Craft Shopping in Tokyo & Nippori Japan

I am back from Japan!  Dave and I had such an amazing three weeks, travelling around Tokyo, Yokohama, Hakone, Kamakura, Osaka, Shikoku and then back to Tokyo for the first two weeks.  We spent the last week up north in Yamagata, relaxing and spending time with my parents and Obaachan (grandma).  I wish I was still in Japan – we have already started planning our next visit.

In Tokyo, I was constantly on the look out for crafty stores.  Although there are many, these were my favourite ones.  You can spend hours trawling through these shops, so I really had to restrain myself from buying too many things.  I had to send a box home, so once that arrives, I can show you all things I bought.  Whether it’s sewing accessories, scrap booking, pom pom making or leather carving, you can find anything in Tokyo – if isn’t there, it probably doesn’t exist!

Yuzawaya

Yuzawaya is a large chain of fabric stores.  They also sell all sorts of sewing and quilting related accessories.  You can buy a craft kit to make almost anything at Yuzawaya.  Here’s some beading kits I found!

I went to the Shinjuku Store – 11F of Takashimaya building, 2 mins walk from JR Shinjuku station South Exit.

Nippori Textile Town

The inner Tokyo station of Nippori has a cluster of wholesale fabric stores lined up for your shopping pleasure.  The selection is overwhelming, it took me two hours to pick out four fabrics!  Unfortunately Typhoon No. 15 hit Tokyo that very day so I had to run back to my hotel before I could visit all the stores I wanted…

Tomato is one of the more famous and larger stores.  I had fun poking through remnants as well as trying to lift heavy rolls of fabric.

Here are directions to Nippori Textile Town by Suzy @ Floating World

Tokyu Hands

I guess you can describe Tokyu Hands as a DIY variety store.  There’s a huge stationery collection, as well as hardwares and tools.  Dave bought tiny screw drivers here, and I bought some funky Disney wedding cards.  It’s so much fun, just to look around.

I went to the Ginza store – Just a few minutes walk from JR Yurakucho station – here’s a map

Daiso 100 Yen Stores

100 yen shops are found all over Japan (everything in the store is 100 yen), but Daiso is the largest and has an impressive range of craft goods.  I bought decorative ribbons, buttons and random haberdashery items and managed to fill on shopping basket full with nick nacks.  Warning – 100 yen shopping is addictive.

You can find the closest Daiso store here