Ginza Shopping Guide

Our Ginza shopping guide takes you inside the glimmering city lights of Tokyo to the glamourous district of Ginza. This is the place where Tokyo’s rich and famous gather together at the various cocktails bars, lounges and exclusive nightclubs that make up this classy part of town. During the day, Ginza is thriving with shoppers looking for luxury labels.

It is renowned for being one of the most expensive districts in the whole of Japan with the likes of Cartier and Chanel located on the same street. For those who wish to sample some of Japan’s most renowned designers combined with high street favourites, Ginza offers a pleasant shopping experience with a fantastic range of dining options too.

Where to Shop in Ginza

Chuo Dori

Chuo Dori is Ginza’s most famous shopping boulevard with everything from Bulgari to Uniqlo. The street stretches 1kilmometers and is lined with trees to create a charming shopping ambience. On weekends this road is closed to traffic from midday until 5pm which makes it far more convenient for shoppers to get around. Even if the designers around here are out of your budget, Chuo Dori is also a great place for a spot of window shopping.

Tokyu Plaza Ginza

This brand new department store is located over 14 floors and is brimming with restaurants and fantastic city views. What sets this apart from other department stores in the city is the exquisite interior design that makes shopping feel so much more luxurious. Tokyu Plaza Ginza also boasts a charming roof terrace with a spacious seating area and fabulous views of the city below.

Barney’s New York Ginza

If New York has a Barney’s then so does Tokyo. This famous American department store is based on its New York sister and is home to some of the most respected names in the fashion world including Marc Jacobs and Oakley. The store itself is far smaller than the one in New York but it oozes with style and sophistication.

Hakuhinkan Toy Park

Tucked away from Ginza’s elegant boutiques is Hakuhinkan Toy Park; a toy shop spanning over eight floors. The shop itself opened in 1892 and has become a national chain since then with a number of smaller stores located around Tokyo. Hakuhinkan boasts 200,000 types of toys so it’s easy to imagine just how astonishing this shop is.

The store even has a toy hospital where customers can receive toy repairs. The shop is certainly worth visiting especially if you happen to be a collector of limited edition toys. Nestled on the very top floor is the store’s very own theatre that displays a number of family friendly shows each month.

Mitsukoshi

Though this looks like another contemporary department store, Mitsukoshi Ginza is in fact the oldest department store in all of Japan. Dating back to 1673 the store originated as a kimono shop before becoming the country’s first modern department store in 1901.

Today Mitsukoshi offers twelve floors of high-end accessories, toys and clothing. For foodies, the store has two additional levels of places to eat and drink including a wine tasting bar. The restaurants and eateries of this store are in a class of their own and are a perfect way to experience Japanese cuisine all under one roof.

Shopping in Ginza

Most shops in Ginza are open seven days a week.

Free WiFi is available to everyone in the Ginza shopping district.

The easiest train station to access the shops is Ginza Station. This station is on the Hibuya, Ginza and Marunouchi subway lines. For those travelling on the JR line the closest station is Yurakucho Station.