what are some cool shops in Japan?

Question

i've seen pictures of those gigantic stores in Japan. what are they called and what exactly do they sell. if i could get a recomendation, that be great :)

Answer 1

These are some cool shops in Japan, I have been in these places... for more information regarding the location and store hours..check websites..
Matsuya
The Ginza store of the Matsuya department store chain offers fashion, foods, household goods, a pet shop, a travel agency and an exhibition hall on its eleven floors
Ginza Wako
Built in 1932, the clock tower of the Ginza Wako building is the symbol of the Ginza, standing at the northwest corner of the district's centrally located junction of Chuo and Harumi Dori. Inside the building, jewelry and other luxury items are
Hankyu
Osaka based Hankyu operates the "Yurakucho Hankyu", a conventional department store in the Yurakucho Marion Building and "Mosaic Ginza Hankyu", a collection of fashion and lifestyle stores.
Seibu
Located in the Yurakucho Marion Building, the Yurakucho store of the Seibu department store chain consists of nine floors, offering a wide array of fashion and accessories
Sony Building
The newest products by Sony, including DVD recorders, televisions, cameras, audio sets, mobile phones, computers and Play Station products, are displayed to the public in the showrooms in this building. There are also a few shops, restaurants and cafes.
Sofmap
Sofmap operates as many as 16 shops in the Akihabara area including multiple branches, which specialize in used computers. The stores are numbered from 1 to 14 plus the main store and the Kakuta branch. A duty free floor can be found in store number one
Yodobashi Camera
The Shinjuku based discount electronic store giant Yodobashi Camera opened its huge Akihabara branch in September 2005. Unlike most other electronic shops, it is located on the east side of Akihabara Station, in the new Yodobashi Akiba Building

Answer 2

Shinjuku - Takashimaya
Ikebukuro - Seibu and Tobu
Yokohama - Sogo

These are some of the biggest department stores in the world and sell just about everything. They are fairly upmarket and expensive but the quality is top notch.

Hope that's what you meant.

Answer 3

What the shops are depends largely on where you are in Tokyo. There are different districts that specialize in certain kinds of goods like electronics or designer fashions.

Here you can see some more pictures and information on the shops of Japan:

Japanese Lifestyles: Information on specific kinds of fashions and where to find them. Lots of articles here:
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/fashion/fashion.html

At JapanGuide.com you'll find some information on 100yen shops and some assorted spots to stop along eki (train stations) and such. This is organized by city:
http://www.japan-guide.com/

At Virtual Tourist, people in Japan have colleted together some shopping experiences and know how first-hand. HEre you can find their info on assorted shops and must-haves:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Japan/Shopping-Japan-BR-1.html

Here is a special page about record shopping in Japan for music lovers:
http://www.twee.net/countries/japan_shops.html

Here is my BEST source, at Tokyo Essentials. Seperating sections of Tokyo and dissecting the shopping scene in each area, Tokyo Essentials has put together a good group of articles:

Shinjuku: (Odakyu-Halk department store, Takashimayaa, Keio Plaza Hotel):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/shinjuku.html

Asakusa (temples, open market booths) :
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/asakusa.html

Shibuya (High fashion district, entertainment):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/shibuya.html

Harajuku (Colorful teen scene, go on SUNDAY,. fashion fashion) :
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/harajuku.html

Roppongi (Nightclubs, bars, hostess bars):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/roppongi.html

Azabu-Juban (Food Magazine store is here- a 24 hour store if you need one. Hard to find in Japan) :
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/azabu-juban.html

Odaiba (Hi-tech malls, Fuji TV building):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/odaiba.html

Ebisu (Beer!):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/ebisu.html

Kanda (National Diet Building..not really shopping, but cool.) :
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/kanda.html

Ginza (BIG shopping district. Sony, Apple, and Mitsukoshi Dept. Store):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/ginza.html

Ueno (black market stuff):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/ueno.html

Akihabara (Electronics):
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/akihabara.html

Ikebukuro: (Seibu & Tobu dept. Stores)
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/ikebukuro.html

Tsukiji (fish market...yay?)
http://www.tokyoessentials.com/tsukiji.html

Gambatte! (good luck!)

Answer 4

A few stores I liked were Yamada Denki, Book Off and Animate. But since you asked for a recommendation, I could only recommend something that you would be interested in. Yamada Denki is an electronics store selling a bunch of electronic stuff, including the newest video games, DVDs and CDs. Book Off sells a bazillion used books (manga, and otherwise), CDs, DVDs, and video games. And Animate sells exclusive anime merchandise, which is a huge plus. The size of this store isn't so big, but it depends on which one.

But all stores in urban areas have one thing in common-they are all part of complexes. Those gigantic stores you see in those pictures are gigantic...vertically, anyway. But if you go inside, you'll find that the stores are very wide. They can go upwards of ten floors up, but if they were built like our malls (wide, and only two floors) you'd find that these complexes aren't so big. But I think the thing that makes it really cool is the fact that it goes so high. I remember that in Yokohama, I went to probably the biggest mall complex I had ever seen. Imagine a two floor mall size in America (very long and wide) but with five floors. That was a really cool place to go. And big places like these are bound to have cool arcades (and maybe Pachinko).

But as to what these places sell...well expect the same range as you would expect in America. I found one mall in Gifu (I think it was called Takashimaya) and it had nine floors. Problem for me was that like six of those floors were women's clothes. Great. That brings me to that minor point that if you are a girl, bring a lot of cash. You'll find a lot more that guys could ever imagine in terms of accessories and clothes. But I shouldn't say that. Guys can find just as good stuff, but you have to know where to look. And if you are into electronics, you better bring a ton of cash.

Even the outdoor plaza-like streets are just as good as any mall, and these places are everywhere. You can do a ton of shopping here, and expect slightly lower prices than a mall. Overall, Japan is a great place to do some shopping. If you like gigantic stores, you'll be in for a treat-believe me. Should you buy something at one of these stores, however, you'll be in for a steep price. But they only sell new stuff, anyway. So basically, if you want something new, you'll have to pay the big bucks no matter where you go, so if you see something you like, best thing to do is just buy it.

Don't get discouraged, if you are like me, though, and have a very limited amount to spend. If all you want to do is buy something for show, consider simply taking a picture of it and showing everyone back home. For example, I found a blue Gamecube controller at a store, and an Orange Gamecube. But given the obvious circumstances involving this media, it made no sense to buy it. Likewise with imported CDs from USA. Cool packaging for Japan, but high prices that you won't want to deal with. And that leads me to say the same thing about buildings. Take a picture of a building if you think it would be cool, but could only find the time to walk past it and not go in it (because you'll be doing a lot of walking). That way you can go back to it later and remember what it looks like. This proves to be very helpful if you end of leaving Japan with the desire to go to the store. When you go back, the picture may become detrimental to helping you get back there. And finally, expect a lot of window-shopping.

But no matter how you go about your excursions in Japanese shopping, you're bound to find something that you know you want to buy. And I reiterate that if you see something you like and know that you want it, by all means buy it. From my experience there, I discovered that if I had an impulse to buy something, but I thought maybe it was a little expensive, it's better to buy it now that wait. I know that may sound bad because you certainly don't want to run out of money for necessities, either (food, and otherwise). But if you keep some money aside for food, and then some for shopping, be sure to buy something you like. Because you don't live there, something you don't buy may not be there the next time you go. So I hope my info has helped you, and I hope you enjoy all Japan has to offer!

Answer 5

welll, looks like people gave some thorough answers!
last time i went, we visited the Ginza shopping district.. it has a giant dept store (Mitsukoshi) i think thats how you spell it. theres a lot of nice bakeries, gift stores, big stores such as sony.. i really dont know about the more "mall" type places. sorry!

Answer 6

where in japan? be specific please! in tokyo their are lots of shops, in osaka and in nagoya their are different shops.

Answer 7

how lucky.u liv in japan.

Answer 8

go online to see