Vintage Shopping in Tokyo!

This past week I have been exploring many areas of Tokyo with my sister and three cousins! We stayed in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo but I travelled to two main areas to see what the vintage and second-hand scene is really like, in Tokyo, Japan.  Firstly, I returned to Harajuku in Shibuya which is personally my favourite area of Tokyo because of the amazing fashion, shopping and overall vibe. I had read about a few vintage stores there, so that’s the first area I explored. Secondly I went to the Shimo-kitzawa area which is known for it's recyled fashion stores. Which stores did I love? Scroll and read to see my honest thoughts!

Harajuku Area! Kinji!

In Harajuku, I went to Kinji a large second-hand and vintage clothing shop that was recommended on many online articles that I read online and I was not disappointed- it was amazing! Most of the clothing was men’s clothing, and a large portion of the women’s clothing was second hand branded items but the quality was really good and there was a huge variety of styles available.  If you are looking for a second-hand designer piece of clothing at a good price this is definitely somewhere you should go! They had a lot of pastel pink pyjama tops and silk tops, robes and jumpers, personally I felt they were overpriced for the quality but that’s just my opinion!

Their women’s vintage collection was not as affordable as I am used to in Australia, and the sizes of all of the pieces I liked for myself, particularly skirts and dresses, were way too small for me and that can happen no matter where you are vintage shopping but of course in Japan, the sizing is typically designed for smaller bodies. There are international brands and if you sifted through everything, you should be able to find something your size but there was a lot of stock in smaller sizes so I only found one item that fit me and that I also liked and was at a good price. For me that’s the triad of finding a good vintage piece.

What I bought there:

• A black and white hounds tooth Christian Dior jacket with a bold white collar.

My sister bought:

• A beautiful 1950’s style Hounds tooth YSL coat
• A reversible Burberry bomber jacket

Go there for:

• Affordable designer pieces from your favourite designer brand such as Burberry, Ralph Lauren, YSL, Christian Dior and many more.

Don’t go there if:

• You are on a tight budget or looking for a cheap find

I also briefly looked through a handful of men’s only vintage and second hand stores around Cat St Harajuku which weren’t really my vibe but there seemed to be a lot more stores for men’s vintage fashion and if you’re interested in men’s vintage fashion there was a lot of options!

My sister Sophie (above) with a basket of items she loved from Kinji.

Shibuya Area- Don Don Down on Wednesday in Shibuya!

Don Don Down on Wednesday was a 4 story vintage and second hand store that used fruits and vegetable stickers on the labels instead of prices which was super fun and cute! Eggplants and mushrooms were cheap finds! I loved the variety of pricing here, it had many more affordable options, but still sold the nightgowns I loved for about $200 Australian dollars   , which I feel is too much, but seemed to be the standard everywhere I went. The tops and skirts and accessories were much more affordable, I just didn’t see anything I really loved for myself or for my store (or that fit) , but I would definitely recommend checking it out because I think you could find a really great deal here ! I tried on some super cute vintage Levi’s jeans I wanted to buy, but again, they were too small and that does happen second hand and vintage shopping no matter where you are!

Go there if:

• You like hunting for bargains and you have time to go through everything
• You like second hand fashion just as much as or more than genuine vintage (they had much more modern fashion than vintage pieces)

Don’t go there if:

• You’re in a rush
• You’re only looking for genuine vintage fashion

Shimo-kitzawa Area!

About half an hour out of Shinjuku where I was staying, I found Shimo-kitzawa which is an area known for its vintage and second hand fashion.  There were definitely many more vintage and second hand stores here than in Shibuya. I only spent one day there but here’s what I thought of the places that I visited!

Shimokita Putti !

Shimokita Putti was just a small vintage store not far from the train station that had the cheapest and most reasonably priced vintage items that I came across and a beautiful collection too!  They did have some more expensive items, but I felt the pricing here was much better than most places I found in the area. The lady who was working there was really sweet and kind and helpful and there wasn’t a huge range of items, but the quality was really high for genuine vintage pieces.

What I bought:

• A black and white chequered 50’s style vintage dress
• A 90’s style Christian Dior fake pink pleated skirt with the classic Dior logo all over it!

Go there for:

• Affordable and colourful vintage pieces

I wouldn’t recommend if:

• You prefer modern styles and don’t vibe with the vintage look

WEGO

WEGO is a huge fast fashion brand with adorable designs and cute accessories, but their Shimo-kitzawa store also sells a huge range of vintage and second hand fashion. What was amazing about this store was the store’s visual merchandising and decoration of the store! This includes old TV’s playing shows and music, Old Nintendo games and even a beautiful pink bed and vanity in the nightgown section! There was lots of Burberry at a really reasonable price and heaps of hoodies and accessories. I loved that it is a fast fashion brand supporting and valuing vintage and second hand and they had a wide variety of styles, brands and prices.

Go there if:

• You love Burberry!
• You love the WEGO store but want to start getting into vintage.
• You love crew necks or hoodies!

Don’t go there if:

• You get overwhelmed by a lot of noise and a lot going on in a small space!

Little Trip to Heaven

When I saw photos of this store I had to go and check it out but I was really disappointed to find that this store was really overpriced! Now, I know that the value of vintage is different from person to person and I do believe in investing in a more expensive , quality piece, but each dress or nightgown I liked was over $200-250 Australian dollars which is just not ideal for a student like me!  Like I mentioned, the décor and the items themselves were beautiful, however it was just out of my budget. There were gorgeous bags and accessories and cardigans, but they were just too pricey in my opinion!

Go there if:

• You have lots of $$ to spend
• You love genuine old beautiful vintage

Don’t go there if:

• You’re on a budget or looking for cheap pieces

Florida & Flamingo

Florida and Flamingo are two separate American styled and sourced vintage stores I found in this area and they were very similar so I’m combining my thoughts here! Their dresses were on average about $120 Australian Dollars for even a basic 90’s dress which you can find here for $20-50 so of course I found the pricing to be really high on all their items  from jeans to jumpers to dresses.   

Go there if:

• You don’t mind spending a bit more
• You love American Vintage

Wouldn't recommend if:

• You have a budget or are looking for something affordable
• American Vintage isn't your vibe

Micmo

A small two story second hand store that had lots of pieces on sale caught my eye and the eye of my male cousins due to its large amount of men’s clothing pieces.

What I bought:

• A pink vintage kimono for my grandma

What I liked about this store:

• Loads of sale items and reasonably priced pieces

What I didn’t love about this store:

• It was mostly men’s fashion – which is great if that’s what you’re looking for but I just wasn’t!

Unknown store and a random vintage stall at a market I found!

I also found a random vintage and handmade market in a warehouse with many little stalls inside it. I couldn’t find the name of the market or see if it was an occasional or if it is always there, but it wasn’t far from the station I’m sure you could find it as it stood out as being a large open shopping space. There were many stalls, not just vintage, but I found a stall having a sale with more affordable pieces, especially nightgowns which I love and have a soft spot for!

What I bought:

• Two nightgowns- one pastel pink, one pastel blue!

Final thoughts!

Overall I found the vintage in Tokyo to be a lot pricier than I expected, but that probably means I didn’t find the best places for a bargain or vintage is more of an expense in Tokyo than it is here in Australia! It was still a wonderful experience and definitely a must for someone who loves designer items and hunting for special vintage or second hand pieces! I didn’t get to explore the Koenji area which I have read is also a great area for recycled fashion!

If you have any suggestions of your favourite place to shop vintage in Tokyo please let me know!