Japan: Part 2 - Shopping! My favourite shops!

The BEST invention in Japan are the fixed price shops! Besides the ubiquitous 100 yen shops, there are the even more fabulous 300 yen shops!! Seriously, everytime you see a 300 yen fixed price shop, walk in!!! It’s so so so fun, and filled with things that are super value-for-money, and which you never realized you needed until you saw it there^^.

Note: There's 5% tax, so a 100 yen item will cost 105 yen, while a 300 yen item will cost 315 yen etc etc.

3 Coins


This has quite a number of branches, all over Japan. I saw it in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto... aaaaaah, I bought so many things from them, pretty crayon-esque chopsticks, gorgeous mirrors, foldable trolley bag with wheels, flower hairbands, pretty ruffled umbrellas etc etc. Each shop may carry slightly different stuff, so go into each one you see!

Smart life market


Carries similar stuff as 3 Coins, has a few outlets, one of which is in Tokyo Station.

Paris Kids

Lots of sparkly, pretty accessories e.g. necklaces, hairbands, hair extensions etc. Doesn’t have a lot of standalone shops, but a lot of fixed-price shops carry their products. There's an outlet at Takeshita-dori, bursting with Japanese schoolgirls cooing over their products.

One Price- You You

I spotted this shop in Shinjuku. It has quite nice, girly stuff.

Japan: Part 2 - Shopping Tokyo! Places that your wallet will thank you for

Ueno- Ameyochoko


Underneath the railway tracks are rows of shops and eateries. I finally found my elusive unagi speciality shop here! There’s lots of shops selling branded toiletries at cheap prices, secondhand branded bags and watches, sports stuff and clothes (mostly for men though!).


You may also want to pop by Ueno Park, which is located next to the subway as well. There's a huge pond, a zoo, lots of greenery etc.

Akihabara


Lots of electronics stores, with lots of men gawking at the kawaii girls advertising for the maid cafes. For girls who are not that techy (ie. me), I recommend just going into a major brand e.g. Yodabashi Camera, which is right at the subway exit. It’s 8 stories high and carries everything, from cameras to mp3 players to televisions. My sister made me buy limited-edition Audio-technica earphones for her, which was around 50% cheaper compared to shops in Singapore.

Ikebukuro


Ooh, this area is fun! Full of pachinko parlours, and afforable shopping. I scored lovely, pretty hats here for around JPY 1,000. There’s also a major mid-priced complex - Sunshine City, which houses an indoor theme park "Namco Namja Town".

Japan: Part 2 - Shopping Tokyo! Places to bring your credit card^^

Roppongi

Roppongi Hills is a giant shopping and eating complex, full of shiny, expensive shops. It's also next to the Grand Hyatt that was the filming scene for "Lost in Translation".


There's a famous spider sculpture there. I've seen the spider sculptures in a few other countries too. Have no idea why shopping centers like it so much.


When I was there, there was a Japanese singer recording a performance at the outdoor stage. There were tons of her fans, all dressed like mini versions of her. Even Japanese kids have amazing fashion sense!

Ginza



Another place to see and be seen. Lots of sparkly luxury stores line the streets. There’s a H&M there too.

Venus Fort


Located at Odaiba… look under the “Sightseeing in Tokyo” section for more directions and attractions. Venus Fort is sooooooo pretty! A Venice-themed, women-focused mall, with fountains and an artificial sky that changes from morning to night! It has a few outlet stores (including Coach and Levi) … can get some good bargains.

Japan: Part 2 - Shopping Tokyo!

Shop from Omote-sando to Shibuya ^^


Pretty Prada near Omote-sando station! Award-winning building ok!


Omote-sando hills. Full of expensive things… *itchy fingers*


Oriental Bazaar has lots of souvenirs… but I didn’t really like the shop. Kiddyland is next to it, with cuteness overload. Girls who have a penchant for naming their soft toys (you know who you are!) will probably really enjoy it.


La Foret… similar to Shibuya 109.


Uniqlo at Shibuya… there’s Uniqlo everywhere, about the same price as Singapore but with bigger variety.


Tokyu Hands! See the green hand sign near the tree? That’s the symbol of Tokyu Hands. It’s quite a fun multi-storied building… sells everything from trolley bags to pretty stationary to watches to fun toiletries stuff. Girls can head straight for the toiletries floor, and then to the stationary floor ^^.


Loft is similar to Tokyu Hands.


ranking ranQueen! Fun shop at Shibuya station, which ranks all the items in terms of popularity e.g. best bb cream, best lip balm, best chips.


The iconic Shibuya 109 is worth a stroll… the salesgirls are all super pretty and fashionable! But the main affordable shopping is at Takeshita-dori in Harajuku.


Pretty Harajuku subway station leading to Takeshita-dori. Lined with clothes and accessories shops, it also houses a multi-storeyed Daiso. Ooh, must jostle with the schoolgirls at Paris Kids to buy pretty accessories at 315 yen!


H&M and F21 at Shibuya! Super excited to see H&M but in the end only bought one top.


And finally, must go visit Hachiko at Shibuya!

Japan: Part 2 - Shopping Tokyo! Outlet shopping!

Gotemba Premium Outlet

I love Chelsea premium outlets! Just thinking about outlet shopping makes me super high^^.

Before you go, visit the website for promotions at http://www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/en. The last time I went, there was a visa promotion, so after my shopping spree, I redeemed a mirror and a tote bag. It’s always nice to get free things!

It’s not as big and wonderful as America outlets, but it’s very pretty! Nestled in the mountains, with a ferris wheel, it has the usual branded stuff e.g. Gucci, Coach, and the sports brands e.g. Nike, Adidas.



Tip: If the salesgirl hands you a coupon when you walk into the door, don’t throw the coupon away! Upon payment at Coach, the salesgirl informed me that the coupon I was given at the door, was for an additional 30% discount! Tres unglamorous to rummage through your bag to look for the coupon^^. Ohhhh!! Must go to the cosmetics outlet, they were selling Shu Uemura stuff around 40% cheaper than Singapore! Samatha Thavasa has an outlet here too.

You can buy the bus ticket for 2800 Yen at the JR Bus station counter located at Tokyo Station, Yaesu South Exit. Go on a weekday so that there’s less people.

The departure time from Tokyo Station is 8.30am… need to be punctual! Departure time from Gotemba outlet is 4.30pm.

Japan: Part 1 - Accommodation

Tokyo - Kangaroo Hotel


Facilities: Tiny but functional room, with a TV, air con, fridge, table and cable internet access. Really cheap at 3,300JPY/night for a single room. Shared facilities include clean shower rooms, baths, toilets, hair dryer, microwave, washing machine, kettle and computers.


But even though the shared facilities are nice, I’ve realized I’m too high maintenance for shared bathrooms nowadays! I need my own bathroom! So the next time I’m in Tokyo, I probably won’t stay here^^

Location: About 10 mins walk from Minami-senju on subway Hibiya line and JR Joban line. Pretty convenient, as Minami-senju is only 3 stops away from Ueno.
http://www.e-otomari.jp/~english/hotels/kangaroohotel.html

Osaka – Kinki Hotel

First of all, kinky things really happen here! *cough cough* There’s advertised rates for 2 hrs/ 3 hrs etc and I saw a Japanese man trying to convince a woman to go in with him. Super funny ^^.

BUT I didn’t hear any sounds at night, its location is super fantastic and the facilities are really good for the price.



Facilities: Comfortably sized room with TV, air con, fridge, table, cable internet access, kettle, and a bathroom! Bathroom is tiny but functional, with complimentary toiletries. There’s even a yukata!

Location: About ten minutes walk from Osaka station, right in the middle of Umeda, surrounded by shopping centers and eateries. Osaka station is super convenient for taking trains to Kyoto, Nara etc.
http://hotelkinki.com/