Anything goes

Add a little spunk to your life at Tokyo’s zakka housewares shops. Hanna Kite visits five of the best.

Photo by Hanna Kite

Bottled green tea in Boston tastes pretty much the same as it does from a vending machine in Shibuya. But no matter how international our planet becomes, sometimes a certain something can only be found one place on Earth. For interior-knickknack devotees and accessory-minded folk, zakka, or “miscellaneous goods” stores, are the cornerstone of life in Japan, the trusted source of goodies when a bag or apartment needs a touch of personality. There’s nothing quite like them beyond Japanese shores.

While a walk around Shimokitazawa or Kichijoji guarantees a zakka encounter, the following five stores in Jiyugaoka and Daikanyama are the top shops in Tokyo’s zakka central. They offer a little more than your standard basket and wire-plant-hanger fare, and a more distinctive selection than Loft.

Read more: Metropolis Tokyo

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Tags: guide, Shopping, tokyo