Indigo Dyeing Workshop
The artisan craft of Japanese indigo dyeing dates back thousands of years to the 10th century. Wanariya offers aizome workshops for individuals and groups. Prices vary depending on the product, i.e., a handkerchief or a large canvas tote bag (other products include shirts, scarves, T-shirts, work caps, baby rompers and coasters). Reservations are required.
←Nippori Fabric Town
If you like to sew or are looking for some nice fabric, this stretch east of Nippori Station – selling buttons, brocade, kimono fabric scraps and more – features shop after shop selling every type of fabric imaginable, from traditional silks and embellished fabrics to modern cottons and jerseys with contemporary prints. At the heart of the area is Tomato, which is actually a cluster of shops, each one leaning into a different kind of textile obsession. There are a few locations, all close together, all busy in that quiet, focused way.
←Temari, Sashiko, Knitting
Temari are a folk craft, embroidered balls, once stitched by mothers for children to play with, originating from old kimono scraps. It has become an art form, precise and slow—threads wrapped and stitched into geometric patterns that look like stars, flowers, or snowflakes. There are one-off workshops, though learning and mastering temari requires years of practice, formalized study through a series of multiple standard books of designs.
Sashiko began as mending—small, repeated stitches used to patch and strengthen worn clothes in rural Japan. Farmers and fishermen stitched white thread into layers of indigo cloth, not for decoration, but for survival. Over time, utility became beauty. The patterns—waves, mountains, rice fields—hold stories in geometry, passed down from hand to hand.
Buy supplies for temari and sashiko at HOBBYRA HOBBYRE Ginza and Echizenya in Kyobashi.
Yuzawaya has been around for 69 years, quietly stocking the dreams of makers and hobbyists. It’s one of Japan’s go-to spots for all things handmade—shelves packed with materials and tools. The flagship shop in Kamata is the largest and has everything.
Okadaya in Shinjuku is tucked near the station, it’s two buildings—one for beauty supplies, the other for textiles, buttons, trims, wigs, leather, elastic, lace, and everything else you didn’t know you needed.
Japan is great for knitters. I have heard about annual meetups where knitters embark on yarn crawls across Tokyo, visiting the best yarn shops: Amimono Spin, Avril, ITORICOT, Walnut, Daruma, Knitting Bird, Puppy Yarn, MOORIT, EYLUL
Pen and Ink
Itoya in Ginza: nine floors of paper, pens, inks, cute cards, letter paper, origami paper, calligraphy supplies, calendars, notepads, stamps, eyeglasses, paints, desk lamps, organizers, all manner of personal effects. Next door in the annex, you can customize your own notebook—design the cover, choose the paper, sections, binding. Makes a good gift, even for yourself.
Over in Asakusa, Kakimori does custom stationery too. Different vibe, same kind of love for putting things down on paper. Also visit Loft, Kingdom Note, Ancora
Art Supplies
Pigment in Tennozu, a little out of the way, like most beautiful things. The space is part gallery, part laboratory—walls arranged with 4,500 pigments in glass jars that look like candy. There are brushes taller than your arm, paper that invites the touch of water, ink, gold leaf, and lacquer. They also run workshops—grinding ink, mixing pigment, brushing gold. You don’t need to come with any previous experience, but reservations required.
Sekaido in Shinjuku: Five floors of art supplies—watercolors, markers, Japanese pigment paints, brushes. Frames, canvases, manga tools, notebooks, they’ve got it all. The prices are low. They say they’re the cheapest art supply store in Japan, and it feels true.
Bumpodo is one of Japan's oldest art supply and stationery stores, renowned for developing and selling the country's first professional oil paints. While primarily catering to artists with its extensive range of materials, Bumpodo also offers a curated selection of art-related books and operates a gallery café on the third floor, providing a unique experience for book collectors interested in art literature.
Books
Jimbocho
Home to approximately 176 bookstores, Jimbocho is a neighborhood devoted to physical media, featuring a mix of new, used, and rare bookshops. It’s a paradise for bookworms. Most of the books will be in Japanese, but often on the upper floors of the shops, there will be books in different languages. Many shops will be closed on Sundays and Mondays. A comprehensive guide in English here. More highlights in the neighborhood focus
Tsutaya and Maruzen
Tsutaya Books is lifestyle bookstore—part curated bookshop, part design space, part cultural hub. The Daikanyama flagship: three buildings connected by light and shelves, books on art, design, cars, food, travel, next to curated magazines and music. Ginza Tsutaya leans more gallery than shop. Locations also in Nakameguro and Roppongi.
Maruzen is where you go for academic texts, foreign-language books, reliable dictionaries. The vibe is quiet, studious, no-frills. Less about curated ambiance, more about depth and breadth. The location in Marunouchi has some lifestyle stuff.
Haruki Murakami Library
Tucked inside Waseda University, the Murakami library feels like stepping into one of his novels. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the space blends books, music, and memory: shelves of his works in dozens of languages, a replica of his study, an audio room playing his favorite jazz records. Curl up in cocoon chairs and just read. There’s a café in the basement that serves his go-to coffee blend. Booking ahead of time is advised, although walk-ins may be OK.
Perfumes and Incense
Incense
Kungyokudo has been around since 1594, started as a temple apothecary in Kyoto, blending smoke and medicine until the line between the two disappeared. The scents are soft, not shy—plum blossom, pine, a ghost of sandalwood. They opened their Tokyo flagship store in KITTE Marunouchi (though Kungyokudo has another smaller outpost in Midtown). You can ask the sales assistant to sample some of the incense, they will burn a small piece for you.
At Koju, a centuries-old incense house, you can blend your own incense pouch using traditional ingredients. The session includes a guided intro to kōdō, Japan’s quiet and refined incense ritual.
Parfum Satori
The atelier Parfum Satori is the brainchild of Satori Osawa, her workshop is in a residential part of Roppongi. Her fragrances are innovative, rooted in Japanese tradition but unnostalgic. They lean into restraint: incense, bitter herbs, dry woods. You can make an appointment (ask for English speaker if you need) and someone will guide you through the different scents.
Di Ser
Di Ser crafts fragrances from natural materials that embody the art of "Kōdō". Their compositions are delicate yet profound, often featuring indigenous botanicals like yuzu, shiso, and Japanese rose. Notably, their Kyara parfum utilizes the rare and revered kyara-grade agarwood, fetishized by perfume collectors. Founded in 1999 by perfumer Yasuyuki Shinohara Di Ser is renowned for its commitment to all-natural perfumes, meticulously crafted using indigenous Japanese botanicals and traditional ingredients. I have only been able to find Di Ser at Amritara an organic shop in Omotesando. They do not carry the full line, and Kyara is not available there.
Argentinian Olfactory Experience
Fueguia 1833 A niche fragrance house, Argentinian, crafted from rare, natural ingredients. While it isn’t Japanese, this house is not in many cities in Asia, and it is fun to sniff the many inverted glass bulbs to find the smells that you like.
Niche Perfume Shop
The Nose Shop, what happens when a candy store grows up. It’s shelves of bright, weird, irresistible bottles, and targeting the youthful. In my opinion, many of the scents are loud and garish, but maybe that’s part of the fun? There are multiple locations around the city, including Shibuya, Azabudai, and Ginza.