Liv's List: My Tokyo Shopping Guide
The ultimate shopping hit list—from rare designer finds to beloved local labels.
Welcome back to Let’s Get Dressed, a weekly newsletter where I share my endeavors in fashion — what I’m wearing, shopping, trying on, and thinking about — to give you some inspiration for the week ahead. It’s my fashion diary, except I’m actually letting you look inside.
As a fashion lover, shopping in Japan was one of the most unique retail experiences I’ve ever had. Before the trip, countless friends told me, “the shopping is epic.” I figured I’d come home with a few emerging designers or maybe a vintage Prada shirt like the one Brooke Puth raved about on her Let’s Get Dressed episode. What I didn’t expect was to leave with a whole new perspective on the fashion industry—especially when it comes to preserving its most iconic pieces.
In Tokyo’s vintage shops, roaming a store felt like walking in the Louvre. Every item was pristine, immaculately displayed. Black gloves were handed out at the door and you couldn’t touch anything without them. My eyes almost popped out of my head at the sight of rare pieces like CHANEL skis and Louis Vuitton collaborations. Some stores, like Amore Tokyo, even specialize in single categories — one of their five shops is devoted exclusively to vintage CHANEL, complete with a full wall of tweed jackets, while the other hosted a room of just Hermès bags. That Birkin in the coveted color way that’s been on your wishlist? Readily available. If you’re wondering where the fashion industry’s archive ended up, it’s definitely in Japan.
PSA: For those of you who are thinking: is it all real? The answer is yes. There are strict laws prohibiting the sales of counterfeit goods in Japan. It’s one of the safest places to buy secondhand designer. At a time where designer authenticity is a hot topic in the U.S, consider this your shopping palette cleanser!
Local boutiques offered their own kind of style—think Japanese denim, archival Issey Miyake, and multi-brand stores with Ganni and Courreges that you can tell are definitely setting the trends in town. I loved roaming smaller neighborhoods like Daikanyama and Nakameguro (also known as the Williamsburg of Tokyo) — each shop felt like a window into Japan’s up-and-coming fashion orbit, which I can’t wait to see trickle to the rest of the world.
Obviously… I did some damage. If you want to see everything I bought, my haul is now live on my TikTok. And if you’re planning a trip (or these photos make you want to plan one), save these spots below for your travels.
Amore Toyko. There are five locations and each with specific focus. My favorite was the vintage Chanel RTW. Pro-tip: they also host lives on their Instagram and take online orders!
Vintage QOO. A three-story marvel filled with Fendi, Louis Vuitton, and Dior, with archival Chanel taking up the entire bottom floor.
Komehyo. This is one of Japan’s largest resale chains. I sifted through a rack of amazing vintage Issey Miyake, and found a pair of Hermès Chypre sandals for $500. There are many locations all over Tokyo (I went to the Shibuya location).
ECW Shoto. A vintage watch store with a gorgeous selection of Cartier Tanks and Rolexes, with some vintage Hermès RTW on one rack.
Barney’s. Pleased to say Barney’s New York is alive and well in Tokyo! The shoe department was exhilarating.
Shellman’s. A must if you’re looking for vintage, high-end jewelry and watches. Two locations in Ginza, I loved the one located inside of Barney’s. There was a diamond bracelet watch and a leather Cartier Baignoire I can’t stop thinking about.
Forget Me Nots. A fashion-forward multi-brand store in Daikanyama, filled with Courreges, Marine Serre, and Ganni.
Okura. Traditional Japanese denim, with soft tees and hoodies too. Alex scored here!
Coverchord. A chic, elevated store for mens, womens, and home along the river in Nakameguro. Grab a matcha and take a stroll here.
Urban Research. **In Kyoto** This is actually where I did my most damage. I haven’t had an IRL shopping experience where I had 15 items in my dressing room in a while. So many cool pieces and amazing styling inspiration.
For those looking for more recommendations, we stayed at The Edition in Tokyo, Asaba Ryokan in Shuzenji, and The Four Seasons in Kyoto. I highly recommend the ryokan experience (ours or others) — it felt like something I’ve never experienced and I loved getting to immerse myself in Japanese culture and history. This was definitely our first trip of many, so if you’ve been to Japan before and did something you love, drop your recommendations below.
Hoshinoya Tokyo is one of the coolest hotels I’ve ever been in especially their rooftop onsen