knives kabashi hondori which is just off

of kabashi Dori is lined with some of

Japan's best knife shops this shop is

actually no photographs but I know the

owner here so they let us get some shots

straight across the city is shiya which

probably needs no introduction and is

known for a lot of stuff some good and

some maybe not so much it's meant to be

kind of a youth fashioned area with

shops like ichim Miku geared towards the

female crowd and magnet geared towards

more of the male crowd among many many

many others and there's a Pokémon

Center and just down the street is

Harajuku which is also known for fashion

but like more from takish Street and

Beyond Harajuku is filled with clothing

shops and accessory shops most of which

are geared towards young girls also

Inori is one of the biggest and best

Daiso 100 yen shops that you will find

in central Tokyo this one's a really

good place to get souvenirs and Crepes

they they have

Crepes and in Star contrast we have

jimboo an entire area of the city

dedicated to books and

bookstores but it's a deceptive area

because on weekdays well like this it's

just a quiet book town on weekends it's

filled with more youth than the areas of

Harajuku and

shiya some of these shops are amazing

too also a lot of these buildings have

multiple floors of book shops so don't

just stick to the ground level but the

beauty of jimoo aside from the books is

its proximity to two or three other

really amazing areas like o chizu or

music town which is a Haven for

musicians and instrument lovers with the

single greatest collection of music

shops in the entire city of Tokyo there

are more than 50 instrument shops spread

throughout the area and even an entire

Street just called guitar Street not

only is it a whole town of instruments

but it's also directly connected to oawa

Machi which most people have never even

heard of but is packed to the gills with

snowboard and ski related shops as well

as other sporting goods stores both on

the Main Street and tucked into the back

streets I also just noticed that the

guard rails here are sports themed guard

rails themselves are also different in

almost every area of Tokyo but that

feels like a different video and it's

just a short walk down the road to

Akihabara which just looks the best at

night it's one of the top places on this

entire list and that's saying a lot

because we still have most of the best

places left now this area is the obvious

choice for Japanese anime gaming and

Retro Gaming figures Pokemon cards or

really any kind of cards heck you can

you can even find entire shops just

dedicated to used

records not to mention the number of

Airsoft options to give you a sense of

just how dense and exciting Akiba is

let's do a speedrun of some of my

favorite chops while we give some love

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the end of our sponsor role and I always

always end up in thrift stores Ginza has

what might be Tokyo's largest collection

of luxury brand shops and an amuji Hotel

didn't even know that was the thing in

pretty much every category from pearls

and watches to jewelry Cosmetics

clothing there's also a ton of stuff

here that I don't even think I've ever

heard of basically if it's expensive

you'll probably be be able to find it in

G

up and fun fact the area is also home to

some of Tokyo's best hidden back streets

and secret Shrine and

that so and rooftop shrines too like

really really nice ones OT Sando is the

high-end Fashion Boutique area of the

city along with the nearby area of ayama

the main street is lined with all the

big fashion brands with fancy shop

fronts and there's an entire shopping

mall in here that just might be the

emptiest shopping mall in Tokyo while

magically being somehow so much bigger

from the inside than it is from the

outside niom Bashi can be summed up with

its collection of GF related shops and

old department stores but this area is

really cool for another reason now

despite it being a very heavily business

focused area within walking distance of

Tokyo Station the area of niom Bashi and

the surrounding area are filled with

residential Apartments like this one and

it wasn't on purpose the original

location of the Tokyo Stock Exchange is

in Kabuto which is right around the

corner from Nashi but when the market

made the shift to digital all those

offices that were used to move and

transport physical stocks and bonds

suddenly emptied out at such a high

speed that Apartments started popping up

right left and Center

and I learned that because I used to

live in this area next spot shimawa is

home to a very common mistake made by

visitors known as the subculture capital

of Japan it's home to a wide variety of

Music options and bars and is filled

with vintage clothing shops and

consignment stores that many people

mistake for thrift shops but are

actually much more

expensive this shop here is a pretty

good example of one of those vintage or

consignment stores if you're having

trouble telling them apart usually you

can do so by the prices now there are

plenty of actual thrift stores in the

area with reasonable prices you just

might need to look a little harder for

them I recommend just walking around and

enjoying the area like honestly I'm

pretty sure the area is filled with more

used clothing stores than you could hit

in a single day with many of them having

a different theme sometimes very

specific like this one behind me here is

a thrift store SL coffee shop I like it

now the area of megao is like shimo Kama

but for furniture if you're looking for

something a little more unique than Ikea

and potentially a little more expensive

the main street of megaro has the

greatest collection of furniture and

used furniture shops in all of Tokyo you

know what scratch what I said about more

expensive the prices in this particular

one aren't bad like these are less than

$200 and this retro leather chair here

is around the same price I'm pretty sure

that Ikea has more expensive chairs that

aren't that nice okay mego is not bad

weno is the super area it has everything

it's an amazing place to get souvenirs

but the first thing that actually comes

to mind here for some reason is shoes

there are countless shoe stores in the

area and in the amoko market which was

originally the largest Black Market in

Japan after World War II and is now home

to literally everything that you can

imagine also an odd abundance of toy and

hobby shops are spread through the

market and it's the perfect place to

grab snacks to take back home with you

there being entire Supermarket style

shops like Nikki no Kushi here which

specializes in snacks and food and it's

it's a paradise also another great area

for street

food and it's all right around the

corner from big old wio park so Che the

position I once heard the Nano Broadway

Des described as an Eclectic Cornucopia

of retro and collector's Goods I love

that description by the way and still

feel it's very accurate the Nako

Broadway actually shares a lot of

similarities with the area of akih Haba

in its dedication to collector's items

retro Goods Thrift anime and basically

all things wonderful the whole thing is

a visual treat and one of the best parts

is is it's contained within this multi

floor shopping arcade keeping it out

close close together and out of the rain

and never noticed this before but there

are also a lot of watch shops most which

are almost completely empty there's also

this really wild looking CAF I love the

TV they have on the wall I may have done

a little bit too much shopping

here kuray is a craft town from every

angle you look at it it is the go-to

spot in Tokyo for craft supplies

handmade bags accessories or even trying

your hand at traditional Japanese crafts

while Shin ubo or Little Korea is where

you are going to find everything from

Korean cosmetics and fashion all the way

to food K-pop and more but Tokyo Station

more accurately the space below it is a

real life cheat code it is a hack this

shop behind me for example among others

sells souvenirs from every single region

in Japan in fact their website even says

it's for those times you forgot to get a

souvenir for your friends from that

place you went you can literally travel

Japan without ever having to leave Tokyo

Station this shop focuses entirely on

foods from Hokkaido in fact this vast

underground shopping arcade attached to

the station is obviously also filled

with Tokyo only souvenirs for example

the ever popular Tokyo banana and

there's more a lot more this doesn't

even touch on food actually I might have

to redo this entire video just just for

food what was your favorite

area

a