It’s no exaggeration to say that Japan is a shopper’s paradise.
With everything from state-of-the-art electronics to hand-made crafts with generations of history behind them, everything you buy has a tale to tell. Here, I present 15 of the very best items you can shop for, all Japan-exclusive.
To navigate effortlessly between stores and share your shopping finds, bring an iRoamly Japan travel eSIM for fast, reliable connectivity throughout your trip. Now, let's get started!
1. Electronics
Why You’ll Love It: Japan is a haven for tech heads, with plenty of futuristic tech and a wealth of high-quality electronics from cameras to games consoles – often with features that are only available in the country at the moment.
Where to Shop: Akihabara, or “Electric Town”, in Tokyo is the mecca of all things electronic, be it the latest DSLRs, consoles, or quirky home gizmos. Major retailers such as Yodobashi Camera, or Bic Camera are a techie’s paradise.
Budget: Prices vary massively – you may get away with small gadgets and accessories starting around ¥5,000, but be prepared to shell out over ¥100,000 for higher-end items such as professional cameras or the newest generation of consoles.
Shopping Tips: Japanese power runs at 100v – make sure your new toy will work back home. For larger savings, items can often be purchased tax-free, with a receipt held at the store until departure, and a refund claimed at a special airport counter.
2. Anime and Manga Merchandise
Why You’ll Love It: Love anime and manga? Fans and collectors will find almost any and everything they could ever want related to Japanese comics and animation.
Where to Shop: Try Nakano Broadway in Tokyo or Akihabara, where you’ll find multi-floor complexes dedicated to anime and manga, packed with everything from vintage comics to the latest figures.
Budget: There are items starting as low as ¥200, and rare, high-end collectibles can fetch ¥20,000 or more.
Shopping Tips: Looking for something really special? Keep an eye for limited edition goods or event-specific merchandise, often available at trade shows like Comiket, or in dedicated stores.
3. Beauty Products
Why You’ll Love It: Japanese products are often highly innovative and feature impressive attention to detail. Ingredients and technology are frequently developed to increase effectiveness and make the products more enjoyable to use.
Top Brands:
Shiseido: One of Japan’s oldest cosmetics companies, offering skincare, make-up, and sun care lines.
SK-II: Pioneering the bestseller Facial Treatment Essence with Pitera, a yeast extract claiming anti-aging properties.
Biore: Best known for effective yet gentle cleansers and sunscreens.
DHC: Famed for its deep cleansing oil and a wider selection of natural skincare, all based on organic olive oil.
Kanebo: The brand offers make-up alongside its skincare, with a line aimed at total beauty care.
Kose: Offers high-quality skincare lines and groundbreaking cosmetics.
Hada Labo: Skin care brand with its popular “Gokujyun” line for super-hydrating with hyaluronic acid.
Canmake: A loved-by-all brand that won’t break the bank for make-up.
Budget: Whether you’re buying sub-¥1,000 gems from a high street cosmetics store or splurging on ¥10,000+ designer make-up, there are products to fit all budgets.
Shopping Tips: Try visiting stores in Tokyo's Ginza or Umeda in Osaka for demonstrations of products, and often free samples. Japan has tax-free shopping – show your passport and ask for a refund at specific counters.
4. Fashion and Clothing
Why You’ll Love It: Japan’s fashion scene is incredibly diverse. From traditional styles to cutting edge street fashion, What to wear in Japan tends to focus on form and function. The result is that outfits both look good and feel great to wear. Understanding the local fashion trends will help you blend in comfortably while staying stylish..
Where to Shop: While the backstreets of Harajuku offer edgier clothing, and the thrift shops of Shimokitazawa are a fashion hotspot, denim aficionados would do no wrong by visiting the mills of Okayama.
Budget: With prices varying so drastically between a ¥3,000 piece and designer brands with prices topping ¥50,000, there really is something for every price point.
Shopping Tips: Sizes in Japan don’t necessarily translate to sizes in the west, so making use of the fitting rooms is crucial when trying on clothes.
5. Traditional Crafts
Why You’ll Love It: Interest in traditional Japanese crafts isn't just about the beauty of it - but it is beautiful. It's about the handmade skill and cultural inheritance of generations of craftsmen.
Must-Buys: Mashiko pottery, Wajima lacquerware, or hand loomed textiles from Kyoto. Each is not just an object but a piece of Japanese craft.
Budget: Smaller items can cost as little as ¥2,000, with larger items setting you back potentially ¥100,000 or more, depending on craftsmanship.
Shopping Tips: Visit craft studios to see artisans at work. It will give you a greater appreciation for the crafts themselves and the people who make them.
DON'T FORGET: What You Can't Bring Back to Your Country
Don't sabotage your declaration form. Some items - like fresh fruit, or some medications - are restricted or forbidden to bring into your home country. Make sure you know what you can and can't bring in, before you buy.
6. Stationery
Why You’ll Love It: There’s a reason Japanese stationery has its own reputation – it’s phenomenally well-made. Often that’s mixed with beautiful design as well, with everything from pens to paper featuring a combination of the classic and the modern
Where to Shop: Visit Itoya in Tokyo or Kyukyodo in Kyoto to pick up new stationery, with bargains and collectables for both casual shoppers or the hardcore stationery lover.
Budget: A perfectly serviceable pen can be ¥300 or less, but expect to pay ¥10,000 or more for more luxurious or artist-designed pieces.
Shopping Tips: Many stationary stores have test facilities for their pens and paper so you can perfect your set up. Also, shop for seasonal items to make cinematic moments for yourself.
7. Snacks and Sweets
Why You’ll Love It: Japanese snacks and sweets aren’t just indulgences; they’re an explosion of taste and craft. Whether regional flavors or seasonal delights, each incandescent morsel provides a window into the local culture.
Where to Shop: Any convenience store, supermarket, or dedicated snack store in the likes of Tokyo or Osaka. For an even greater range, department stores—specifically their food halls—offer a vast selection.
Budget: Inexpensive, generally, with prices from ¥100 for single items up to ¥2,000 or thereabouts for elaborately boxed gifts.
Shopping Tips: Keep an eye out for seasonal or limited time flavors, such as sakura cherry blossom in Spring or satsuma sweet potato in Autumn – they also make good omiyage (see below).
8. Tea and Sake
Why You’ll Love It: Tea and sake are two of the cornerstones of Japanese culture, each with their own histories and rituals. They range from the industrially produced to the rare and craft, with each variety having its own story of place and taste.
Where to Shop: Tea shops, especially those in historic tea town Uji near Kyoto. For sake, consider visiting a brewery for tours and tastings. In Tokyo, Hasegawa Saketen has a rich selection of sake.
Budget: Tea will usually set you back anywhere between ¥1,000 and upwards of ¥10,000, while sake can range from ¥1,000 to sky high prices for rare aged bottles.
Shopping Tips: Seek out places that offer tastings to find what you like. Just be mindful of the drinking age in Japan if you're sampling sake, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
9. Kitchenware
Why You’ll Love It: Japanese kitchenware delights in both utility and form, whether the creative impetus behind a hand-forged knife or the delicate elegance of ceramics. The right tools can not only enhance your cooking experience, but they can legitimately make your food look better, too.
Where to Shop: Kappabashi Street in Tokyo is the kitchenware homebase, where you’ll literally find everything from professional cookware to kitschy gadgets.
Budget: Expect to pay anywhere between ¥500 for a tool or object up to ¥50,000 or more for a custom pot or artisanal knives.
Shopping Tips: For knives, check whether stores provide engraving or sharpening services, and decide what the knife’s purpose is – different styles for different tasks, after all.
10. Toys
Why You’ll Love It: Japanese toys are as likely to be cutting edge as they are fun, often blending classic designs with modern technology. Great for kids and collectors.
Where To Buy: You can find electronic toys in Akihabara, and more traditional toys in areas such as Asakusa or craft markets.
Price: Prices range depending on type of toy and complexity.
Shopping Tips: Seek out the smaller stores that stock more unique items you may not find elsewhere and remember some toy stores have display areas where you can, quite literally, try before you buy.
11. Art
Why You’ll Love It: From ancient techniques to avant-garde contemporary artists, Japanese art remains timeless. Purchasing a piece here gives you a chance to own part of cultural history.
Where To Buy: Head to art districts like Nakameguro in Tokyo or local art fairs all over Japan. Small galleries and art markets also yield one-of-a-kind pieces.
Price: Original prints and smaller pieces can be picked up for around ¥5,000, while larger or more famous works can cost upward of ¥100,000.
Shopping Tips: Take in exhibitions and art shows for a fuller understanding of what's available and to better connect with the piece you're buying.
12. Music
Why You’ll Love It: Japan's music scene is vast, embracing everything from traditional min'yō folk music to J-Pop. Records of local bands or copies of traditional instruments can make for memorable mementoes of your trip.
Where To Buy: Shibuya and Shinjuku in Tokyo are famed for their independent music stores crammed with new and second-hand vinyl.
Price: It can be as little as ¥1,000 for a CD, or anywhere from ¥5,000 and up for a cherished vinyl record or an obscure release.
Shopping Tips: Gigs are an institution in Japan – not to mention a lot of fun – and a great way to discover new artists and bands. Often artists will sell copies of their work direct to the audience, too.
13. Sports Equipment
Why You’ll Love It: Years of martial arts tradition, coupled with modern athletes' influence, make Japan a great spot to pick up sports gear.
Where To Buy: Check out specialist stores in Tokyo and Kyoto, catering to martial arts fans. Most disciplines will have dedicated stores stocking everything from judo gis to kendo swords, and even sumo apparel.
Price: Entry level martial arts gear can begin at ¥3,000. High-end or custom pieces can run over ¥30,000.
Shopping Tips: Head to a local sports event or even a practice session. Athletes will likely use the gear you’re shopping for and you can ask them for advice on the best brand or make for your needs.
14. Jewelry
Why You'll Love It: Japanese jewelers often bring together traditional influences with modern stylings to create pieces that feel deeply cultural, yet ultra-contemporary.
Where to Shop: Places like the Ginza shopping district in Tokyo or Kanazawa (famous for its gold leaf work); stores run by independent jewelers in these neighborhoods showcase handmade, one-of-a-kind designs.
Price: Budget from around ¥10,000 for nice items, but you can also find close to bespoke designs in the hundreds of thousands.
Shopping Tips: Most jewelers will gladly offer customized pieces, whether changing a design for you or even engraving messages, turning them into true mementos or gifts.
15. Furniture
Why You'll Love It: Japanese furniture is renowned for both minimalist stylings and, for quality pieces, exceptional craftsmanship, creating functional art pieces.
Where to Shop: Traditional furniture shops in cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, or even smaller towns offer wares crafted using techniques passed down the ages. For more modern designs, check out stores in Tokyo’s design districts such as Aoyama and Harajuku.
Price: Smaller pieces, like a wooden stool or shelf, can be yours from ¥15,000, but a beautiful handmade table or chair may be upward of ¥100,000.
Shopping Tips: Much furniture is large, so consider shipping for bigger buys – many such stores are used to selling to overseas customers and are able to organize safely shipping your purchases back home.
FAQ
1. Why are there two prices in Japan?
Japanese shops usually show prices with and without tax; only the tax-inclusive price is what you’ll have to pay.
2. What are famous Japanese brands?
Famous Japanese brands include Sony for electronics, Uniqlo for clothing, and Shiseido for cosmetics.
3. What items are tax-free in Japan?
You can shop tax free on a variety of items, from electronics to clothes and souvenirs when you purchase them at a designated tax free shop.
4. How much can you bring back from Japan?
This varies by country; in most cases you’re able to import an amount of goods up to a certain value without incurring additional duty fees. Check with your national customs office for measuring specifics.
The Bottom Line
Whether you're in the market for essential keepsakes, incredible handiwork, or state-of-the-art gadgetry, no other destination on Earth offers a shopping experience quite like Japan.
Each item is imbued with its own character and a narrative that will resonate long after your trip has ended. Fill your suitcase and prepare to get lost in a shopper's paradise – you'll simply be struck by the variety that Japan's shopping scene has to offer.
Shop safely, and enjoy the rest of your visit!