In Japan, shopping has been elevated to an art form. High-end Tokyo department stores stoked with luxury goods sit next to world-famous brand boutiques, while discount clothing shops and used electronics retailers all vie for your hard-earned yen. One thing's for sure: you won't leave the city empty- handed.
Department stores
Japan's fabled department stores offer everything a shopper could hope for, from clothing, accessories and jewelry to homewares and food - all under one roof. In Tokyo, the best-known areas for these stores are Ginza, where you'll find such well-known names as Mitsukoshi, Matsuya and Shinjuku, which is home to Takashimaya and Isetan.
Drug Stores
Drug stores in Japan sell a variety of health and beauty products, from medicines to commodities, and also have a pharmacy that accepts prescriptions. Drug stores are popular for consumers who look for a bargain to buy supplements, energy drinks, and many everyday items in bulk at a discounted price.
￥100 shops
Tokyo is not all about high-end boutiques and glitzy department stores. Shops that offer all items for a single ￥100 coin have exploded in popularity. Most neighborhoods feature at least one ￥100 store, which are the perfect places for tourists to pick up inexpensive souvenirs like chopsticks and teacups. Two of the most popular ￥100-shop chains are Daiso and Can Do.
Convenience stores
There are numerous convenience stores throughout Tokyo, which are open
around the clock, and sell not only food and magazines, but also daily necessities
such as underwear and toiletries. These stores are open all-year-round and
are very useful for travelers, making Tokyo one of the most convenient and
trouble-free cities for tourists
Super-markets, larger in size than convenience stores, are open till 10 p.m.
or so. (Some are even open all day long in these days.) More and more drugstores
and department stores are open until 9 p.m. So, it is no exaggeration to
say that with a passport and cash, everything necessary is easily procurable
in Tokyo. Heavy luggage hampers free movement and limits one's field of activities.
Therefore, it is better to keep luggage to the minimum to enjoy more footloose
sightseeing in Tokyo.