Shopping Areas

Used Bookstores in Kanda

The best place in all of Japan to find used books is along Yasukuni Avenue, starting near Jinbocho Station on either the Shinjuku Metropolitan Subway or Toei Mita Subway lines. There are about 150 bookstores here, a considerable number of them specializing in areas such as history, law, ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), old maps, movies and music. Foreign language books, particularly American and English literature, and photography books can also be found here.

Sporting Goods Stores

Next to the Jinbocho used bookstore area, around the Surugadaishita intersection coming from Ochanomizu Station, you will find a large concentration of sporting goods stores. This area attracts big crowds of shoppers from many different areas looking for skiing equipment sales in the fall and winter.

Akihabara Electric Appliance Shops

The name Akihabara is well-known for the availability and reasonable price of almost anything related to electric appliances, with over 400 shops in the area, large and small. As a result, many tourists can be seen making their way through Akihabara. With the growing number of shops holding sales of personal computer-related items in recent years, more and more young people can be seen in the area as well.

Fabric and Apparel Stores in Iwamotocho

This fabric shop area, extending from Iwamotocho to Higashi-Kanda, originally developed during the Edo period (1600 A.D. - 1867 A.D.). Today, this area extends to Kodenmacho and Yokoyamacho and is still known for its fabric and apparel stores (over 100 shops are located here). Open to the general public, a family bazaar is held twice a year (June and December), featuring discounts of 50 to 70% off the retail price.
For More Information: Call 3866-6534 (Tsuzuki Ltd.)

Hardware Wholesale Stores in Kanda

Hardware wholesale stores, located around the south exit of Kanda Station in Kajicho and Iwamotocho, are well known for carrying all kinds of home-use hardware.

Yurakucho Area (Department Stores, Movie Theaters and Performing Arts Theaters)

The Yurakucho area, coupled with Ginza, is famous as Japan’s leading business area. There are also department stores, performing arts theaters and a number of movie theaters located here. On weekends and holidays many people come here to shop and to be entertained. In particular, Yurakucho Marion and Hibiya Chante have become very popular. Marion not only combines a department store and movie theater in one building, but also has a marionette clock located above the front entrance. The clock’s face, with a diameter of 2.6 meters (8.5 feet), opens automatically and pretty dolls appear playing musical instruments each hour on the hour from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Many people use this place as a meeting place.