You literally can't talk about shopping in Tokyo without mentioning Shimokitazawa. It's one of the 23 wards in Tokyo and is popularly known as "The Town of Second-Hand Fashion and Vibrant Subcultures."
Being just within an eyeshot from Shibuya and Shinjuku, Shimokitazawa has remained the center of Japan's subculture scene since as far back as the 1970s.
If you're looking for the home to vintage or antique clothing stores, bars, select bookstores, music shops, and funky, distinctive cafés, Shimokitazawa is the perfect place to go. Perhaps you're in Japan, and you're wondering why visiting this neighborhood should be on your to-do bucket list; here's why.
1. Amazing shopping prices
Shopping in Shimokitazawa can be fun and exciting, especially with all the colorful stores and pedestrian-friendly roads that will delight your sight. But, what's more interesting is the price of items in this ever-bustling neighborhood.
You could buy an item in Shimokitazawa for about 20 percent of its regular price. And, shimokia (as most locals would refer to the area) is filled with lots of different collections of clothes, artworks, and other amazing items. Thus you can be sure to find things that'd pique your interest.
2. Discover the Shimokia style
There's the standard style of doing business in Japan, and there's the Shimokia style. You don't want to visit this blessed country without having a taste of Shimokia's fantastic atmosphere and its business style.
When you get to Shimokia, try locating the Toyo Department Store. Here you'd find countless shops and stores arranged in a way as to preserve the old Shimokita style. They also sell lots of exclusive items, so check out any of them for your favorite item.
3. Experience Shimokia Tollywood
Ask of Shimokitazawa's movie theatre, and you'd find yourself right before the gates of Shimokitazawa Tollywood. Why not? It's the only movie theatre in the entire Shimokitazawa neighborhood!
Here you can watch a wide range of short movies created by young, independent, and creative directors. This theatre often features short movies because they understand that tourists wouldn't have all the time for long films. Visiting Shimokita to merely steal a glance at Shimokitazawa Tollywood would be a worthwhile visit.
4. Vintage and second-hand cloth shopping
As earlier mentioned, vintage and second-hand clothes are probably the most prominent things you'd hear about Shimokitazawa. There are lots of stores waiting to transform your appearance with vintage and antique-style clothes.
These stores have dresses that suit virtually every aesthetic you can think of. Whether you want to appear in the hip-hop, American or Japanese tradition, you only have to make your choice. Some of the most popular stores include:
· NEW YORK JOE EXCHANGE
· ANTIQUE LIFE JIN
· KINJI
· CHICAGO
· And many more
5. Try Shimokitazawa delicious food
You can't explore a culture without having a taste of what its people feed on. Shimokitazawa food spots serve some of the tastiest food in Japan. From milked shaved ice to onigiri (rice balls) covered by barbecue meat, there's more than enough Shimokitazawa can offer. The foods are delicious, neatly served, and they leave you wanting more.
6. Capture some beautiful memories
If you've always loved to be creative with your photos, Shimokia can help you skyrocket your creativity. Talk about photos with vintage background, nothing beats Shimokia. It's arrangement, color, atmosphere, and even kind of goods available there are just perfect for a vintage image. Remember to wear a vintage outfit if you'd love to perfect your shots.
Local art is an intrinsic part of Shimokia. The area is popularly known for its great support for local art. Grab a couple of shots here to make your collection diverse.
When you get to Flash Disc Ranch, you'd find lots of photogenic spots here. You could shoot at the pop entrance, on the stairs, or in the record hall.
Other places to capture the beauty of Shimokia are Gallery HANA Shimokitazawa - a place to enjoy and fill your images with modern japanese art background, Honda Theater, B&B Bookstore, and so much more.
These six reasons are simply the tip of the iceberg. There's way more to experience and explore in Shimokitazawa. So grab your camera, find as many perfect spots as you want and shoot your way into photogenicity.
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