買い物 · kaimono
Clothing & Shopping
What to wear & how to shop
Tokyo is one of the most stylish cities on earth, and it still has zero interest in judging your sneakers — here’s what actually matters and what truly doesn’t.
Here’s the truth that takes the pressure off: Tokyo dresses beautifully, but no one is grading you. You can walk Shibuya in jeans and good walking shoes and blend right in. What people quietly notice isn’t your outfit, it’s whether you read the room. A temple, a nice restaurant, or a friend’s home asks for a little more care than a theme park or a department store basement, and that’s the whole game.
A few specifics are worth knowing before you pack. Slip-on shoes are a gift to yourself, because you’ll be taking them off more than you expect: at temples, in some restaurants, in fitting rooms. Shoulders and knees are fine almost everywhere, but at temples and shrines it’s kind to lean modest. And if you have tattoos, they’re not a problem on the street at all; they only come up at certain bathhouses, pools, and gyms, which we cover honestly so you’re never caught off guard.
Shopping has its own quiet choreography, and once you see it, you’ll relax into it immediately. Money goes on the little tray by the register, not into the cashier’s hand. Your purchase gets wrapped with a care that can feel almost ceremonial. And if you’re a tourist, tax-free shopping is real and genuinely worth it: you just need your passport and to understand the sealed-bag rule.
What you’ll learn
- What to actually wear day to day — and the handful of places (temples, shrines, nicer restaurants) where leaning modest is the kind move
- The cash tray, explained: why money goes on the little tray instead of into the cashier’s hand, and how to receive your change and receipt back
- Tax-free shopping for tourists done right — the passport rule, the sealed bag you shouldn’t open until you leave Japan, and where to find the counter
- Tattoos in real life: a non-issue on the street, but exactly where (baths, pools, some gyms) they can come up and how to handle it gracefully
- Trying clothes on the Japanese way — shoes off, the face-cover slipped over your head so makeup doesn’t transfer, and why sizing may run smaller than you expect
- How to slow down and let staff wrap and bag your purchase, plus the honest reality of returns and exchanges so you buy with confidence
The questions travelers actually ask
Pulled from what real visitors are searching and posting — every one answered inside the guide.
- How does tax-free shopping actually work in Tokyo, and do I need to bring my passport to get the discount?
- What is changing with the new "pay first, refund later" tax-free system, and will I have to show every item I bought to claim it?
- Should I set up Visit Japan Web before I arrive to speed up tax-free shopping and customs?
- How big a deal are tattoos in Japan, and do I need to cover mine when I'm out shopping or sightseeing?
- Which brands and items are genuinely cheaper to buy in Tokyo right now with the weak yen?
- Which Tokyo stores and drugstore chains should I shop at for tax-free deals on electronics, cosmetics, and souvenirs?
- Where do I go in Tokyo for Japanese fashion like Gothic and Lolita styles that also offer tax-free shopping?