If you want to get in on Tokyo’s vibrant fashion scene, but don’t have the budget, here are some great stores where you can buy clothing on the cheap!
If you’re like me, you love Japanese fashion but don’t like the high price tags that come with the many amazing styles sold here in Tokyo. Fortunately, there are many places to purchase the clothing styles you love for discounted prices! From thrift shops to Japanese fast fashion brands, here’s the overview of the 9 different stores in Tokyo where you can find cheap clothing.
1. For Very Cheap Clothing: Tanpopo House/たんぽぽハウス
If you want to find a 100 yen/1$ shirt or sweater, head to Tanpopo House. They have a large selection of seasonal 100 yen items, which, while used, are usually still in good shape, without stains or tears. They also have many racks of clothing ranging from 300-1000 yen, depending on the brand and item type. If you are a student or on a strict budget, this store is the best option for keeping clothes on your back, although you may have to fight with determined grannies for the best deals. Also, if you don’t mind putting in the time searching, sometimes you can score a great deal on a heavily discounted brand item.
Locations: Tanpopo House has over a dozen stores in Tokyo, which can be found in less-expensive areas of Tokyo like Ueno, Takadanobaba, and Komagome.
2. For Uniqlo-Style Clothing, but Cheaper: GU
If you need comfortable pajamas or a bra-shirt, loose pants or cozy sweaters look no further than Gu, the brands that have become synonymous with cheap, practical clothing. They embody the Japanese style of simplicity, and despite their large selection of sleeping-wear and lounge-wear, have a nice selection of fashionable day-wear and business-wear too. GU has the same style as Uniqlo, but with even cheaper prices.
Locations: All major shopping hubs in Tokyo.
3. For Trendy Clothing: WEGO
WEGO is a fast fashion brand that recreates the latest Japanese fashions you’ll see the trendy youth wearing in Shibuya. If you want the cute off-the-shoulder top style you’ve been seeing everywhere, chances are it can be found at WEGO, for less than you would expect. For extra discounts go during the sales seasons in Japan if possible, which take place from late June to mid-July and the beginning of January.
Locations: WEGO can be found all over Tokyo (and Japan), so you’ll find it at all of the major shopping areas like Shibuya and Harajuku.
4. For Alternative Clothing: Closet Child
At Closet Child you can find gently used clothes from lolita brands like Alice And The Pirates, Angelic Pretty, and Baby The Stars Shine Bright. Dresses from these brands, which can often go for hundreds of dollars, can be found at less than half the price, with very little wear and tear. The store also has visual kei, punk, and goth sections.
Locations: Closet Child has stores in Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and on Takeshita-dori in Harajuku.
5. For Japanese and Foreign Fashion Brands: 2nd Street
For gently used, clothing from foreign brands like Zara or Japanese fashion brands from Shibuya 109, like Cecil McBee, head to 2nd Street. The clothes may not be from this season, but the clothes make up for that with their high quality and low prices.
Locations: 2nd Street has stores in all the major areas of Tokyo: Sumida, Jiyugaoka, Shibuya, Setagaya Shinjuku, etc.
6. For Discount Designer Clothing: Ragtag
For more a verified (and therefore slightly more expensive) brand name shopping experience you can also head to reuse shops that specialize exclusively in name brands. Ragtag is one of them — here you can browse brands like Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, and Saint Laurent in an elegant atmosphere.
Locations:
Ragtag has shops in all the major fashion areas of Tokyo: Kichijoji, Shibuya, Shimokitazawa, Shinjuku, and Harajuku.
7. For American Vintage-style clothing: Flamingo
Looking for western jeans or leather jackets? What about 1970’s dresses? Head over to Flamingo, a store that has more of the vibe of an American thrift shop, with lots of jeans, plaid, and clothing styles range from the 1950s to the 1990s. Their cool neon flamingo sign makes this thrift shop stand out from the rest of the shops on the street.
Locations: Harajuku and Shimokitazawa.
8. For Yukata and Kimono: Asakusa
Asakusa is one of the oldest and most traditional areas of Tokyo. It is the best place to go if you want to purchase summer yukata, kimono accessories like geta, or even a full formal kimono. New kimono can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. However older, used kimono often go for 10-50$ (1000-5000 yen). If you stroll around Asakusa, you will find many small stores with racks upon racks of kimono placed out on the street. One of the main used kimono stores is called 今昔きもの龍巳(オフィス千壽). The tiny store is packed with impossibly cheap yukata and kimono. It is perched on the corner of Dempoin and Orange streets, right off the main shopping street leading to the famous Sensoji temple.
Location: 1 Chome-39-11 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo 111-0032
9. For Unexpected Finds: Flea Markets
If you’re a fan of tv shows like Bargain Hunt, then you’re sure to love Japanese flea markets. It may take some sorting, but you never know what treasures you might find. It’s about the thrill of the chase, sorting through stalls of random goods to find the one item you fall in love with. Tokyo has several markets, but one of the biggest is the Mottainai Flea Market.
Location: Mottainai Flea market is held at multiple locations around Tokyo, so be sure to check their website for the latest updates.