Spend an afternoon in one of Tokyo’s coolest shopping districts
Tokyo is one of those cities that oozes cool, so when you have an afternoon free to wander and explore, you are spoilt for choice for where to go and what to do. Just an afternoon you say? Well, let me explain. We usually spend the Chinese New Year holiday skiing in Niseko (global pandemics aside) and instead of flying direct, we choose to fly via Tokyo. There are a couple of reasons for this - one is that the flight departs in the afternoon and lands in the evening which is far more pleasant than travelling overnight and the other is that on the return, we get the chance to spend an afternoon indulging in Tokyo’s delights. A huge bonus.
This year we decided to spend our post-skiing Tokyo afternoon in Daikanyama - a little neighbourhood tucked between Shibuya, Nakameguro and Ebisu. Think narrow streets dotted with stylish boutiques and cool coffee spots. Much quieter and far less touristy than Shibuya, it is the perfect suburb for wandering around, coffee in hand, exploring the hip shops and finding somewhere to sit with a cold beer and a delicious plate of food once the sun goes down.
WHERE TO START
We were staying in Shibuya so although we were within walking distance, we took the metro one stop to Daikanyama to start our wanderings (because navigating public transport in foreign cities always has a ‘will we end up where we thought we would?’ ‘did we read that Japanese metro map correctly?’ element of surprise about it which makes for a fun start). Our first stop was to grab a take away coffee and then a couple of paces away, a warm cinnamon bun from Uzu, a tiny very sweet little bakery that only sells cinnamon rolls. (I mean, a whole bakery that only sells cinnamon rolls? You don’t have to ask me twice). From there we were at the stairs that lead to Log Road.
LOG ROAD, DAIKANYAMA
Log Road is a green oasis of a pedestrian strip with freestanding contemporary wooden buildings that house shops, cafes and a brewery. The path is flanked with greenery and there are benches along the way suitable for hanging out and watching the fashionble Tokyo hipsters parade by. It is down Log Road that you will find SNS (short for Sneakers n Stuff) - a cool sneaker and fashion store that we spent no small amount of time in. While much of the fashion was only suitable for cold climate living, sneakers are an all year purchasing possibility and I came away with a pair of blue suede Gazelle sneakers which I have been lusting over for years.
At the start of Log Road you will find Spring Valley Brewery, a cool glass fronted industrial looking cafe restaurant. We didn’t eat here because, well, cinnamon bun, and also it was only 5pm so too early for dinner. SNS also have a cafe on Log Road which sells fun kitsch items and is a casual place to stop for some coffee and a treat. At the end of Log Road is Garden House Crafts, a bakery cafe with an outdoor terrace strung with pretty lights. Again, had we not already had our fill of cinnamon buns, we might have stopped off here as it looks really lovely. Next time. (As you can tell, you will be slightly spoilt for choice).
Sarugakucho, Shibuya / Daikanyama
Leaving Log Road, we dropped down to the street below and then up a set of stairs dotted with hairdressing salons, to another set of shopping streets. Along the slightly busier road of Sarugakucho you will find stores like Styles and A.P.C (which I was very tempted by) before you follow it to the right where it narrows and enter another cluster of hip boutiques.
We couldn’t go past Number Sugar which is a store that only sells caramels. It is designed like a minimalist boutique and you have the choice to buy your caramels already in a mixed box, or pick your own. We went for choose your own and came away with caramel delights in flavours like brown sugar, coffee, raspberry and salt. All of them were exceptionally delicious and I wished we’d bought more. If Number Sugar is closed, nevermind, there is a cute and stylish vending machine at the entrance so that you never have to miss out. Genius.
Across the road from caramel heaven, is Bonjour Records, an oh-so-cool shop curated by music lovers for music consoisseurs, with music related apparel and obligatory ‘I’m-so-hip I’ve gone back to analogue’ records. I’m not hip. I listen to music on Spotify but I loved this little shop anyway - even if I don’t own a record player. Just on from Bonjour Records is a side street, on the corner of which you will find High Standard, an American fashion store selling a combination of vintage and new apparel - caps, tshirts, bomber jackets etc. The store is tiny and packed so I suggest only those interested in browsing or buying go in and leave the others (read: kids) on the street (in my experience shopping with kids often involves them following you so closely that any change in browsing direction has you bumping into them - all while they try and tell you some complicated story about a kid from school who once said something that was funny).
Keep walking down this little side street and you will get to Denham - one of our favourite shops that we discovered in Amsterdam. Great denim for men as well as gorgeous jackets, t shirts and the like. I highly recommend. There are several great shops all along this street and a bit further on down another tiny back street you will find Hedy, a pre-loved luxury handbag shop selling exceptional pieces by all the big names.
Back on to the Main Street of Sarugakucho and next to the caramel shop, you will find Okura, a gorgeous shop of traditional Japanese indigo-dyed clothing which is really quite lovely.
And a few doors down again, you will find the French / Japanese lifestyle brand, Maison Kitsune in a really beautiful building. There is a lot to love in their relaxed timeless basics - and yes, while you can get this brand in Singapore, it’s still worth a visit while you are in Japan as there is something so much nicer about shopping for items in this lovely boutique in a cool neighbourhood versus a shopping mall in Singapore.
This was about as much as we could do with our afternoon. After Maison Kitsune we wandered back the way we had come to grab an early dinner, before walking through the streets of Shibuya to our hotel. The perfect ending to a wonderful week in Japan.
where we went
Uzu Bakery, 13-8 1 1 2 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya City
SNS, 13−1 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0034
Garden House Crafts, 13−1 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya City
Spring Valley Brewery, 13-1 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya City
Styles, 11−3 Sarugakucho Shibuya City
A.P.C, 11-9 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033
Number Sugar, 20-9 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033
Bonjour Records, 24-1 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033
Okura, 20-11 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033
High Standard, 25-1 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033
Denham, 25-8 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033, Japan
Hedy, 26-8 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033
Maison Kitsune, 20-14 Sarugakucho, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0033