Tokyo - PocketKnowledge

tokyo
superguide
anyone who has been to tokyo
knows this is the retail capital
of the planet. not only in terms
of sheer volume but also in
quality and specialized varieties
of merchandise. in tokyo there
are stores where you can select
up to 200 variations of a coat
hanger. japanese refinement of
the megashopping experience
plus limited preservation of old
structures produces an ever
changing landscape of new
architectural experimentation
and shop retail innovation.
index
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> useful information
> area guides
aoyama | gaienmae
harajuku
shibuya
daikanyama
naka meguro
roppongi
ginza
marunouchi
shinjuku
> itineraries
> superfuture®
12 2011
ok. so you’re planning a visit to a
superfuture city sometime soon.
perhaps it’s your first time? or maybe
your last visit was several years ago and
you think you know where it’s at when
it comes to accommodation, must-see
shopping spots and groovy places to
eat, drink and party the night away. well
think again. we hate to break it to you,
but chances are a substantial amount of
addresses have either relocated, been
renovated or have simply bitten the
retail bullet so-to-speak. that’s where
we come into the picture by producing
a series of downloadable PDF city
superguides. superfuture has been
producing comprehensive city profiles
from around the globe since 1999 for
private clients. and now, its your lucky
day as we’re updating them on a regular
basis and making them available online.
don’t leave home without one.
superfuture®
welcome to tokyo
useful information
useful information
a
airlines
alitalia
ana
british airways
cathay pacific china airlines
delta jal lufthansa
jetstar
qantas sas
singapore airlines swissair
thai airways united airlines virgin atlantic c
d
2
3
4
orientation
on one hand, tokyo is a seemingly
endless sprawl of city. but the
main central shopping districts are
relatively close together. from tokyo
station to shinjuku or shibuya is
only about 20 minutes by subway
so getting around can be quite
fast.
some of the major streets can
be good landmarks to know.
the streets you may find yourself
traversing most often as you
explore the city are: meiji-dori,
aoyama-dori, and roppongi-dori
[‘dori’ meaning street].
unlike many other metropolises
there is no real city centre [other
than the largely symbolic center
of the imperial palace]. instead,
tokyo is like a conglomeration of
mini-cities that mainly seem to
have formed around giant train
station hubs.
aoyama, harajuku and shibuya
are a good place to start as they
have lots of great shops and are
close enough to each other that
it is easy to walk from one to the
other. aoyama and harajuku are
connected by the main tree-lined
thoroughfare of omotesando
boulevard.
the primary above ground railway
[yamanote line] links most of these
big hubs. it runs a circular route
around the city, and areas of the
city are often thought of in their
relation to being either inside or
outside the yamanote line.
in general, aoyama is the most
upscale residential and shopping
area. harajuku, daikanyama and
naka meguro mix residential area
with younger boutiques. shinkuku,
ginza and shibuya are the most
congested commercial zones
gps N35.685,E139.7513889
altitude
8m / 26ft
time zone [GMT +9] no daylight savings time
planning
weather
tokyo is not known for its weather.
it’s usually opressively hot and
humid from june to september,
often cold and rainy from january
to march, and frequently blasted
by typhoons between july and
september. the best times of the
year are april/may and october/
november. december is also cool
but often dry and clear.
b
1
facts
population
population: 13,010,279
metro: 35,676,000
and have the most department
stores. roppongi is known for
nightlife often described as sleazy
but has also added some huge
retail developments like ‘roppongi
hills’ and more recently ‘tokyo
midtown’. marunouchi is a fashion
oasis in the center of the financial
district.
outside of our maps are plenty
of other smaller shopping areas.
some of the up and coming areas
are shimo-kitazawa, jiyugaoka, and
meguro-dori. shimo-kitazawa is
especially popular with japanesse
college kids, jiyugaoka with more
established adult couples, and
meguro-dori with urban dwellers
looking for mid-century modern
homeware designs.
3
4
03 5166 9111
0120 029 222
03 3593 8811
03 5159 1700
03 5520 0333
0120 333 742
0120 255 971
03 5402 5200
0120 934 787
03 3593 7000
03 5400 2331
03 3213 3431
03 5156 8252
03 3503 3311
0120 114 466
03 3499 8811
on arrival
airports
there are two airports in tokyo:
narita for international and
haneda for domestic flights and
since november 2010 international
flights to a limited but expanding
number of destinations [including
LON, NYC, BKK, HON], so best
to check with your airline. narita
airport is about 100kms from the
centre of tokyo and is connected
to the city by frequent buses and
trains. for both buses and trains
cost is approximately ¥3,000
[$US 36] and travel time about
1.5 hours. it is usually best to
check which stops closest to
your accommodation. the airport
limousine bus goes to all major
stations and directly to certain
hotels. trains are misleadingly
named the narita express and
most stop at both tokyo and
shinjuku stations. as soon as
you pass through customs you
will see ticket counters for the
limousine bus and narita express.
it is best to check timetables on
arrival. the staff at these counters
speak english. narita airport has
two terminals – terminal 1 and
2 – these are separate stops
on both the narita express and
airport limousine bus. handy to
note there are showers in terminal
2. [after customs on right side
of the elevators going down to
the terminal shuttle train]. taxis
from narita airport into tokyo
cost around ¥25,000 [US$300]
[depending on traffic]. there is also
a charter helicopter service [http://
www.heli-express.com//index.
html?lan=en] that will jet you from
narita to the center of the city,
with a 20 minute flying time for
¥260,350 per flight.]. haneda is
approximately 25kms from central
tokyo and accessible by bus, train
and taxi. taxi fares are approx.
¥7,000 [US$85] and trains take
about 40mins. haneda airport now
has 3 terminals – terminal 1 and 2
plus the new international terminal
- both terminal 1 and 2 are located
at either end of the same platform
of haneda airport train station.
little by little becoming more userfriendly for the overseas traveler
with additional signage in english,
chinese and korean. to help with
long unwieldy station names, all
underground stations have been
assigned letter+number code,
though the system is largely
unused by locals. tickets are not
a flat fare, but based on how far
you are traveling. if you’re not
sure what ticket to buy, get the
cheapest one and settle at the
fare adjustment machines near the
ticket gates at your destination.
note that there are three major train
networks [JR east, tokyo metro
and toei transportation] and
without an electronic SUICA train
pass you must buy transfer tickets
to change between them in one
trip. trains run from approximately
5am to 12.30am. try to avoid
during rush hours, unless you want
to experience being pushed into a
train by a man in dinky white gloves.
transportation
taxis
fares start at ¥710. for every
274m traveled, the meter jumps
¥80 and a 20% surcharge is
applied for rides hailed from
11pm to 5am. remember not all
taxis take credit cards so always
have cash available. taxi drivers
sometimes don’t like giving
change for ¥10,000 so for short
trips keep small notes handy.
also note that the left hand door
opens automatically. and finally,
never use right hand door! do
not touch the door! the mk taxi
company [03 5547 5551] is the
slickest of all tokyo taxi’s. some of
their driver’s are trained to speak
foreign languages [english, french,
russian]. they also tend to jump
out of the taxi to open the door
for you. free wi-fi is also offered in
a selected number of taxis by the
musen company.
telecommunications
country code
the country code for japan is
81. the city code for tokyo is 03.
local calls don’t require the 03
tokyo city code unless made from
a mobile phone. green or gray
public phones take coins or prepaid telephone cards, available
from convenience stores or at
phone card dispensers located in
the booths. mobile numbers are
prefixed with either 090 or 080.
car and limousine services
mk taxi also has a limousine with
driver car service that you can
book on hourly and daily rates.
trains
tokyo subways and trains are
buses
with almost no english signage on
buses, they can be hard to figure
out for a first time visitor, but can
be convenient once you master it.
most tokyo city buses have fares
that are set at ¥200 regardless of
the destination.
directory assistance
dial 104 and ask for an english
speaking operator.
international calls
prepaid international telephone
cards such as brastel phone card
can be purchased and recharged
at convenience stores.
international direct dial
calls can be made with any of
a variety of prefixes, the most
common being 001 [KDDI], 0041
[ITJ] and 0061 [IDC]. for further
information, try these toll-free
numbers: Japan Telecom [008841], IDC [0120-03-0061], KDDI
[0057].
useful information
internet cafés
despite being the 3rd most
‘connected’ country on the
planet there are not as many as
you would expect. check www.
freespot.com/ for a list of free
wireless internet connection
locations.
food
most menu’s for japanese food
restaurants are only in japanese.
unless you can decipher several
thousand kanji you are going
to be in trouble so best option
might be to point at the injection
moulded food in the front window.
otherwise, smile, and keep
repeating the phrase, ‘omakase’
[oh-mah-kah-say], which translates
to ‘chef’s choice.’ eventually they’ll
get the idea. if you’re vegetarian
ask for ‘yasai dake’! [vegetable
only] lunch sets can be a good
value as they are often the
cheapest meal of the day. usually A
B or C set with a choice of coffee
tea or a soft drink. remember many
small local restaurants also have
never heard of credit cards.
tipping
no tipping is required in japan,
and will be met with more
confusion than thanks.
shopping
shopping hours
generally tokyo retail starts late and
finishes late. most stores do not
open till 11am [though a few open
at 10am] and are open till 8pm
or later 7 days a week, including
public holidays. avoid shibuya and
omotesando on weekends as it’s
just becoming too overcrowded.
seasons and sales
sale times are referred to as
‘bargain’ and are held twice a
year, in june and january. january
is the biggest of them all, and
you will find lines snaking around
blocks as prices are often slashed
30%-80%. there is also the
phenomenon of ‘fuku-bukuro’
[grab-bags] that have a heaping
fashion week
spring summer : late october
fall/winter : late march
purchased too much?
if you can’t [or don’t want to] carry
your purchases around with you
all day, many stores are able to
messenger them to your hotel
for you. it costs a little extra, and
depending on what you bought
cost around US$4 -10. the earliest
it will arrive at your hotel is the
morning or afternoon of the next
day. they’ll only send things you
purchased at their store. you
should be ready to give them your
hotel address and room
need more money?
most japanese banks and ATMs
do not accept foreign cash and
credit cards [even cirrus and
maestro]. travellers cheques can
be cashed at all banks, but while
banks at narita airport can do this
quite quickly, those in the city can
sometimes take 10-15 minutes to
process. citibank and shinsei bank
are the only banks that have 24hr
ATMs that will work for overseas
cards. japanese banking hours
are 9am - 3pm monday to friday.
citibank branches are indicated on
superfuture maps.
other stuff
burn fat
if you are not in a hotel with a
gym then try tokyo metropolitan
gymnasium next to the JR
sendagaya station. this gym is
especially good for its inexpensive
daily rates. go jogging around
yoyogi park, aoyama cemetary or
the imperial palace.
addresses
japan rarely uses street names
except for main roads. instead
addresses are defined as numbers.
almost everything in tokyo comes
with a map, so understanding
the address system is not totally
necessary, but working out
addresses is actually quite logical.
indicators in the address start with
the most general information and
become more and more specific.
for example, the address for
comme des garçons is:
tokyo, minato-ku
minami aoyama 5-2-1
tokyo is the city. minato is the
‘ku,’ or ‘ward,’ within the city.
minami aoyama is the name of a
subdivision within the ward. the
number 5 corresponds to the ‘chome’ or ‘zone,’ so this shop is in the
5th zone in minami aoyama. the
number 2 means the 2nd block in
the ‘cho-me,’ and the 1 means the
1st building on the block.
accommodation
you can purchase a prepaid phone
at narita airport from NTT DoCoMo
nokia or vodaphone. however if
you require a telephone number
before you arrive rent a phone from
GoMobile. for mobile wifi check:
http://www.globaldata.jp/mifi/
dose of goods usually for ¥10,000
or less and they can be reserved
ahead of time at popular stores.
smaller, independent sales held offseason are rare, but are increasing.
useful information
mobile phones
unless you have a 3G phone, your
mobile will not work in japan!
accommodation
maybe the biggest difference
among tokyo hotels is which
are part of an international
chain and which are run by
japanese conglomerates.
japanese-run hotels can be
great but also tend to have an
‘if it’s not in the training manual
we can’t help you’ attitude...
top
park hyatt tokyo
predicatble, perhaps, but you can’t
beat the service, the view and the
roof top swimming pool. [yes, this
is the ‘lost in translation’ one.]
3-7-1-2 nishi-shinjuku
+81 3 5322 1234
book via tablethotels.com
www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com
restrooms
finding public restrooms isn’t
always very easy. all restaurants
have bathrooms but unless you are
eating there it might be awkward
to ask. the corner starbucks
is always a good bet. some
convenience stores also have
bathrooms. restrooms in subways
are a last resort.
grand hyatt tokyo
in roppongi hills with restaurants
and bars for an army downstairs.
6-10-3 roppongi
+81 3 4333 1234
book via tablethotels.com
www.tokyo.grand.hyatt.com/
sex in the city
everything you have heard is true.
plenty of weird and kinky stuff
going on in tokyo. you just need to
sniff it out.
mandarin oriental hotel
exactly what you might expect of
the mandarin, though room service
can be a bit lackadaisical.
2-1-1 nihonbashi muromachi,
+81 3 3270 8800
book via tablethotels.com
www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo
sick in the city
not the best city in the world to
be sick. none of the medicine
is in english, though using sign
language to explain your malady
in the pharmacy is often very
effective. if it is looking really grim
try an english speaking doctor.
four seasons at chinzan-so
set in amazing 17-acre garden.
2-10-8 sekiguchi
+81 3 3943 2222
book via tablethotels.com
www.fourseasons.com/tokyo/
mugged in the city
highly unlikely. tokyo is probably
the only city in the world you could
safely send your grandmother
walking down a dark alley at 5 in
the morning. however best to not
take photos of dodgy yakuza in
shinjuku at night. this tends to get
them a bit agitated.
hotel okura
a time warp to 60s tokyo with
amazing james bond lobby. book
a traditional tatami-style room.
surrounded by embassies so who
knows which visiting dignitary you
may run into.
2-10-4 toranomon
+81 3 3582 0111.
www.okura.com/tokyo
meltdown in the city
if you suffer from acute anxiety,
paranoia, or some other random
phobia try to avoid getting lost
in shinjuku station on a weekday
evening.
5
6
conrad tokyo
dark slick and smooth in the
somewhat artificial but recently
booming area of shiodome. close
to ginza though a bit far from
everything else. rendered in deep
browns and reds. its gordon
ramsay restaurant has received
many accolades.
1-9-1 higashi-shinbashi
+81 3 6388 8000
book via tablethotels.com
www.conradtokyo.co.jp
high
park hotel tokyo
also in shiodome. bright, clean and
simple. close to ginza. good value.
a superfuture favorite.
shiodome media tower
1-7-1 higashi shinbashi
+81 3 6252 1111
book via tablethotels.com
www.parkhoteltokyo.com
cerulean tower tokyu hotel
if you can forgive the new
burgundy carpets, this is a
great value for location [close to
shibuya], room size, service and
comfort.
26-1 sakuragaokacho
+81 3 3476 3000
book via tablethotels.com
www.ceruleantower-hotel.com
claska
anyone who says this hotel is
conveniently located is lying. but
very stylish and great if you like
smaller, more personal hotels. only
9 rooms and each one different.
1-3-18 chuo-cho
+81 3 3719 8121
book via tablethotels.com
www.claska.com
mitsui garden hotel ginza
great views and stylish but
comically overdesigned.
8-13-1 ginza
+81 3 3543 1131
www.gardenhotels.co.jp/eng/
ginza.html
four seasons marunouchi
the newer and slightly more central
four seasons. though some have
said it’s a bit noisy.
1-11-1 marunouchi
+81 3 5222 1255
book via tablethotels.com
www.fourseasons.com/
marunouchi/
mid
shibuya excel hotel
basic but functional hotel in one
of the best locations in tokyo.
shibuya mark city building, 1-12-2,
dogenzaka
+81 3 5457 0109
http://www.tokyuhotels.co.jp/en/
ritz carlton tokyo
part of the purportedly swanky
‘tokyo midtown’ development.
tokyo midtown, 9-7-1 akasaka
+81 3 3423 8000
www.ritzcarlton.com/hotels/tokyo/
hotel century southern tower
not too pricey, not too cheesy. in
the middle of shinjuku and close
to some good parks for when you
overdose on shopping.
2-2-1 yoyogi
+81 3 5354 0111
www.southerntower.co.jp/english/
cheaper
granbell hotel shibuya
cheap cool hotel! this is currently
the tokyo hotel most often
recommended to superfuture
travellers. compact, small and
relatively cool.
15-17 sakuragaokacho
+81 3 5457 2681
book via tablethotels.com
http://www.granbellhotel.jp/
granbell hotel akasaka
sister hotel to granbell shibuya.
slightly better interior. handy
location near midtown project.
3-10-9 akasaka
+81 3 5575 7130
book via tablethotels.com
hotel mets shibuya
you get what you pay for: good
location, small rooms, negligible
service. mets has hotels all around
tokyo. rates start around ¥11,000.
3-29-17 shibuya
+81 3 3409 0011
www.hotelmets.jp/shibuya/
hotel asia center of japan
good location not too far from
aoyama. not so glamorous but
never heard any complaints,
especially with rates sometimes as
low as ¥7,000.
8-10-32 akasaka
+81 3 3402 6111
www.asiacenter.or.jp
+ oakwood residence aoyama
love hotels
hotel chateau tamagawa
there are many love hotels in
shinjuku [station’s east exit area]
and shibuya [take a left up the hill
to the left of ‘bunkamura’], but this
one is worth the trip. reminiscent
of spanish castle and rumors of
occasional hauntings. make sure
you take coins or risk getting
locked in your room.
3-1-7 seta
+81 3 3700 8651
aoyama | gaienmae
recently opened
moncler, james perse, garage de
l’appartement, super a market,
super a market bar and grill,
optrico, libre burrito, red valentino,
reed krakoff, aesop [gaienmae
map], espace louis vuitton, nicolai
bergmann, marc jacobs, trigram,
duvetica, valveat 81 [previously
l’eclairier],
recently closed
aoyama mihoncho, comme des
garçons concept shop [kotto dori],
fred perry laurel
coffee pitstop
dragonfly café a3
cool cafe above cabane de zucca.
nice ‘oriental italian’ interior. no
reservation required. suitable for
light lunch or short pitstop coffee.
1F 3-13-14 minami aoyama
03 5412 7527
berry café b2
check out the spectacular plastic
cakes in the window.
5-10-19 minami aoyama
03 5774 7130
pierre hermé paris aoyama b2
boutique chocolate bar and café.
5-51-8 jingumae
03 5485 7766
pure café b2
vegan cafe in aveda shop/spa.
open till 10.30pm.
5-5-21 minami aoyama
03 5466 2611
sign cafe b3 [gaienmae map]
underwent rennovations last
year, now with a bright pop look
courtesy of groovisions.
1-2f yamazaki bldg 2-7-18 kitaaoyama 03 5474 5040
for lunch
lotus café c1 [gaienmae map]
cool cafe/restaurant. vegetarian
options. young and funky. no
reservation required.
4-6-8 jingumae
03 5772 6077
un café b1
casual cafe behind the united
nations university.
cosmos aoyama bldg. B2,
5-53-67 jingumae
03 5469 0275
for dinner
red pepper a2
teensy tiny french style restaurant
in small street right behind police
box at omotesando crossing. great
food in convenient location.
1F 3-5-25 jingumae
03 3478 1264
nos b2
old favorite. occassionaly hard to
get a table and no reservations.
but if you hang around the small
bar downstairs for a while you
usually eventually get a table. open
till 5am. light food and drinks.
english menu.
5-10-17 minami-aoyama
03 5774 1727
galali c1 [gaienmae map]
off the main drag and down a
little hidden path. in converted old
japanese house, quiet, tasteful and
stylish. from 6pm.
3-6-5 jingumae
03 3408 2818
aoyama | gaienmae
orientation
‘omotesando crossing’ [directly
above the omotesando metro
station] is the center of this area.
on this corner keep your eye out
for the giant billboards of the hilton
sisters, beyonce knowles and
victoria beckham hawking ugly
handbags. you’re walking distance
to harajuku and shibuya from here
so don’t worry about taxi’s... best
to stay on foot.
don’t miss
aesop, marc jacobs, center
for cosmic wonder, valveat81,
neil barrett, raf simons, chrome
hearts, arts & science, original
fake, mercibeaucoup, roen, dress
camp, dries van noten, cabane
de zucca, issey miyake, comme
des garçons, tsumori chisato,
undercover, prada, 10 corso como
comme des garçons,
aoyama | gaienmae
this is a-grade tokyo brand
land central. aoyama is home
to the main flagship stores of
japanese fashion icons issey
miyake, comme des garçons,
and yohji yamamoto, as well as
the next generation of japanese
designers including undercover
and tsumori chisato. it is also
the watering hole for glistening
flagships of major foreign
brands as well. the area is
frequented by a weathered
tokyo fashion crowd and has
a more elegant, sophisticated
edge. this exclusivity is
also being challenged by
more urban street labels
such as a bathing ape and
mercibeaucoup, who have a
presence here.. superbrand
flagship stores that have
opened along omotesando
in the past few years - prada,
tod’s, cartier, marc jacobs as
well as the omotesando hills
complex and AO building,
have added much to the ever
changing architecture of the
city. however the area has
taken a battering over the
past year or so, and more and
more spaces are emptying out.
kotto dori in particular and the
south end of aoyama is largely
tumbleweeds these days.
a
b
azumiya [sushi] a3
la mia bldg.
2F 5-1-3 minami-aoyama
03 5766 1733
house b4 [beyond map]
crockpots with a view in nishi
azabu. needs reservation.
4F 2-24-7 nishi-azabu
03 6418 1595
c
after dinner
trigram b4
two rooms b2
reigning hangout for the chic and
savvy set. enjoy the posh sofas on
the terrace and the infinitely long
wine list, but watch the prices; they
sneak up on you.
5f 3-11-7 kita aoyama [ao building]
d
stair b3
retreat for a relaxing drink after a
hard day of shopping or a midafternoon superfuture business
conference. till 4am [above dress
camp shop].
2F 5-5-1 minami aoyama
03 5778 3773
1
1chrome hearts c4
bling for bikers. complete with
basketball court. only in tokyo.
office b3 [gaienmae map]
good place to meet any night of
the week, not very crowded these
days. young art/design crowd. very
tokyo. open late. no cover charge.
no elevator [place is on the 5th
floor]. above sign cafe.
2comme des garçons a3
curvy maze by future systems
still worth doing a circuit.
3dress camp b3
japanese label. feels like
liberace came to tokyo. very
2005. very camp.
bar valley c1
late night log cabin ski challet
schnaps beside the fireplace.
2-2-6 shibuya 03 6419 9599
le baron de paris
d2 [gaienmae map]
tokyo club du jour. club le baron
from paris sister location in tokyo.
two rooms designed by marc
newson. new annex amour
for uber posh, premium-priced
karaoke boxes.
3-8-40 b1 minami-aoyama
03 3478 1107
2
3
4
aoyama 10
7
8
7mht a2
tiny french bijoux store
designed by marc newson. tan
leather floor and aqua walls.
8blackflag c3
clandestine denim store that is
a bit out of place in this area.
9plus minus zero b1
japanese industrial design like
nowhere else.
check their display store
around the corner.
+q-pot a2
delectable, wearable desserts
and sweets. their macaron
phone straps are all the rage in
the city.
+dries van noten b3
check out the rennaissance
painting on 1F then see the
contemporary retooling on 2F
4loveless a3
trash fashion dungeon. recently
expanded upstairs...
10original fake b3
graffiti legend kaws in an interior
by wonderwall. only in tokyo.
5undercover b3
über groovoid japanese
designer jun takahashi.
+issey miyake a3:
remodeled yoshioka tokujindesigned shop.
6prada b3
spectacular prada boutique
designed by herzog de meuron.
take the elevator to the top floor
and work your way down.
+rick owens c4
rick owens store.
+ center for cosmic wonder c3
in case you were wondering...
+mens shop arts&science b4
rapidly mutating chain of stores
with quirky merchandise. also
+ marc jacobs b3
palais jacobs.
+bape exclusiveb3
tokyo street brand cult.
refridgerator.
+engineered garments c2
nyc streetwear.
harajuku
harajuku
aoyama | gaienmae
a
b
c
orientation
there are two main streets from
which we suggest you navigate:
meiji dori and omotesando. the
intersection [at laforet and gap]
is the center. often small streets
running off both are full of more
interesting and obscure stores
and are definitely worth extensive
exploration. saturday and sunday
is busiest and more like an outdoor
fashion show. if you continue
straight down meiji dori you will hit
shibuya [about a 15 minute walk]
and if you continue up the hill on
omotesando you will hit aoyama
[also about a 15 minute walk] you
will not need to take cabs around
these areas. [it is best to stay on
foot and explore around harajuku,
aoyama, and shibuya]
d
1
gaienmae 10
1muji c2
logoless industrial design
communism. stationery,
homewares, inerior, clothing,
travel goods, food, electronics,
toys, cosmetics. everything.
it is also top quality and really
cheap. always weird muzak.
muji is a cult.
3hhstyle.com b3
industrial design for capitalists.
is this the vitra design
museum? the coffee and cake
shop has closed : (
2cibone aoyama b2
best independent furniture
and homewares shop in
japan. well edited and quirky
interior products as well a bit of
clothing. located in basement
of bell commons. grab a latte at
dean and deluca’s upstairs.
2
3
4adelaide d3
edgy mens and womens select
store with a good selection
of euro designers including
accessories by bless. also
check the viridi-anne just a bit
further north.
5cabane de zucca
cow books
dragonfly cafe [a2 aoyama
map]
japanese label in a polished
concrete compound. still one of
the best store interiors in tokyo.
the upstairs cafe is an interior
masterpiece.
6le baron de paris d2
the tokyo outpost of legendary
parisian nighclub opened in
late 2006.
7cassina b4
superluxe italian interior mega
4
showroom. acres of furniture.
8sign cafe b3
pop cafe with an interior by
groovisions. frequented by the
design crowd.
recently opened
terminal, rugged factory, rags
mcgregor, sacai, swagger,
whitemountaineering, comme
des garçons good design shop,
matohu, final home, i am i,
champion, northface 3 march,
anrealage, blxxkk, alice hendry,
cement, spinns, galliano men,
michael kors, rag & bone, rugby
polo ralph lauren, true religion,
pass the baton, club edwin, cry,
betsey johnson, alice hendry,
cement,
9galali c1
japanese cuisine in a very old
but renovated japanese house.
one of superfutures’ favorites.
great interior.
10watarium museum b1
1980s mario botta designed
private museum with rather
spectacular art bookstore in
basement as well as gift store
and gallery on upper floors.
+the viridi-ann d3
up and coming mens label.
tokyo broody.
+aesop c1
aesop cosmetics store.
harajuku is tokyo’s shopping
mecca frequented by fashion
conscious tokyo under 30
somethings. you can find a bit
of everything from japanese
streetwear to dior. the new
fukutoshin subway line along
meiji dori has now opened,
opening up the north end of
meiji-dori and sendagaya for
more retail developments.
major projects include
the tadao ando designed
omotesando hills shopping
arcade, the mvrd designed gyre
building, the ‘ice cubes’ H&M
tower and the Audi ‘iceberg’
forum. this area is also a
never ending construction
zone with buildings no more
than a few years old being
replaced by new ones. however
empty shops for rent are now
appearing in the back streets,
once a rare sight.
recently closed
sunaokuwahara, hhstyle.com,
shinzone [moved to marunouchi]
9
10
don’t miss
dog, godiva chocoiste harajuku,
nike nsw, f.i.l., lad musician,
marc by marc jacobs, graniph,
uniqlo UT, undefeated, lithium
homme, burton, galaabend,
dior, headporter, hanjiro
harajuku, lazy hazy planet, laforet
department store, soph, revolver,
neighbourhood, inhabitant, beams
t, bape kids, omotesando hills,
coffee pitstop
montoak c2
very cool casual bar on
omotesando. superfuture hold
regular meetings here! get the
couch on the 3F.
6-1-9 jingumae
03 5468 5928.
ac café c2
decent food and close to harajuku
station, a cool crowd of hipsters
both local and country bumpkin
alike..
1-11-11 jingumae
wired cafe 360 b3 [kddi building]
cool cafe/bar. on top floor of kddi
building opposite takeshita dori.
casual easy space with a good view.
internet connected.
4-3 jingumae
03 5413 2630
cafe liberté d2
quiet rooftop bar and cafe with
a good view above tokyo
hipsters club.
thc bldg. 6-16-23 jingumae
03 5778 2083
for lunch
yao a3
spacious casual and quiet lunch
spot to escape from harajuku
shopping madness.
villa biance 2-33-12 jingumae
03 3475 0860
mother kukkru a4
the unpronounceable ‘kukkru’ has
closed its shop, but still features a
great cafe/restaurant.
2-18-15 jingumae
03 5414 0671
café 632 c2
large bakery café with courtyard.
cheap and easy. weekday only
lunch menu with unlimited servings
of fresh bread.
6-32-10 jingumae
03 3498 0632
for dinner
tori yoshi c3
popular japanese restaurant.
vegetarian options. english menus.
reasonable price.
hamony bldg 4-28-21 jingumae
03 3470 3901
kukkru kitchen a4
2-18-21 jingumae
03 5414 0944
maisen d1 [gaienmae map]
famous old school japanese
tonkatsu [pork cutlet] restaurant.
old style 70s japan in old
bathhouse. basic but great pork
cutlets!
4-8-5 jingumae
03 3470 0071
harajuku gyozaro c2
dumpling diner. the best gyoza in
tokyo, and in a no frills but cool
setting. if busy just wait your turn.
most people are in and out in no
time, so even if there’s a huge lineup, it’s worth waiting. failing that,
try thai next door ‘kafir’. it’s good.
6-2-4 jingumae
03 3406 4743
after dinner
montoak c2
very cool local crowd. closes at 1.
6-1-9 jingumae
03 5468 5928.
other than that harajuku is
relatively quiet at night...
compared to other districts.
shibuya
shibuya
harajuku
a
b
c
orientation
the epicenter of shibuya is a cast
bronze dog called hachicko on
the station side of the shibuya
crossing intersection. from this
location you can walk to either
aoyama, harajuku, or daikanyama
in about 15 minutes. to get to
harajuku just go straight down
meiji dori and turn to the right
at the first railway bridge or the
second railway bridge when you
see tower records. or start from
shibuya station and walk back
toward harajuku. try to stay on the
main streets in shibuya and take
your time to check through the
department stores and superfuture
selected chainstores.
d
1
harajuku 10
1burton d2
pristine and clinical snowboard
store. bring your sunglasses,
it’s bright in here. features a
walk-in cold room.
2united arrows a4
designer labels galore.
separate mens and womens
stores. from tailored clothing
to designer collections.
ua label is good value.
3beams a3
institutional mens fashion chain.
several beams stores all close
to each other. check beams
t for t-shirts via conveyor
belt. international beams
for designer collections. also
beams records.
4hanjiro harajuku c2
funky secondhand warehouse.
check the changerooms. still
completely insane.
2
3
5bape kids a4
the bathing ape empire designs
a kids range.
6f.i.l. d3
minimal interior and minimal
mens streetwear. sharp
basement location.
7dog
altered used clothing for mindaltering fashion. a long harajuku
staple for the adventurous kids.
8dior c3
spectacular dior building. check
the cosmetics floor. it looks like
mission control at nasa.
9laforet c2
crazy schoolgirl shopping
complex. you could spend
hours in here, so watch out.
kitson store on ground floor.
event space on top floor.
shibuya is tokyo shopping at
its most extreme. you need to
be focused and have plenty
of energy before tackling this
area as it can be overload.
this is the world’s most dense
shopping zone. as a rule it is
more upmarket in the northern
half while the area closer
to the station is relatively
downmarket. there is a good
array of major department
stores [parco, marui oi, seibu]
to check out plus a few well
done select department stores
[opening ceremony and parco
part 1] music [next, manhattan
records, d.m.r. plus tower]
and larger scale fashion retail
[midwest, le ciel bleu, free’s
store] plus more general chain
stores [beams, tommorowland,
the apple store]. shibuya is
completely frantic and always
overcrowded 24/7. very few
people look over 30 years old.
try to enjoy the pace. try to
avoid on sunday afternoons.
4
10omotesando hills c3 d4
another tadao ando designed
shopping mall that decends 6
floors underground on a narrow
triangular block. highest rent in
tokyo. look out for delphonics
[stationery] amadana and
bedrock and pass the baton
http://www.omotesandohills.
com/eng/
recently opened
neighborhood, atelier head porter,
lad musician, bershka, loaves,
galaxxxy, conceal café, glorious
[f] on the corner, diesel shibuya,
forever 21, mono, adidas, uniqlo,
h&m, journal standard cafe, candy,
wesc, park by k3, levis’s, trump
house, american apparel mens,
ragrise, h.p.france department
store, alexandre herchcovitch
+ut [uniqlo t-shirt] d2
t-store is set up like a giant
vending machine.
+bunkaya a4
smorgasbord of eclectic asian
interior and memorabilia
+nike b1
megastore...
recently closed
la fabrique, hmv, jhon ag, three
minutes happiness, mimasuya,
osklen, alfredo bannister, seibu
movida,
+kururi-agaru c3
funky used and new kimono
11
12
don’t miss
opening ceremony, candy/
sister, loft, parco [part 1 & 3 also
zerogate], seibu, mandrake, and
a, and tokyu hands. best bar is
trump room.
coffee pitstop
margaret howell cafe b2.
easily the most sane and
comfortable place for a tea and
scone in shibuya.
1F 1-13-8 jinnan
03 5459 3723
wired cafe c2
cafe and magazines on sixth floor
of qfront building [above tsutaya
video store].often crowded. free
internet.
6F qfront 21-6 udagawacho
03 5428 2620
moph b2.
cafe on first floor of parco part
1F shibuya parco part-1,
15-1 udagawacho
03 5456 8244
for lunch
respekt sus c4
cafe and lounge in sus complex.
2F 1-11-1 jingumae
03 6418 8144
midwest a2
there is a cute small cafe on top
floor of midwest boutique at top
end of shibuya. [feels like you’re
suddenly in paris]
for dinner
legato d1
this eclectic and theatrical
restaurant operated by the globaldining chain. reasonably priced
and english menu. great view.
till 5am.
15F e space tower
3-6 maruyamacho
03 5784 2121
campari building a2
beasy lunch or dinner at this
popular restaurant complex. 2F
zest cantina for decent mexican,
3F cafe la boheme for italian,
and 4F monsoon for spiced
vietnamese. all are open until 5 am.
campari bldg 4F 1-6-8 jinnan
la boheme 03 3477 0481
zest cantina 03 5489 3332
monsoon 03 5489 1611
insomnia bar and grill c1
large basement bar/restaurant.
vegetarian options. no reservation
required. casual.
B1F 3-27 utagawacho
03 3477 0377
after dinner
trump room b2
maximalism at its most maximal...
club of the week. [this week.]
4F hoshi bldg,
1-12-14 jinnan
trump house d2
trump room’s next of kin is more
flamboyant than the last. go
overboard or be prepared to be
outshone by the interior.
1-6-5 dogenzaka,
zarigani a1
laid back cafe/bar at the top of
shibuya. japanese menu but
friendly staff.
1F harajuku park mansion
6-11 udagawacho
03 5459 0655
insomnia 2 c2
funky plush b ar with red interior
close to shibuya station is open
till 5am.
B1F ikuma building,
26-5 udagawacho
03 3476 2735
nomubeiyokocho c3
old area packed with tiny bars
besides railway tracks. lookout for
the piano bar. major earthquake
danger zone.
yujis bar c3
secret after hours hideout. tiny
palace at versailles. turn up any
time from 12 till 10 in the morning
and you will be guaranteed a
interesting experience. avoid
saturday night.
womb d1
3 floor underground deep house
and trans club. scene differs
depending on the night yet
weekends are always best. one
of the best club spaces in tokyo.
upstairs bars/lounges. no food.
03 5459 0039
loop c4 [beyond map]
another established club space
B1 2-1-13 shibuya
03 3797 9933
club module d4 [beyond map]
and another one...
B1 m&i bldg 34-6 udagawacho
03 3464 8432
daikanyama
daikanyama
shibuya
a
b
c
orientation
a good place to get your bearings
in daikanayama is from the 17
‘dixsept’ shopping complex
[that ugly high-rise apartment
building] that is right smack in
the middle of the area. there’s
nothing of particular interest inside
it [except for lift ecru and ‘etage],
but it’s central and is right next to
daikanyama station. from there,
stick to the map and go exploring.
a good strategy, which works well
in many tokyo areas, is to just
get a bit lost. it’s the best way to
stumble across the world’s most
fabulous stores. daikanyama is a
10 minute taxi ride from shibuya or
10-20 from harajuku [depending
on traffic]. it’s very close to nakameguro, so if you are feeling
adventurous it makes a nice walk
to go from here to naka meguro.
d
1
2
3
4
shibuya 10
1mandarake c1
3 floors of japanese anime
and manga madness in a
vast underground bunker
that used to be a carpark.
live performances by staff are
somewhat bizzare.
2tokyu hands b1
lengendary general goods
department store. just about
everything humanly imaginable
sold here. don’t miss it. one of
tokyo’s gems.
3loft c2
major multi purpose tokyo
department store. interior,
homewares, stationery...
4apple store b2
another apple store in tokyo.
5tomorrowland b3
large select store for men and
women with a good selection
of classic suits, watches and
accessories.
daikanyama is a shopping
area that has mutated rapidly
over the past few years and
is has extended towards
naka-meguro and beyond.
however, the area has calmed
down and fashionistos are
running for other more exciting
neighborhoods leaving empty
retail space in their wake. still,
there a lot of local japanese
fashion, accessory and
general designer stores plus
a few good foreign boutiques
here. daikanyama is generally
more up-market and much
less frantic than some other
districts. the backstreets are
usually more underground and
funky than the main roads. this
area used to be a bit earthy
and still draws forest girls and
their ilk, but now it is a denim
hub with okura, evisu, denham
and paul smith jeans setting
up shop here. there are one
or two clubs still holding on
to their legendary status.
restaurant respekt sus, the
new seco bar/lounge, and
cookcoop bookstore.
6and a a2
well edited and quirky mix of
labels for men and women.
streetwear and accessories.
+ragtag b2
secondhand designer clothing
depository.
7midwest a2
large select store. 4 floors of
international designer for mens
and womens. small cute cafe
on the top floor.
+margaret howell b2
england’s answer to agnés b.
womens clothing and interior
stuff. cool space with great cafe
next door.
8opening ceremony c2
select megastore extravaganza.
+toro a3
used and vintage shop that
changes out stock to match
trends every month. closed
randomly and often.
recently opened
via bus stop museum, eataly,
ethosens, mercibeaucoup, bench
on the green, sierradux, yasuyuki
ishii, n4 satellite, alcatrock [c] share
spirit, harcoza, gdc, grapevine by
k3, adam et rope wildlife tailor,
camper, post party depression,
+parco part 1 b2
mens and ladies mall. top
local brands like mintdesigns,
tsumori chisato, theatre
products etc.
recently closed
whitemountaineering, final home
[moved to harajuku] hacknett
bookstore, lift position,
9nanzuka underground d4
contemporary art and event
space.
10sus c4
what used to be a bar located
under the train tracks has
returned and expanded in
a new location with cafe/
13
14
don’t miss
share spirit, denham, lift étage,
unlimited by limi feu, frapbois,
beams t, bonjour records, a.p.c.,
g yoshida, sunaokuwahara,
tsumori chisato, final home. for
a-grade street wear check gdc,
t6m, supreme, eliminator and silas
& maria
coffee pitstop
sign café d2
casual café right in front of
daikanyama station entrance.
bombay bazaar c1
under shop ‘okura’. it used to be
crazier when it opened 10 years or
so ago but still quirky and cute.
B1 20-11 sarugakucho
03-5144-8256
holy café c3
cool café and bar located in quiet
backstreet.
2-19-8 ebisu-nishi
03 5456 3363
for lunch
cafe heaven’s d4
close to ebisu station. great easy
lunch set in spacious airy café.
1-16-15 ebisu-nishi
03 5428 3399
sign café d3
see above
bombay bazaar c1
see above
ura d4
no brainer. casual and inexpensive.
1-17-1 ebisu-nishi
03 5489 1117
for dinner
xex daikanyama b2
lika an aman resort on a tokyo
rooftop. italian, japanese or drink at
the bar. great easy place for dinner
though not always cheap. la fuente
daikanyama
3F 11-1 sarugakucho
03 3476 0065
aburiyaki & sushi an b2
very calming japanese interior,
perfect for the post-shopping
frenzy. specialises in super sushi
and kyoto cuisine. till 3am.
la fuente daikanyama
3F 11-1 sarugakucho
03 3476 5888
tableaux c2
chi-chi western/french style.
large groups ok. english menu.
upmarket/smart. reservations
required. no smoking room. after
dinner, head to the adjacent
lounge next door.
b1 sunroser daikanyama
11-6 sarugakucho
03 5489 2201
after dinner
tableaux lounge c2
sophisticated club like lounge.
cocktails, cigar room. fireplace and
library. till 4am.
b1 sunroser daikanyama
11-6 sarugakucho
03 5489 2202
bar+dcb c2
totally minimal subterranean bar.
open till 2am.
B2 clay building,
23-5 sarugakucho
03 3770 0919
unit daikanyama d2
huge club with 4 floors and great
sound system. separate bar next
door unice.
1-34-17 nishi-ebisu
03 5459 8630
air a3
2 floors of club music. top floor
café. good friday and saturday
nights. one of the better club
venues in tokyo at the moment.
great sound system but not much
‘air’. byo oxygen.
2-11 sarugakucho
03 5784 3386
naka meguro
naka meguro
daikanyama
a
b
c
orientation
the main feature of naka meguro
is the naka meguro canal which
is situated in the valley beyond
daikanyama [‘yama’ meaning
‘mountain’ in japanese].start
around the train bridge at the east
end and walk beyond higashiya
and then back down the other
side. there is not too much
located beyond kyu yamate dori
at the east side. there are also a
smattering of small stores in the
streets alongside the railway track.
d
1
daikanyama 10
1a.p.c. men c2
a.p.c. women c2
french label a.p.c. stores
all situated a stones throw
from each other. both are
architectural masterpieces.
2okura c2
interesting mix of japanese
urban and third world
sensibilities. indigo and incense,
kimono fabrics, tabi socks and
construction workers boots.
check the bombay bazaar
cafe in the basement.
3via bus stop d1
large select store. major
imported womens brands.
quirky selection of interior
goods and accessories.
4silas and maria b3
urban cult streetwear label
from uk. relocated 05 2010.
5martin margiela d4
2
3
[beyond map]
one of the most interesting
stores in tokyo. the previous
mm ebisu store [which was
housed on an old house] has
been tranplanted into a old
1950s warehouse. white paint.
[follow arrow on map. just past
matsuzakya and calpis building
call 03 5725 2414 if lost!].
also try to find new bookstore
limart located 2 block further
away [2-10-3 ebisu-minami]
and interior store opposite it!
6loveless c2
one of the more interesting
select clothing stores in the
area. mens and womens.
4
gallery space on top floor.
9lift étage / ecru b3
mens and womens select
international labels. 2 stores.
check both.
recently opened
yeah right, efilevol nakame,
pumpkin tracks, nike stadium,
mother, john lawrence sullivan,
kinfolk lounge, 1ldk, soe, potager
[veggie-based sweets], roen, olijf,
pedal.e.d.
10arts & science b3
well hidden but worth it.
+circus c3
secret upstairs shop with
circular big-tent roof. enter
through café downstairs.
recently closed
graniph [bals], helvetica hair, club
new bach, pina colada, higashiya,
+aranzi aronzo d3
quirky, satirical, cute japanese
characters at their finest. http://
english.aranziaronzo.com/
don’t miss
kinfolk lounge, pedal.e.d, 1ldk,
nakataku lounge [bar with pingpong table], cow books, general
research, bals tokyo.
7gallery speakfor d1
cool gallery in basement.
8elimininator | edge b3
select streetwear. need to crawl
up the ladder to get in. small
slightly off the typical shopping
map of tokyo but this area
has a small collection of
interesting stores as well
as some cool clandestine
restaurants and bars. also
referred to as ‘nakame’ the
area is still quite residential but
over the past 10 years many
small stores started to open
along the rather quaint meguro
canal [it’s really just a overly
glorified drain] and alongside
the streets that run parallel to
the railway line extending past
naka meguro station. although
it is as ‘granola’ as you’ll get
in tokyo with yoga studios,
organic cafes and super latenight shopping along the canal,
things still come and go here
faster than you can blink and
often in obscure locations.
some stores are in apartments.
the area however seems to be
a lot quieter than it used to be
a few years back, and many
great stores have gone [due
to condo developers eating up
properties]. : (
15
16
coffee pitstop
giggle cafe b4
2f soshu bldg,
1-4-2 kamimeguro.
03 3794 8972
for lunch
huit c4
great french bistro with killer bread.
usually can’t go wrong with the
‘plat du jour.’
1-10-23 roppongi
03 3760 8898
chano-ma c3
very cool little restauant above
the train tracks near naka
meguro station.
6F nakameguro kangyou bldg,
1-22-4 kamimeguro
03 3792 9898
combine c4
books and food, entire front open
during nice weather.
1-10-23-103 nakameguro
03 3760 3939
for dinner
chano-ma c3
see above [open till 2am, 4am on
weekends].
higashiyama [off map]
minimalist japanese dining bar and
restaurant.
1-21-25 higashiyama
03 5720 1300
after dinner
thunderbolt b4
an ‘only in tokyo’ type place.
1-3-9 kamimeguro,
03 6666 6773
bar 440 a2
cool little space open till exactly
4:40am.
2F 1-22-3 kamimeguro
03 5725 0440
extra
beyond naka meguro
for a selection of new and vintage
interior and homewares stores
visit meguro dori [10 minute taxi
ride from naka meguro station
along yamate dori]. stay on foot
and walk west [it’s a good 1
–2 hour walk] and you will find
many interesting stores including
meister and modernica [among
20 or more others]. continue
walking and eventually on the
right you will come to claska [a
cool boutique hotel where you
can chillout for a while. continue
for another 10 minutes walking
until you come to a cute little florist
next to otsu furniture and then
it’s probably best to just get a
taxi back to civilization because
you are basically in the middle of
nowhere!].
roppongi
roppongi
naka meguro
a
b
orientation
the center of roppongi is at
‘roppongi crossing’ where
roppongi dori and the overhead
expressway intersects with gaienhigashi dori. both the hibiya and
oedo subway lines stop under this
intersection. most of the seedy
clubs and bars are located on
and off gaien higashi dori. on your
right side is the tokyo midtown
complex. beyond this is nogizaka
and akasaka. from almond cafe
if you walk west you will come
to roppongi hills. if you continue
walking for another 10 minutes you
will get to nishi-azabu, which is
another area with many bars and
restaurants and a few well known
clubs. from almond cafe if you take
the small street on left down the
hill you will eventually ge to azabujuban [15 minute walk]
c
d
1
naka meguro 10
1general research a2
japanese streetwear label.
superfriendly shop staff.
2cow books a2
little bookstore. this great interior
has reincarnated itself several
times since the original tenant ‘win a free cow’ - opened back
in the mid 90s.
3frapbois a3
ever popular japanese
womens label. also look out for
mercibeaucoup, another label
from the same designer.
4chano-ma c3
great restaurant.
dine on mattresses.
5pedal.e.d b3
original streetware brand for
cycling freaks.
2
3
previously only recognized
as the sleezy neighbourhood
of hostess clubs, yakuza
controlled streets and dodgy
foreigners. in the past 7 years
the area has been the scene of
major redevelopment. roppongi
hills is a huge urban project
which saw an entire suburb
bulldozed and replaced with
a self contained city. since
then other major projects have
been in development including
tokyo midtown project and
the national art center which
both opened in early 2007 and
have further transformed the
area. despite all this change
the center of roppongi is still
as sleezy as ever. an attempt
to create a small gallery zone
between roppongi hills and
midtown has also crashed and
burned.
4
6bals tokyo c4
interior megaworks in an
unlikely location. check
the dog grooming salon
on the ground floor..
recently opened
ferragamo, feria design closet,
diane von furstenberg, adidas
originals.
7amadana c4
japanese consumer electronics
and kitchen appliances in bals
tokyo.
81ldk b3
fresh and funky streetwear in
cool apartment layout store.
recently closed
marithe francois girbaud, cabane
de zucca, white trash charms,
sadoharu aoki,
9kinfolk lounge a3
speakeasy with a cycling twist.
check out the forks hanging on
the ceiling.
don’t miss
tokyo midtown, mori art museum
and the national art center [check
schedules first], souvenir from
tokyo, 21_21 design sight.
10nike stadium b3
nike wonderland
17
18
coffee pitstop
dean & deluca a2
if you are in midtown you can’t go
wrong in this culinary megamarket.
idée caffé d1
if you happen to be in roppongi
hills this is the preferred coffee spot.
roppongi hills, hillside B1,
6-10-2, roppongi
03 5770 5280
museum cafe and bar c1
coffee with a view.
50F mori tower, 6-10-1 roppongi
03 6406 6652
for lunch
r burger b2
pork, tuna, and tofu patties on
chinese steamed buns. the
healthiest fast-food burgers of your
life. try the wasabi ketchup.
4-9-8 roppongi
roti c2
californian cuisine. simple. easy.
F piramide bldg. 6-6-9 roppongi
03 5785 3671
brasserie paul bocuse
le musée b1 [beyond map]
new restaurant in the national art
center of tokyo. initial teething
problems with dinners but
lunch ok.
3F 7-22-2 roppongi
03 5770 8161
for dinner
kohmen b2
cool ramen till 6am.
7-14-3 roppongi
03 6406 4565
gonpachi c1 [beyond map at
nishi-azabu crossing]
faux japanese rustic village. part
disneyland part kabuki theater set.
usually an easy choice. it’s also
open till 6am which can be handy.
1-13-11 nishi-azabu
03 5771 0170
shunbou | roku roku d1
japanese restaurants in the
grand hyatt. shubou for regional
japanese dishes and roku roku
for sushi.
6F grand hyatt hotel,
6-10-3 roppongi
03 4333 8784
oak door d1
lively restaurant grill and mega
cocktail bar with a big mix of hotel
guests, bankers and local fabulous
nobody’s. the obvious place for a
meal and/or an after dinner drink
if you are in the area. open till
1am. after that you can head on
to maduro back down on the 4th
floor which is open till 2am [3 on
weekends].
6F grand hyatt hotel,
6-10-3 roppongi
03 4333 8784
double eight d1
amazingly cheap [and tasty]
chinese food with bizzare interior
featuring phallic constructions. a
suitable alternative to dining in that
other phallic construction named
roppongi hills over the road.
3-2-13 nishi-azabu
03 5414 5708
after dinner
oak door | maduro d1
see above.
superdeluxe c1
basement bunker club and
event space started by tokyo
based klein dytham architecture.
B1F 3-1-25 nishi azabu
03 5412 0515
grace b2
5 storey club and feria international
lounge in the basement. somewhat
dubious crowd.
7-13-7 roppongi
03 5775 2949
billboard live a2 [in midtown
tokyo]
live music with sit down dinner or
drinks. an incredible view of the
city is the backdrop for the stage.
4F midtown 9-7-4 akasaka 03
3405 1133
www.billboard-live.com
ginza
ginza
roppongi
a
b
orientation
despite the grid like layout,
this area can in fact be quite
disorienting as all streets look
somewhat similar. there are 2
main streets that cross the main
ginza intersection: chuo dori and
uchibori dori which are above
the ginza subway station [ginza,
marunouchi, and hibiya lines]. if
you head west you go past dior on
your left then hermés and the sony
building. at this intersection the
large buildings opposite are seibu
and hankyu department stores.
another smaller street to wander
down is namiki dori, which is home
to plenty of high end labels as well
as late night geisha clubs.
c
d
1
roppongi 10
1roppongi hills d1
huge urban mega complex.
includes hotel [grand hyatt]
mori tower, mori art museum,
100s of speciality boutiques,
restaurants and a cinema
complex. residential apartment
blocks and a garden. all very
artificial and lacking ambiance,
but worth a look. mori art
museum has good shows, and
offers the best view of the city.
check website for schedule.
http://www.roppongihills.
com/en
2tsutaya d2
great bookstore and magazines
with an in-store starbucks.
the best thing is that it’s open
till 4am.
3le chocolat de h d2
luxurious chocolate store.
individual chocolates packaged
2
3
like a tiffany wedding ring.
4estnation c1
large spacious department
store. mens and womens
designer collections. cosmetics
and so on.
5superdeluxe c1
basement design related event
space.
6tokyo midtown a2
[beyond map]
much publicized mega urban
project with ritz-carlton hotel,
retail spaces, and suntory
museum. muji, 21_21 site by
tadao ando, marni, beams
house, puma black station, a
pet hotel, dean & deluca plus
tons more!
http://www.tokyo-midtown.
com/en/
a lot of activity in this
recently revitalized district.
over the past few years in
ginza there have been major
retail additions including
new armani, mauboussin,
lanvin, and bulgari flagstore
buildings. the trend towards
fashion brands as real estate
developers is very apparent
around here. this is still some
of the most expensive land
on earth, which explains the
general lack of affordable cafes
and bars in the area. fastfashion chains such as uniqlo,
A&F, forever21 and H&M may
be buying out the luxury towers
and changing the face of the
ginza retail landscape, but still
expect your dinner and bar bill
to be at bubble time prices..
4
recently opened
hankyu department store, monocle
café, freitag, balmain, aesop,
tomorroland ginza, issey miyake
elltob tep ginza, gap ginza [for the
architecture], bama lohas, jean
paul gaultier, christian louboutin,
francfranc [ginza velvia] burberry
brit, tasaki, christian louboutin,
tory burch, abercrombie and
fitch, marimekko, papillonner, le
sportsac flagship, anya hindmarch,
le ciel bleu, eight million, porter
classic ginza, tiffany flagship
store, h&m ginza [gcube building],
laduree ginza [inside mitsukoshi],
hands books [inside ginza hands],
ginza glasse [shopping center]
7restir [tokyo midtown] a1
the most top of the line
boutique in the city. entrance
is unmarked [to the right of the
giant LCD screen]
8t&g arts c3
contemporary art space [and
bar open till 12pm].
9axis c4
design central. design related
stores and galleries.
10national art center tokyo
b1 [beyond map]
national art center in
monumental building by
kisho kurokawa. architectural
egomania at its finest. check
website for schedule. cool gift
shop souvenir from tokyo
produced by cïbone.
http://www.nact.jp/english/
19
20
recently closed
christian lacroix, restir, onitsuka
tiger, edit. for lulu, giuseppe
zanotti, choppard, paul ka,
gianfranco ferre, broks brothers,
free’s shop
don’t miss
hermes, armani, bals, christian
louboutin, and the new mitsukoshi
annex. plus the sony building
is always interesting if you are
technically minded, or check the
apple store or nissan showroom if
you need even more. for architecture
check the mikimoto building, de
beers and swatch group japan’s
nicolas g. hayek center.
for coffee pitstop
gucci cafe b3
in gucci ginza pallazzo.
3F 4-4-10 ginza
03 3562 8111
for lunch
sushi gonpachi d4
[marunouchi map]
easy choice and not too
expensive.
1-2-3 ginza
03 5524 3626
bvlgari café a4
terrace on the top of bvlgari tower.
pricey, but try a wagyu beef burger
while lounging on the quiet garden
patio with sweeping views.
2-7-12 ginza
for dinner
dazzle a3
spectacular space in the pink
mikimoto building. think pink.
8/9F mikimoto ginza 2,
2-4-12 ginza
03 5159 0991
daidaya c1
modern japanese / korean / asian
fusion cuisine. cool oriental interior.
vegetarian options. english menus.
ginza nine building 1, 2F,
8-5 saki ginza-nishi
03 5537 3566
beige a4
über-expensive restaurant on the
10th floor of the chanel building
by french überchef alain ducasse.
[used to be waiting lists of up to 3
months...now it al yours!
ginza chanel building
10F 3-5-3 ginza
03 5159 5500
kyubei d2
over the top japanese. super sushi.
legendary ginza sushi restaurant
that serves the best and freshest
money can buy. not cheap, but
worth every cent.
8-7-6 ginza
03 3571 6523
l’osier c2
more over the top french. lunch
from 12pm, dinner from 6pm.
7-5-5 ginza
03 3571 6050
meikyu no kuni no alice [a play
on ‘alice in wonderland’] and
vampire café.
great theme restaurants with
wacky interior just like their
namesakes. food is overpriced
and unremarkable outside of the
theme gimmick but the drinks are
inventive and delicious.
vampire café la paix
7F 6-7-6 ginza
03 3289 5360
meikyu no kuni no alice
taiyo building 5F 8-8-5 ginza
03 3574 6980
marunouchi
marunouchi
ginza
a
b
orientation
the main action is on naka dori and
surrounding streets. to the west
of naka dori is the imperial palace
and to the east is tokyo station.
the area sits above a labyrinth
of subway stations including
otemachi as well as yurakucho and
tokyo stations, so the area is easy
to access.
c
d
1
2
3
recently opened
comme des garçons marunouchi,
herman miller, échiré maison
du beurre, land of tomorrow,
ylang ylang, cath kidston, pass
the baton, la boutique de joel
robuchon, feltrine, tsumori chisato,
sunaokuwahara, daimaru tokyo
[part of grantokyo north tower].
4
ginza 10
1barneys new york c2
mini barneys. though still
quite big.
2swarovski d2
named crystal forest, the
exterior is covered in stainlesssteel pieces reflecting
fragmented views of the street.
3apple store b3
big apple computer store. same
as everywhere else these days
but was one of the first apple
stores on the planet when it
opened.
4gucci ginza b3
complete with a gucci cafe
on the third floor. this is the first
gucci to be housed in its own
building.
5hermés b2
the original tokyo megastore.
this glass box was designed
by renzo piano and started the
current trend for tokyo brand
megastores slash buildings.
6chanel a4
fashion temple. beige
restaurant located on 10F.
7mikimoto a3
10 floor pink palace with pebble
shaped portholes. designed
by toyo ito. dine at dazzle
on the 8F for the full throttle
experience.
9itoya a4
stationery department store
galore. papers, pens. probably
the best on earth.
10uniqlo b3
the best outlet in the city with
separate buildings for men and
women, and houses some
spin-off brands inside...
+nicolas g. hayek center c2
hq designed by shigeru ban for
swatch group japan. the big
draw is that to access each
of the 7 brand stores within,
you enter separate elevators
that also act as glass-encased
showrooms.
http://www.swatchgroup.jp
7-9-18 ginza chuo-ku
03 6254 7200
recently closed
sunaokuwahara
don’t miss
comme des garçons and rose
bakery, pass the baton, muji
yurakucho, 100% chocolate café,
tokyo international forum building
behind yurakucho station, the shinmaruounchi building’s 7th floor
open terrace.
+ginza hands a3
tokyu hands goes upscale with
a brand concept store. located
inside the marronnier gate
shopping center.
coffee pitstop
rose bakery b1
comme des garçons does cake
and coffee.
2-1-1 marunouchi
+81 3 3212 1715
www.rosebakery.jp
+bals and francfranc a4
2 floors interiorama. best candle
range in tokyo among other
interior options.
+issey miyake elltob tep b3
+hankyu department store b3
marunouchi was largely a
bland financial district up until
the late 1990s but has since
been transformed into a new
upmarket fashion zone that
has a much more relaxed feel
to it than all the other shopping
districts of tokyo. the area is
predominantly inhabited by
upmarket boutiques located
on the lower floors of new
office blocks - most notably
the marunouchi building and
shin-marunouchi building. you
will not find much streetwear
around here. many slick new
restaurants and bars are also
hidden away in these glass and
concrete towers. while it has
taken a bit of a hit on street
level with a lot of store closures
over the past year or so, more
shopping complexes seem to
pop up to take their place.
21
22
brick square c2
a quaint respite from the
skyscrapers here with a garden
courtyard, artwork, benches
anyone can rest on, and the best
echilet icecream in the world.
2-6-2 marunouchi
marunouchi cafe c1
basic and easy. free internet even if
you don’t eat!
3-3-1 marunouchi
03 3212 5025
dean & deluca [a2 north of shin
marunouchi building]
always good for a quick latte.
decent pastries.
mitsubishi trust building 1F,
1-4-5 marunouchi,
03 3284 7071
100% chocolate cafe c4
coolest chocolate on earth.
store by masamichi katayama
[wonderwall]. graphics by
groovisions. chocolate by meiji.
one of superfuture’s favorites.
4-16 kyobashi 2-chome chuo-ku
03 3212 5025
for lunch
marunouchi building a2
many restaurants to choose from.
take the elevator to the 5th floor or
travel beyond to the 35th floor for
alternatives. try mango tree [thai 03 5224 5489].
marunouchi building.
2-4-1 marunouchi
shin-marunouchi building a2
endless dining options! try salt
otemachi cafe b1 [beyond map]
1F otemachi bldg,
1-6-1 otemachi,
03 3211 7692
mealMUJI d2
muji does food canteen style. think
organic and preservative free.
3-8-3 marunouchi
03 5208 8241
for dinner
marunouchi building a2
see above
shin-marunouchi building a2
see above
sens & saveurs a2
over the top modern french. views
are fabulous from the 35th floor
location, especially if you’re on the
imperial palace side. expensive.
marunouchi building 35F,
2-4-1 marunouchi
03 5220 2701
chanto b1
creative modern japanese fusion
cuisine. a good pick.
marunouchi my plaza B2F,
2-1-1 marunouchi
03 6212 8802
the hump b1
bar lounge and sushi restaurant.
totally sleek interior overlooking the
imperial palace moat.
2F marunouchi opaque,
2-1-1 marunouchi,
03 5293 4813
bar de españa muy b2
noisy but cool tapas bar. the bar is
the length of airstrip.
2F tokyo bdg, 2-7-3 marunouchi,
03 5224 616
after dinner
b-bar c1
intimate bar filled with distinguished
gentlemen.
baccarat shop nai kokusai bldg.
3-1-1 marunouchi
03 5223 887
shinjuku
shinjuku
marunouchi
a
b
orientation
for shopping orientation the area is
best divided into east shinjuku and
west shinjuku with the massive
shinjuku station in the middle.
most of the retail is on the east and
south side of the station [shown
on the superfuture maps]. being a
central transport hub it is always
easy to taxi to shinjuku or access
via the numerous train lines. there
are 2 main streets : koshu kaido
and yasukuni dori. they are more
or less parallel and anything in
between both these streets is
worth checking out. also south of
shinjuku station there are a couple
of good superfuture select stores
and cafe’s. getting lost in shinjuku
station is highly likely so enjoy the
experience as much as possible.
avoid completely if the slightest
bit claustrophobic. there is a large
electronics area to the west of
shinjuku station. beyond that are
the office towers and hotels of
nishi-shinjuku.
c
d
1
marunouchi 10
1100% chocolate cafe c4
best chocolate store interior on
earth. this has to be seen.
2jean paul gaultier b2
one of the few gaultier stores
left standing in tokyo in 2009.
3shin-marunouchi building a3
the latest big complex to hit the
city, bringing people back to
the area and to the near-dead
nearby marunouchi building.
plenty of boutiques and interior
stores. do not miss the 7th floor
open terrace. you can even
bring your drinks from any of
the cafes and bars outside, and
all are open until late [around
11].
http://www.shinmaru.jp
1-5-1 marunouchi, chiyoda-ku
4marunouchi building a2
major urban retail space with
plenty of boutiques and interior
2
3
stores. it was the most popular
shopping destination in tokyo
when it opened a few years
ago, but has now made way
to the newer shin-marunouchi
building right opposite it.
http://www.marubiru.jp/
5cabane de zucca a2
japanese mens and
womens designer.
6muji d3
muji supermarket. this is their
biggest store, and the only
one to carry their entire line,
including the muji home.
7diesel b2
yet another diesel tokyo outlet.
8tokyo international forum c2
massive event space in
spectacular glass building.
worth walking through to get
between marunouchi and
ginza. find the sake bar takarai
shinjuku is another major
department store zone. it
is also one of tokyo’s main
business areas so it has a less
fashionable feel. it is still worth
a look though, with many major
department stores [barneys
new york, isetan, marui OIOI,
takashimaya] and the odd
mega boutique [gucci, comme
ça, benetton] the department
stores themselves contain
many boutiques. for music
there is a tower record plus a
large h.m.v on the 12th floor
of takashimaya. also disc
union. recent changes include
the opening of the cucumber
shaped cocoon tower, and
a huge new uniqlo store on
the north west side side of
shinjuku station.
4
in the basement of the
concourse building.
9comme des garçons b1
new [02 2011] rose bakery and
the usual CdG lineup.
10pâtisserie sadaharu aoki d1
best pâtisserie this side of the
seine.
recently opened
azul by moussy, topshop/
topman, forever21, uniqlo [13F
takashimaya], h&m, lad musician,
cannabis ladies, ragtag [moved],
tom ford, oioi, uniqlo shinjuku
[largest in japan], adidas originals
shop, tokyo magazine center and
blue square cafe/gallery [inside
cocoon tower], shinjuku piccadilly
[upscale muji inside], galaxy
countach [gallery space].
+land of tomorrow b2
an eclectic mix of hard-hitters
and practically unknown
designers from around the
world- kicky and unique, the
artsy interior alone is something
to see.
+pass the baton c2
collection of used and new
knicknacks and gifts passed on
from local artists and designers.
recently closed
hmv [takashimaya]
23
24
don’t miss
coccoon tower, isetan department
store, takashimaya, tokyu hands,
barneys new york, and a, marui
field, journal standard and beams.
coffee pitstop
though there are many cafés and
restaurants in shinjuku, finding a
comfortable and relaxing one while
out shopping is often a problem. if
all else fails, remember that the top
floor of most department stores
are usually full of restaurants.
takashimaya restaurant area has
also been updated and is an easy
option.
blue square cafe b1
finally a place to have a coffee and
cake on the west side of shinjuku.
this is cute space with exhibition
space and massive tokyo
magazine center downstairs.
cocoontower 1-7-3 nishi-shinjuku
03 5339 7613
wired cafe b3
basic and simple lunch spot in
mitsukoshi department store.
another wired cafe located in
lumine department store.
alcott 2F 3-29-1 shinjuku
03-3226-1862
standard deli c2
cool terrace daytime cafe with
adjacent junk /gift shop.
3F of journal standard building
4-1-7 shinjuku
03 5367 0185
for lunch
ken’s chanto dining b1
in a notoriously barren area for
good food this is one of the better
choices. asian fusion. till 12am.
FF bldg. B1F 3-26-6 shinjuku
03 5363 0336
tavolo di fiori b3
easy italian behind isetan.
3-16-3 shinjuku
03-3354-3790
OIOI honkan b3
the best buffet in the city, with
japanese, french, italian and
chinese food. go for the chocolate
fondue fountain.
8F 3-30-13 shinjuku
03 5919 7460
for dinner
daidaya b2
modern japanese / korean / asian
fusion cuisine cool oriental interior.
vegetarian options. english menus.
shinjuku nowa bldg. 3F.
3-37-12 shinjuku
03 5362 7173
there are also 2 other daidaya
restaurants in tokyo:
akasaka 03 3588 5087
shimbashi 03 5537 3566
shunkan b2
two floors of over 20 themed
restaurants on the 7th and 8th
floors of the department store my
city. quite good oyster bar, ethnic
and continental foods.
my city 7-8F. 3-38-1 shinjuku
03 3352 8421
new york grill d1 [beyond map]
52nd floor of the park hyatt hotel
shinjuku [in west shinjuku]. upscale
cocktail bar with great views
of shinjuku. [yes it’s the ‘lost in
translation’ one...] also new york
dining bar and grill on the same
floor well worth a visit. make
reservations for dinner well ahead.
3-7-1-2 nishi-shinjuku
03 5322 1234
after dinner
new york bar d1 [beyond map]
see above
kubukicho a2 [beyond map]
flashing lights, hookers and
very flashy yakuza. a very kooky
area to explore but enter any
establishment at your own risk. just
keep walking north from yasukuni
dori. another diversion is the
golden gai area which is a series
of lanes filled with semi crumbling
old bars run by a collection of
exotic proprietors. make sure
you visit before the next major
earthquake.
2-chome b4 [beyond map]
large and somewhat mysterious
gay zone situated a few blocks
east of the main east shinjuku
shopping drag. just look out for
flamboyant boys walking in packs
in an easterly direction and follow
them directly to your destination.
plenty of small bars [and we are
talking about 3 bar stools] but
unless you go with a japanese
guy’you might not always be
so welcome.... so those exotic
species who are ‘not japanese’
tend to concentrate in a few
regular ~ and not necessarily
fabulous – watering holes such as
dragon, advocates, gb, annex,
art farty or [or kinswomyn if you
are a lesbian].
supertinerary
supertinerary
shinjuku
a
if you plan things carefully
you can get to see all the
main shopping districts of
tokyo in 3 days. after 3 solid
days shopping, even the most
expert shoppers hit overload.
we usually recommend day 4
be spent in a park or getting a
massage.
planning factors
check the weather
bad weather
if raining or too hot and humid, it is
better to stick to the department
stores. either head for shibuya,
shinjuku, or roppongi [roppongi
hills or tokyo midtown].
b
good weather
if sunny, outdoor foot tour of
harajuku or daikanyama is
probably a good bet. you could
even do a park.
starting times
if you are up early and want to get
going before the usual 11am shop
opening, then start at department
stores, which often open at 10am.
c
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
december weather report
temperatures in december should
range between 40-54 degrees
fahrenheit [5-12 degrees celsius].
expect some dry weather with
the cold finally starting to be felt
(especially during evenings). also,
beware of very short days -- it
tends to get dark around 4:30pm.
d
1
shinjuku 10
1barneys new york a3
barneys tokyo. smaller version
of the nyc store. 8 floors of
select goods with a very
slow elevator. another bigger
barneys in ginza.
2isetan b4
major japanese department
store. the mens department
next door is the biggest and
best in tokyo.
3beams b3
major japanese streetwear/
interior mini department store.
think barneys but groovier and
more compact.
4tokyu hands d2
multi purpose department
megastore. best shop on the
planet.
5kinokuniya d2
major book and magazine
2
3
department store. 2 branches
in shinjuku. the store connecting
to tokyu hands is the largest.
6franc franc d2
interior and homewares.
7american rag cie c2
tokyo outpost of LA based
clothing company.
8comme ça b2
streetwear, kids, lifestyle,
laundry megastore. cafe on
top floor.
9takashimaya shinjuku d2
finally renovated and worth a
look. floors 4–8 are split into
mens and womens fashion
labels with restaurants in
between. avoid on weekends
as it gets overcrowded.
10tokyo magazine center b1
underground cave with
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
december 2011 recommended
4
for almost 13 years from 1987 to
1999, legendary photographer
irving penn took photos for issey
miyake’s collections-and miyake
himself never once attended the
photo sessions. what came of
those was purely a vision from
penn; now these works will be on
display for the first time together
at the ‘irving penn and issey
miyake, a visual dialogue’ exhibit
at miyake’s museum. from sept
16 to april 8. 21_21 design sight
museum at midtown tokyo
[see roppongi map].
http://www.2121designsight.jp ]
seemingly every magazine on
planet.
+uniqlo a1
massive flagship uniqlo outlet.
another one in takashimaya
and marui annex.
+h&m b4
massive h&m outlet.
+marui one b4
recently relocated mini gothiclolita mall. now a bit watered
down and less edgy than it
used to be.
25
26
no one comes to tokyo for the
serenity and temples…no, they
come to see the city for what it is:
a massive, pulsating metropolis.
the ‘metabolism’ exhibit at the
mori art museum at ropping hills
explores the idea of possibilities in
this fair city, from failed plans of the
past to what may become of it in
the future. urban architecture fans
and futuristas won’t want to miss
it. from sept.17 to jan.15 at the
mori art museum, ropping hills
[see roppongi map].
http://www.mori.art.museum
day 1
aoyama | harajuku |
roppongi hills | tokyo midtown
what you will see
major up market japanese and
international flagstores and
designer boutiques in aoyama,
roppongi hills and tokyo midtown.
smaller streetwear brands and
younger and funkier in harajuku. if
you OD on the megastores then
perhaps give roppongi hills a miss.
starting point
omotesando crossing above
omotesando station. not much
open till 11am around here.
getting there
either subway or taxi.
mode of transport
stay on foot between aoyama and
harajuku. catch taxi to roppongi hills
or tokyo midtown and walk from one
to the other.
detours
walk to gaienmae.
pacing
30% aoyama
40% harajuku
20% tokyo midtown
10% roppongi hills
stress factor 8/10
day 2
shibuya | daikanyama |
naka meguro
what you will see
major japanese department stores
and middle range international
flagstores and designer boutiques
in shibuya. smaller streetwear
brands and cool japanese
and international brands in
daikanyama. more obscure
streetwear in naka meguro. if you
are exhausted then perhaps give
naka meguro a miss, though it is a
quiet and relaxing area.
starting point
shibuya crossing on shibuya
station. best to do shibuya in the
morning as it gets too crowded
in afternoon. some department
stores open at 10am.
getting there
either subway or taxi.
mode of transport
stay on foot around shibuya. walk
or catch taxi to daikanyama.
detours
if you like furniture and interiors then
catch a taxi from naka meguro to
meguro dori [start at meguro dori
and yamate dori intersection and
walk to claska hotel]. there are
also hotspots in parts of ebisu.
particularly in the blocks beyond
martin margiela, as well as streets
paralell to meiji dori in the direction
of hiroo, but you will need to do
some research on superfuture.com
first! [check our meguro and ebisu
googlemap].
pacing
40% shibuya
40% daikanyama
20% naka meguro
stress factor 7/10
superplanner
what you will see
major up market japanese and
international flagstores and
designer boutiques in ginza and
marunouchi. middle and upper
range department stores in
shinjuku. you will not see too much
streetwear.
3 solid days of tokyo shopping can
wear out the most battle hardened
shopoholics, so might be a good
idea to plan some out of town
excursions. you can relatively
easily do a day trip to any of these
locations:
starting point
best to start with shinjuku in the
morning. some department stores
open at 10am.
getting there
either subway or taxi.
mode of transport
stay on foot around shinjuku. catch
subway [marunouchi line] to ginza
or tokyo station. then stay on foot
between ginza and marunouchi.
detours
if you like electronics then there is a
mini electronics area to the west of
shinjuku station, alternatively take
taxi north from ginza to akihabara
‘electric town’.
walk south of ginza to the
shiodome office district.
tsukiji fish markets if you are up
at 5am.
pacing
40% shinjuku
30% ginza
20% marunouchi
stress factor 7/10
yokohama
hakone
mount fuji
mount takao
kamakura
other options
f.o.b. [fresh off the boat] tour
imperial palace, tsukiji fish markets,
asakusa, meiji jingu shrine.
stress factor 7/10
art tour
major galleries and museums
around roppongi including the
mori museum of art, the national
art center of tokyo, the suntory
museum, plus more local galleries
in the area.
for the best gallery and event
listings go to:
www.tokyoartbeat.com
stress factor 5/10
city name
superplanner
day 4
try somewhere else!
city name
supertinery
day 3
shinjuku | ginza | marunouchi
my hotel address
my tokyo cell phone number
my hotel phone number
my embassy phone number in tokyo
my credit card company phone numbers
oxygen tour
parks and gardens, namely
shinjuku gyoen park [our favourite,
but beware - it closes at 4pm] or
yoyogi park and meiji-jingu. [try
to find the inner garden with iris
garden, tea pavillion, and pond].
for an even more exotic japanese
garden try korakuen garden near
lidabashi.
stress factor 0/10
my wireless internet passwords in tokyo
my freight company account number
my currency converter
architecture tour
start at GA gallery in sendagaya
http://www.ga-ada.co.jp/english/
index.html
or gallery MA in nogizaka
http://www.toto.co.jp/gallerma/
[japanese]
and you will find all the information
needed to discover the best
architecture in the city. one day
superfuture will produce an
architectural guide to tokyo!
stress factor 5/10
¥ 100
=
¥ 500
=
¥ 5000 =
¥ 10000 =
my time difference
other
superfuture concierge tour with
a human guide!
send us an email at concierge@
superfuture.com
and we can give you more details.
stress factor 0/10
27
28
essential japanese
hello = kon-nichi-wa
goodbye = sayonara
please = kudasai
thank you = arrigato
yes = hai
no = i-ye
i don’t understand = wakari masen
i want ... = ... ga hoshi
where is...? = ...wa doko deska?
do you have...? = ... ga arimaska?
i am from paris = pa-ri shushin desu
i am staying at the park hotel =
pah-ku hoteru ni tomatte imasu
i am a designer = designa desu
taxi = tak she
station = eki
road = dori
police box = koban
toilet = toy le
food = shokuji
drink = nomi mono
vegetarian = niku tabenai
vegetables = yasai
cheque = checku
the bill/check = o-kanjoh
you are very fashionable [stylish] =
oshare san
take me to gucci =
goo-chee made onegai shimasu
hurry up! = hayaku
welcome to our store = irrashai-mase!
10,000 yen = ichi-man en
1,000yen = sen en
profile
superfuture was launched
in september 1999 by
australian designer wayne
berkowitz as a side project
to the activities of his tokyo
based design studio. the
website was developed
as a practical solution for
design and fashion related
shopping professionals who
were unable to successfully
navigate around tokyo. since
then it has spread to over
260 cities worldwide with a
review database of over 8000
establishments.
the project is now assisted
by a growing network of
correspondents, advisers,
researchers, and consultants
around the planet. current
activities include shop
reviews, cartography, content
syndication and licensing,
report writing, online travel
bookings, specialized city
guides and other concierge
services.
superfuture’s major clients
include UNIQLO, Nike,
Diesel, H&M, and Nokia.
superfuture appears regularly
in magazines around the
world including TIME,
Wallpaper*, i-D magazine,
Very styleguide, Surface,
Oyster, Dutch, German
GQ, Viewpoint, Popular
Mechanics, Pulp, CondeNast
TravellerUK. Australian
Vogue, and CondeNast
Traveller USA as well as
newspapers including The
New York Times T Magazine,
The Financial TImes, The
Guardian, The Age, The SMH
and The Australian
concierge
superfuture provides a
tour service for creative
professionals visiting several
cities around the planet i.e.
fashion buyers, retailers,
designers, advertising,
press, fashion, design, art,
marketing and trending
executives and so on.
it is a service tailored to
your exact needs and
budget requirements.
the customised tours are
designed to maximise your
time in a particular city and
minimise the confusion. feel
free to contact us at any
time to discuss tour options.
also note we offer extended
services including, hotel and
restaurant booking service,
fully planned itineraries and
so on... let us know how we
can help you.
feedback
we always appreciate any
feedback you may have to
help make this report more
useful. please report any
discrepancies.
credits
producer
wayne berkowitz
also available...
los angeles superguide pdf
[new]
tokyo superguide iphone app
new york superguide pdf
shanghai superguide pdf
paris superguide pdf
sydney superguide pdf
hong kong superguide pdf
berlin superguide pdf
london superguide pdf
superfuture.com 5.0 website
launched november 2011
coming soon...
paris superguide pdf
[japanese]
copyright
all contents © 1998, 1999,
2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011.
superfuture corporation.
contact
superfuture®
4F casa esencia
1-3-13 azabu-juban
minato-ku 106-0045
tokyo japan
tel +81 [0]50 5532 7082
facebook.com/superfuture
twitter.com/superfuture
[email protected]
editor
misha janette
[email protected]
maps
tim qui
design
tania salvati and vanessa ryan
thanks
teru mori, ken takano,
benjamin budde, missla
libsekal, nicole bargwanna,
jeansnow.net, tokyoartbeat.
com, and 100’s of others
who have helped superfuture
map out tokyo since 1999!
how to put your superguide together
1 print out all pages scaling to fit printer margins 2 fold all pages (except this page) in half on centre of coloured tab and
align together. 3 turn this page over (blank side up). 4 align left edge of this page with left edge of cover page and staple in
3 places to secure (approx 1cm from edge). 5 turn this page around to back folding on 3 dotted lines to create spine and
inside flap.
2
3
4
5
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http://superfuture.com