Where To Shop In Tokyo: 12 Of The Best Places To Buy Clothes

Dover St Market
Like its London predecessor, Dover St Market is half art installation, half fashion mecca. The Ginza iteration is seven floors of expertly curated fashion with a hefty dose of founder Rei Kawabuko's Comme des Garcons label. Ginza.doverstreetmarket.com

Journal Standard
Journal Standard stores have an American prep aesthetic and stock mid-range local and international labels for men and women. You'll often find a Journal Standard eatery attached in Harajuku it's Luke's Lobster. Journal-standard.jp

Union
Union stores are a kaleidoscope of bright colour, with streetwear from labels like Toga, Marni and Jil Sander, and a range of cult sneakers to match. Uniontokyo.Jp

La Foret
A womenswear department store complex with 150 stores, and a haven for some of Tokyo's sub-cultures and fans of cult labels (Sofia Coppola's 90s label Milk Fed still has a popular following here). Laforet.ne.jp

Arts & Science
A collection of six boutique fashion and homeware stores in Aoyama curated by stylist Sonya Park. Each store is impeccably designed and sells handcrafted treasures like leather house slides, pearl and gold barrettes and beaten-copper bowls. Arts-science.com

Aura-Lee
Auralee founder Ryota Iwai has a background in jersey and knitwear and it shows in his pared-back range of beautifully made t-shirts, jumpers and shirts. The Tokyo-based clothier launched in 2015, with all Aura-Lee garments made in Japan from specialty fabrics sourced from all over the world. The minimalist clothing for men and women has a Margaret Howell vibe, and you can find both of these brands stocked at Fabric in Auckland. Auralee.jp

1lDK
The Aoyama Hotel store is a two-floor wood-panelled oasis filled with menswear and a large edit of accessories from local and international labels such as Digawell, Commune de Paris and Aesop. 1ldkshop.com

YAECA
Head to this quiet Ebisuminami boutique for a curated selection of fashion and homewares with an organic bent. Yaeca.com

Beams
These vibrant stores stock lots of cool mid-range labels, as well as its own brand of clothing. Don't miss Beams T in Harajuku, which has a t-shirt conveyer belt and which regularly hosts pop-ups and events. Beams.co.jp

United Arrows
A popular chain that includes its own in-house brands and collaborations, a suiting division and an alterations division. Store.united-arrows.co.jp

Visvim
Hiroki Nakamura's menswear label Visvim has gained a global following since it was established in 2000 as an independent sneaker label. It's now stocked everywhere from Bergdorfs in New York to Dover Street Market in London and is famed for its 'American-traditional' aesthetics. Its most recognisable item is a modern take on the moccasin, born from Nakamura's fascination with indigenous American culture. The stores themselves are beautiful, each with its own unique design, such as the ancient-timber-lined Harajuku store with its wooden clothing cabinets and leather chesterfields. Visvim.tv

Sacai
Popular with Japanese celebrities, Sacai is also the brand of choice for those 'in the know'. Designer Chitose Abe's (who learned the tricks of trade as a pattern cutter at Comme des Garcons) label reinterprets traditional Japanese silhouettes in a modern way and is known for an experimental/sportswear edge. Sacai.jp

• The Viva team flew to Tokyo exclusively with Cathay Pacific.