Tokyo is known to be one of Japan’s busiest cities, if not the most. It consists of 23 central city wards and many other cities, villages, and towns located west from the city center. The metropolis offers a variety of travel experiences to tourists that revolve around the country’s culture, traditional arts, cuisine, and history, to name a few. Of course, to keep up with modern times, Tokyo has also become the home of a seemingly endless amount of entertainment centers and shopping districts, particularly in the Shibuya ward.
Shibuya has become a popular tourist attraction over the years for its abundance in youth culture and fashion. The majority of its streets serve as the birthplaces of local fashion trends and activities, e.g. Harajuku Fashion. The city ward houses more than 12 of Japan’s largest department stores, making it the ideal place for shoppers of every kind. Among the notable shopping malls to visit is Shibuya 109, a prominent 10-story building that can easily be located from the Shibuya Crossing.
History of the Shibuya 109 Building – Japan’s Shopping Paradise
The Shibuya 109 building first opened in 1979 during the month of April. It was designed by Architect Minoru Takeyama for Tokyu Malls Development Corporation, one of Japan’s leading retail and department store chains. The numerical aspect of the shopping center’s name is a play on the Japanese characters “to” and “kyu”, which mean 10 and 9, respectively.
The shopping mall was built to be a fashion community consisting of different retail stores that cater to women in their early 30s but has since adjusted to satisfy younger women, as well. In addition, the inception of Shibuya 109 was prompted by the increasing popularity of Tokyu Malls Development Corporation’s rival, Seibu Department Stores, in the area.
The design of the building’s interior was created in such a way that shoppers would have to go from the elevators and pass by the various shops on each floor before reaching the next. Originally, a movie theater was supposed to be included on the top-most floor of Shibuya 109. However, due to its limited evacuation routes, the local fire department did not approve the addition of a cinema.
The Shibuya 109 Guide For Finding Beauty Products, Clothes, Shoes, and More
The retail stores of Shibuya 109 strongly compete with each other in terms of revenue in order to remain a part of the popular fashion community. This has greatly helped in ensuring that all items carried by the mall are in line with current trends.
A lot of the business owners and shops accepted by Shibuya 109 are young and upcoming brands. Several stores that established their first branches at the shopping mall have come to be among Japan’s continuing fashion lines. This has given Shibuya 109 the title of being a trend-setting shopping mall, housing cutting edge fashion items including clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Shopping at Shibuya 109 can be quite intimidating as its floors are filled with booming music and aggressive clerks determined to make a sale. Visitors planning to go to the mall for the first time should be prepared to feel overwhelmed with all the products Shibuya 109 has to offer but not allow themselves to get lost amidst the frenzy.
As previously mentioned, the building consists of ten floors, including two basement floors. Going through each floor may sound fun but requires a lot of energy. For an efficient shopping adventure, visitors are advised to first familiarize themselves with the floor location of certain products.
Accessories
For shoppers looking for unique accessories, Shibuya 109 is an absolute haven of sorts. From hair clips to phone cases, the shopping center is unlikely to disappoint avid customers. The second floor is home to Sarah Zodiaque, a store that specializes in all kinds of hair accessories. Going a level up the mall, visitors can locate a shop named Doll Kiss, which carries socks and tights of every color. On the 6th floor, an assortment of phone cases and novelty items can be found, ranging from simple to bejeweled designs.
Beauty Products
A trip to Shibuya 109 is not complete without a visit to its top floor and 2nd basement floor. At these floors, visitors can easily lose track of time browsing through the smorgasbord of local beauty products that walk the thin line of being useful and unusual. The 1st basement floor is also worth mentioning, particularly the Voeux store which carries contact lenses of every color imaginable and other accessories.
Clothes
Finding clothes available in more than one size can pose a challenge in Shibuya 109. However, the mall does carry a nice selection of knitwear and shawls that provide shoppers with great deals, regardless of their body type. These items are spread across different floors of the shopping center, making them hidden treasures one can come across with while searching for other items.
The 4th, 5th, and 6th floors are highly recommended for shoppers with a petite physique, while the 2nd floor is perfect for visitors looking to clothe themselves in bohemian-style apparel. The Mitsumaru Emsexcite Vouloir is also a nice store located on the 1st basement floor that carries feminine, French-style casual wear.
There are no large fitting rooms available in Shibuya 109, but most stores have a small area allocated for customers to try on items they are interested in purchasing.
Shoes
The shoes and boots sold at Shibuya 109 feature unique designs that range from classy to funky styles. The majority of the stores located on the 1st basement floor display the shoe sizes they carry to save shoppers from wasting their time.
Food & Drink
A shopping trip in Shibuya 109 is guaranteed to work up an appetite. Luckily, visitors will not have to leave the shopping center to grab a bite to eat or to quench their thirst. The 7th and 8th floors of the mall house a variety of restaurants and cafes for shoppers to take a break and regain their energy.
The Top Brands To Include In The Shibuya 109 Shop List – Cecil McBee, Liz Lisa, and More
First-time visitors to Shibuya 109 should also include a few of the mall’s top brands, regardless of whether or not they will actually be purchasing any items from these stores. A visit to these five clothing stores will provide tourists with the various styles trending in Japan:
- Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee is located on the 2nd floor. They specialize in feminine clothing and accessories that range from cute to sophisticated styles. The majority of their items are dresses that feature ruffles and soft colors. - Secret Honey
Secret Honey is located on the 3rd floor. Their inventory can be described as bearing a girl and retro vibe. However, they are best known for collaborating with Disney and Japanese anime concepts and characters to produce unique fashion items. A new line is released every week and often sells out in less than an hour if featuring a popular icon. - EGOIST
EGOIST is located on the 4th floor. Unlike the colorful products carried by most of Shibuya 109’s other stores, the clothes and accessories sold by EGOIST feature minimalist designs. The store has been able to keep up with trends by balancing their line’s simplicity with modern cuts and styles. Their store clerks are also kept up to date to guide customers into creating understated yet stunning looks. - Liz Lisa
Liz Lisa is located on the 5th floor. The store is among the top clothing brands for women in Japan. They specialize in creating cute and retro style clothing and accessories that bring emphasis to each woman’s femininity. Their items come in a variety of colors and cuts in order to provide customers with plenty of room for mix-and-match outfits. - Rodeo Crowns
Rodeo Crowns is located on the 5th floor. Shoppers with a more boyish approach when it comes to fashion will not regret making a visit to this store. Their items carry a casual American-style that provides just the right amount of masculinity to the wearer without overpowering her feminine built. The store also has a few collaborations with other clothing lines every few months.
Hello Kitty’s Club KT at Shibuya 109
Shibuya 109 has a store called Club KT located on the 8th floor. This store is dedicated to all things Hello Kitty-related, be it apparel, lunch bags, key chains, stationery, pens, or makeup. It is aptly named as Club KT because of its goal to provide teenagers with the club culture and entertainment experience without the presence of alcohol.
To make it even more unique, the store’s DJ is Hello Kitty, herself, who has several shows every month, turning the cute store into a club. After each show, DJ Hello Kitty mingles with the customers for photo taking and for personal recommendations on which items to purchase.
Shibuya 109 Men’s
For male companions of female tourists dreading the hours they will have to endure going from one store to the other at Shibuya 109, it is advised that they head on to the building across named 109 Men’s. This is Shibuya 109’s shopping mall dedicated to its male customers, carrying a variety of trendy apparel and accessories.
Similar to Shibuya 109, finding fashion items in the correct size can be a tiresome task but worth all the time and energy. Some of the highly recommended stores to visit at Shibuya 109 Men’s are:
- JackRose
JackRose is located on the 5th floor. The store carries local and imported clothes and shoes that feature timeless yet trendy designs. - Vanquish
Vanquish is located on the 3rd floor. The clothing brand has become quite successful since it launched in 2004. They are a frequent participant of Tokyo Fashion Week and have collaborated with Western brands such as Nike and Converse, over the years. Their items are statement pieces that feature plenty of graphics, prints, and patterns. - Gostar De Fuga
Gostar De Fuga is located on the 4th Floor. Their selection of clothes and accessories is perfect for shoppers looking to find comfortable casual wear for the spring (February/March to May/ July) and fall (August/September to November/December) seasons.
Shibuya 109 Net Shop
Foreign travelers who find that they have fallen in love with Japan’s fashion trends after visiting Shibuya 109 or Shibuya 109 Men’s can still purchase items from the comfort of their own homes. Shibuya 109 has an online store called Shibuya 109 Net Shop. Most of the existing stores of both malls sell their current and old product lines online at the same prices or lower.
However, the online store is only available in Japanese and does not directly ship to other countries. For the first issue, google translate provides an easy and quick solution. For the latter, customers outside of Japan can use forwarding services to take care of their purchased products’ deliveries.
Shibuya 109 Stores, Information, Access, and Hours
Shibuya 109’s popularity has resulted in the inception of other stores bearing the same numerical name across Japan and even one in Hong Kong. The basic information of each 109 store is as follows:
Shibuya 109
Map Address: 150-0043 2-29-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 4-minute walk away from the Shibuya Station; 8-minute walk away from the Shinsen Station
Phone: 03-3477-5111
Store Hours: Shop - open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM; Restaurant/Café - open from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Closed: January 1
Shibuya 109 Men’s
Map Address: 150-0041 Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Jinan 1-23-10
Access: 4-minute walk away from the Shibuya Station; 11-minute walk away from the Shinsen Station
Phone: 03-3477-5111
Store Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed: January 1
109 Men’s 4-Chome Plaza
Map Address: 060-0061 Hokkaido Chuo-ku, Sapporo Minami 1 Nishi 4-chome
Access: 1-minute walk away from the Nishiyonchome Station; 2-minute walk away from the Tanukikoji Station
Phone: 011-261-0221
Store Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Closed: Irregular
109 Men’s Tenjin Core
Map Address: 810-0001 Fukuoka Tenjin, Chuo-ku, 1-11-11
Access: 4-minute walk away from the Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station
Phone: 092-721-8436
Store Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM
Closed: Irregular
109 Machida
Map Address: 194-0013 Machida, Tokyo Haramachida 6-8-1
Access: 3-minute walk away from the Machida Station
Phone: 042-709-2111
Store Hours: Open from 10:30 AM to 8:30 PM
Closed: January 1
Shizuoka 109
Map Address: 420-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi-ku Tenma-cho, 6-1
Access: 3-minute walk away from the Shin-Shizuoka Station; 6-minute walk away from the Shizuoka Station
Phone: 054-251-0109
Store Hours: Open from 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM
Closed: January 1
Shibuya 109 Abeno
Map Address: 545-0052 Osaka Abeno-ku, Osaka Abenosuji chome sixth No. 1 Abeno Kyuzu Mall 2F
Access: 4-minute walk away from the Tennojiekimae Station; 5-minute walk away from the Abeno Station
Phone: 06-6556-7109
Store Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed: Irregular
Shibuya 109 Kagoshima
Map Address: 890-0053 Kagoshima center-cho, 1-1 Amu Plaza Kagoshima main building 2F
Access: 2-minute walk away from the Kagoshimachuoekimae Station; 5-minute walk away from the Kagoshimachuo Station
Phone: 099-812-7700
Store Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Closed: January 1
Shibuya 109 Hong Kong
Map Address: Shibuya 109 Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui, Canton Rd, 3-27 Gateway Apartments, Harbour City
Access: 7-minute walk away from the Tsim Sha Tsui Station
Phone: 2151-2109
Store Hours: Open from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Closed: None