Fashion/décor/lifestyle
Marunouchi / Yurakucho
Financial district turned upscale retail zone, it’s buzziest weekdays, relaxed weekends. Purses out, Pam! Have your cab drop you at the back of The Peninsula (see Accom.). With your back to the hotel, the street on your left is Marunouchi 7th St. Turn right onto 7th, then left at the train tracks to find Estnation / 5159 7800 / immediately on your left for gal/guy apparel (opp. is Bic Camera – a.k.a hell). Exit left and zip up a block to Ships / 5252 7748 / for more chic threads (m/w). Nip out and cross straight into the road to the left of Bic (you’ll espy the landmark Tokyo Int’l Forum opposite), go under the bridge and on to the irresistible lifestyle emporium Muji / 5208 8241 / on your left, complete with organic kaff. Exit, retrace your steps back to Ships and keep going straight another 50m on 5th St. for Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki / 5293 2800 / with works of art purporting to be cakes, and fancy chocs at La Maison du Chocolat / 3201 6006. Now turn next right into glam Marunouchi-naka Dori. Labels, Mabel. Hit Plain People / 5218 2218 / one-be-one.com / on the right for subdued and comfy clothes and curios, then sashay on to the polka-dot façade of ultra mod m/w outfitter Comme des Garçons / 3216 0016. Sweaty, Betty? Take five up on the left at Tokyo tea titan Ippodo / 6212 0202 / with its zen-tastic mod salon. Totter on and turn right at Hermès onto 4th St. past Parisianesque brasserie Aux Amis / 6212 1566, and fire to the end to find the Papas & Nonnon flagship store / 3284 8847 / a temple of preppy cotton and cashmere duds. Double back to Marunouchi-naka, turn right and scoot 75m along into The Sovereign House / 6212 2150 / sovereign-house.jp / to find everything for the wealthy gent. Stagger right out of the store, cross the street and march straight into Brick Square, a smart mall with some great eats like La Boutique de Joël Robuchon for sarnies and galettes, butter croissant heaven Echire (see Coffee), and ramen king Hakata Ippudo / 3217 2888. Pass The Baton (see Standout Stores) with its medley of repurposed togs is here too. The next block up on the right homes Old England / 3217 2850 / and Land of Tomorrow / 3217 2855 / both for elegant guys n’ gals gear, followed on the next block by ethical clobber, craft, and accessories at Kagure / 6266 8383. Turn right into 2nd St. to find Édifice et Iéna / 6212 2460 / for French lifestyle bobble, then over to your right is the red-brick Tokyo Station, where the bullet trains live, and opp. is the Marunouchi Bldg. Pile in to 2/F aquagirl for fun w/wear, and Conran / 3/F / 5288 6600 / for snappy h/ware. Snacky? You’re spoilt for choice. Juicy burgers plus an atrium deck at chainstore Kua’aina 5/F, Daigomi Robata Grill / 5/F / 5219 7011, or Thai Mango Tree / 35/F / 5224 5489 / are here. The other shiny tower opp. Tokyo Station is the Shin Marunouchi Bldg with mad milliner CA4LA / 3201 7033, and old school stationery at Delfonics / 3287 5135, both in the Passage on 1/F. Pop up to 6/F for a swig at W.W. / 5288 7829 / with vin by the glass, and there’s a terrace one floor up to rest tired tootsies, a rarity in these parts. Oishii!