13 Best Places to Shop in Shinjuku, Tokyo

Vinyl junkies rejoice. The Shinjuku flagship of this chain sells Latin, rock, and indie at 33 RPM. Be sure to grab a store flyer that lists all the branches, since each specializes in one music genre. Oh, and for digital folks, CDs are available, too.

This tiny textiles store in charming Kagurasaka sells items made of vintage textiles from different regions in Japan and transforms them into contemporary fashions and gifts. Look for tote bags made from kendo and judo uniforms, fabrics off the roll, handkerchief squares, and silk scarves crafted from high-quality kimono fabric.

Easily recognized by its red-and-white "O1" logo, Marui burst onto the department store scene in the 1980s by introducing an in-store credit card—one of the first stores in Japan to do so. The four Marui buildings—Marui Honkan, Marui Annex, Marui One, and Marui Mens—make up the largest department store in the area by a large margin. Women flock to the stores in search of petite clothing, and you can find the largest concentration of Gothic and Lolita clothing in the city at the Annex.

Bic Camera is one of Tokyo's largest discount electronics retailers and has multiple locations around the station. While you might see cameras and camera parts on display, this store has everything from kitchen gadgets you didn't know existed to the latest in audio and mobile devices.

This tasteful four-floor shop allows you to complete your souvenir shopping in one place. The store carries traditional handicrafts—including ceramics, toys, lacquerware, Noh masks, fabrics, and lots more—from all over Japan.

This mammoth bookstore, an annex of Takashimaya, devotes most of its sixth floor to English titles, with an excellent selection of travel guides, magazines, and books on Japan.

This 24-hour discount store has chains all around the country. The generally tight quarters aren't recommended for those with claustrophobia, but bargain hunters love the costumes, odd cosmetics, family-size bags of Japanese snacks, and used luxury handbags and watches. It's all haphazardly stacked from the floor to the ceiling.

Established in 1886, "the Bergdorf's of Tokyo" is known for its high-end fashions both local and foreign, including a selection of larger sizes not found in most Tokyo stores. The second and third floors have champagne bars and snazzy store design that rival the world's best shops, making this one of the most pleasant shopping experiences in Tokyo, or anywhere, for that matter. The basement food court, which includes both traditional and modern prepared cuisine, is one of the city's largest in a department store.

Are you looking for some high-class used or vintage luxury watches or jewelry or want to browse through luxury fashion? If you are looking to sell your own high-end goods, you can do so in the watch and jewelry shop. Three separate stores occupy a block east of Shinjuku Station--a men's, women's, and watches shop--reselling a dizzying variety of name-brand goods.

Even Japanese customers have been known to get lost in this mammoth department store; the main branch is in Ikebukuro, a bustling neighborhood just north of Shinjuku. Seibu has an excellent selection of household goods, from furniture to lacquerware and quirky interior design pieces in its stand-alone Loft shops (which you'll find throughout the city next to Seibu branches, or occasionally in the department store itself).

Gift givers all over Japan seek out this department store; a present that comes in a Takashimaya bag makes a statement regardless of what's inside. Like most department stores each floor is dedicated to labels with similar price points, but here the north half is for women and south for men, so couples and families can shop on the same floors. The basement-level food court carries every gastronomic delight imaginable, from Japanese crackers and Miyazaki beef to one of the largest gourmet dessert courts in the city. The annexes boast a large-scale Tokyu Hands and Kinokuniya bookstore as well.

Specialists in washi and other papers printed in traditional Japanese designs, this shop also carries brushes, inkstones, and other tools for calligraphy. At the entrance is a gallery showcasing seasonal traditional stationery and the work of local artists.

This electronics superstore near Shinjuku Station carries a selection comparable to stores in Akihabara. It is made up of a number of annexes, including a watch, hobby, and professional camera building, that together span several blocks.