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Odakyu Department Store, Shinjuku

magevampjoe

Sempai
5 Dec 2007
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Hi. (Sorry i've not posted for a while, been busy with exams)

Anyway, I'm going to Japan 14th July, I've worked out my itinerary, etc.
However. I need fillers at the end. My father opted for the 7-day JR pass, so I'm ending in Tokyo again. However, that leaves me a day or two of checking out Tokyo.

My big question is this. What kind of things can I expect to find in big, 16 floor, department stores in Shinjuku (namely, Odakyu Department Store). Is it worth going, or if not, what other stores are good?

You see, myself and my father are going, and we shall be light bagging (like backpacking, but carrying barely anything), so any souveneirs really will have to be bought in these final days.

So yeah, anyone explain what I can expect to find?

Thanks, and sorry if my grammar is off today (and spelling), I am very tired (revise, revise, homework, revise, work on coursework, hand in coursework ON THE DEADLINE DAY, revise, revise etc etc etc.)


Thanks again.

joe
 
it really depends on what you want to buy, and how much you want to spend. odakyu is a pretty standard department store, similar to (but not quite as high end and expensive as) Isetan or Marui (also found in Shinjuku). You could go to Shibuya for trendier junk, or Harajuku for cheaper junk.

It would help if you had an idea of what you wanted to buy.
 
I'm looking really for souveneirs etc. Things that I can look at and go 'wow'

But really, I am just kindof asking what they sell in different departements etc. Then I can know whether there is any point putting a departement store visit in my itinerary.

Joe
 
Harajuku, Oriental Bazaar. Lot's of souvenirs, and most, if not all made in Japan. The prices are really good. They have everything, from japanese pottery, chopsticks, glass ware, to t-shirts and magnets and key chains. I bought beautiful lacquer jewelry boxes there (they have imitation plastic too for way less). What do you want to buy?

I've seen tons of school kids there!
 
This is for souvenirs being bought by a 16 year old. I am sure he isn't going to have too much cash on hand to spend. If he wants to get some nice souvenirs I would recommend the Oriental Bazaar to anyone, including my friends and family. Not everyone wants to spend a lot. Also LA OX has floors and floors of stuff, one floor is all souvenir stuff, it is really cheap, but most is made in Japan as well. It has t-shirts to rice cookers to jewelry. There is one in Akihabara. You can get Japanese electronics with English writing. I could name many expensive places to go, but I don't think this young man is not looking to buy hand made pottery ramen bowls that are 6000 yen a piece.....
 
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I'd try Tokyu Hands. There's one near the Takashimaya in Shinjuku. For gag gifts and other miscellaneous stuff, try Don Quixote if you can find one.
 
Odakyu is just an ordinary department with wide range of goods. It is very similar to Keio and Isetan which are also in Shinjuku.
Maybe their foodhall on the basement is great to see (this food hall on the basement is very common in Japanese departments), especially if it is the first visit to Japan for you.
Generally shopping at departments tend to be pricy, though they are offering quality stuff.
Marui is a bit different, its main target customers are young people (teens and those in their 20s), and they're offering various fashionable garments and accessories.

I believe that Oriental Bazaar in Harajuku (in Aoyama/Omotesando area) is a good place to buy souvenirs for your friends and family. You can find something that look "really, very Japanese" and prices are quite reasonable.
Most of the table wares (like Japanese tea cups and plates) are not recommendable if you're looking for something authentic, because most of them have weird patterns and prints that you'll find only at souvenir shops for foreign travellers, but it is up to your taste. ;-)
Other small things are good and inexpensive, if you have to buy many gifts, it is a good place to have a look.
They have a floor specialized in antique, they are rather expensive but interesting to see (you know, even for a native Japanese like me!)

English information about department stores:
http://www.odakyu-dept.co.jp/foreign/en/index.html
Odakyu, Shinjuku
京王百貨店
Keio, Shinjuku
伊勢丹のホームページ
Isetan, Shinjuku

マルイ 店舗サイト - marui website -|丸井百貨
Marui (available only in Japanese language)

reviews and comments on Oriental Bazaar
LateRooms - Book Cheap Hotels & Last Minute Hotel Deals
http://www.johnharveyphoto.com/Japan/TokyoLast/OrientalBazar.html
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2764837-oriental_bazaar_tokyo-i
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tokyo/S27115.html

Enjoy your visit! 🙂
 
Things that I can look at and go 'wow'
Nobody knows what will happen in Marui Young (Marui One) in the future, death of goth/loli or prevalence of goth salaryman, so it is an idea to browse there now.
http://www.0101.co.jp/stores/ffv/pdf/020.pdf

Daimaru Tokyo (when you need to go to a bathroom near Tokyo station)
http://www.daimaru.co.jp/english/tokyo.html
http://allabout.co.jp/house/toilet/closeup/CU20080215B/daimaru_012.jpg

For souvenirs, I agree with nice gaijin. For more inexpensive ones, just go to a 100 yen shop.
 
100 yen shops have a lot of stuff, not necessarily souvenir stuff. However they are cheap. I bought some cute Japanese style tea cups, and they were actually made in Japan. I bought a bunch to have on hand to give out when friends come over. A lot of the stuff though is made in China. I can buy that at home! I have even given away the free tissue packets I get!
 
Hi
First of all, I have a lot of cash - about £300 spending money (about 60,000 yen I think).

But you are right, I don't want to spend too much, that money will be spent on lots of sake ;) Nah, only joking, but I will probably be looking for different things;
eg, a bowl or tea set for my grandmother, a toy or something for my brother and sister etc.

Anyway, thanks for all the info, enough to treat my eyes :)

Thanks
Joe
 
That's a fair amount for souvenirs, but at the higher end department stores it would be easy to blow it all on just a few items. If you are into any sort of characters or television shows, you could tour the TV station gift shop in Odaiba (Fuji's station is located there, along with some other shopping/sight-seeing opportunities), or Shiodome (I can't remember which station it was, but I remember it's the one that broadcasts the Hakone Ekiden, and that I saw Pakkun there).
 
For toys (anime, Gundam etc) I'd recommend checking out Mandarake MANDARAKE
They have a few stores in Tokyo. I didn't have a chance to check it out personally but I wish I did.


And as undrentide mentioned, I would at least take a peek into the basement of one of the mega department stores. All the food are meticulously displayed and everything looked so good.
 
There's a Mandarake in Nakano Broadway near Nakano station. There's quite a few interesting stores in that area, as well as Kichijouji, a bit further down the line.
 
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