The Part Time Beauty Guide to Tokyo - Part Three

Herzog & de Meuron’s award-winning Prada building, Aoyama

The third and final instalment of the Part Time Beauty Guide to Tokyo brings us onto the subjects of shopping and beauty — after all, this is supposed to be a beauty blog above all else! As was mentioned in Part Two, many of the designer boutiques in Tokyo are architectural marvels, and many of them are worth a visit even if you couldn’t care less about couture. Herzog & de Meuron’s Pritzker Prize-winning Prada building, located in Aoyama, is arguably the most spectacular of all.

But, architectural heavy-hitters and luxury boutiques aside, Tokyo is still chock full of exciting fare when it comes to shopping. Whether you’re after an obscure item of cookware, a super-specialist calligraphy pen, or a long-discontinued Nintendo game, chances are you’ll find it within this sprawling metropolis. Tokyo also happens to be a great place to shop for gifts as, much in keeping with Japan at large, the art of gift wrapping is taken very seriously. You will also find that customer service standards are exemplary across the board.

Also, because Tokyoites are very into beauty and wellness, I have included a short round-up of where to find the best beauty products and treatments in Tokyo. So if you’re visiting from overseas and find yourself in need of a blow-dry or manicure, or anything else for that matter, look no further. Happy exploring!

The Stella McCartney boutique, Aoyama

SHOPPING
If money is no object, you could have some serious fun shopping in Tokyo, as high-end and high-tech goods are everywhere. But if, like me, the majority of your budget went towards somewhere to stay, then worry not: window shopping in Tokyo is an experience in itself, and the architecture and attention to detail on display is probably exciting enough without having to dispose of hundreds of thousands of yen. Again, as was touched upon in Part Two, Aoyama and Ginza are where most of the big designer flagships are, and along with the aforementioned Prada store my highlights are as follows: Chanel on Namiki-dori (several floors of their larger premises on Ginza’s main shopping street were closed for refurbishment when I visited); Marc Jacobs in Aoyama (mostly because the building is really interesting) and, last but not least, Loewe in Omotesando. Like many people these days, I’m a huge fan of what JW Anderson has done with the storied Spanish brand, and this boutique is every bit as striking as his designs. Furthermore, although I didn’t go in, I loved the look of the Stella McCartney store in Aoyama.

For a (somewhat) more uniquely Tokyo experience, head to the Ginza outpost of Rei Kawakubo’s famed Dover Street Market, opened in 2006. The shopping complexes Ginza Six and Omotesando Hills are also well worth a visit, even if only for the calibre of people watching on offer. But for a truly unique Tokyo experience, you simply must head to Tokyu Hands in Shibuya, and you simply must challenge yourself to leave with the most obscure tchotchkes you can find. (Although, given that the place is effectively several stories stuffed full of obscure tchotchkes, this may not actually prove all that challenging…)

Tokyo is also something of a goldmine when it comes to books, stationery and, of course, technology. As noted in Part Two, Akihabara is an area famed for its tech, so much so that it has even earned itself the nickname “Electric Town”. To be honest, I’m probably not enough of a tech fiend to advise you where to go for what, however I can tell you that Super Potato is perennially popular with English-speaking visitors, and I can also vouch for it being a great place to find a replacement for the GameBoy Pocket that your older brother destroyed back in 1999 (yes, really). For book lovers, the original Kinokuniya in Shinjuku is a must, with eleven entire floors of books and magazines to choose from. And finally, if you’re a stationery addict like me, you’d be mad not to visit Itoya in Ginza, which has a staggering twelve floors of merchandise for your perusal.

Dover Street Market, Ginza

BEAUTY
Japan has a long history of excellence as regards beauty, and many Japanese beauty brands are now household names recognised the world over, such as SK-II and Shiseido. (Indeed, the latter is now a large multinational corporation responsible for a portfolio of brands including bareMinerals and NARS, to name but a few.) But while Shiseido and co. are available pretty much anywhere, at seemingly any airport terminal in any part of the world, there are a number of other brands which are difficult if not impossible to track down outside of Japan. The good news is that I’ve figured out where to find them so, if you’ve also got a thing about niche Japanese beauty brands, read on — the next few paragraphs may prove invaluable.

If you want to sample a number of niche Japanese beauty brands under one roof, the Isetan department store in Shinjuku should be your first port of call. Along with the likes of Suqqu, RMK and Clé de Peau, all of which are now available in the UK, Isetan’s busy beauty hall also stocks some rarefied brands such as Addiction, Chicca, Lunasol and Three. (On the subject of Three, their standalone boutique in Aoyama is also well worth a visit, especially if you’re into minimalism.) Also, if you were a fan of Shu Uemura’s award-winning eyelash curlers before they abruptly vanished from UK retailers, worry not: they may have stopped selling them, but they never stopped making them, so head to the Shu Uemura store in Omotesando Hills and stock up.

Although make-up is obviously popular in Tokyo, a neat, groomed appearance seems to be of the utmost importance to residents, so do bear this in mind when visiting. For what may well be the best blow-dry in Tokyo, book into Jet Set Blow Dry Bar, which has locations in Azabu Juban, Ginza and Omotesando. I visited the salon in Azabu Juban on the eve of flying home and found the service to be impeccable, and my swingy Shiseido blowout long outlasted any feelings of jet lag. I also had a manicure at Nails Inc in Omotesando and, although I wouldn’t usually rave about Nails Inc’s services, the attention to detail shown by my manicurist was simply next level, and I’m also fairly certain that the shade range was more extensive than the norm. Finally, for one of the best facials in town, head to the AO Spa & Club at the Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills, where treatments can be customised to suit your skin’s needs, using products from Biologique Recherche and Elemental Herbology.

The spoils from Three Aoyama

This piece was originally published on Part Time Beauty in 2019.