Tokyo Quilt Fabric Shopping - Chain Stores

The Yuzawaya store in Takashimaya Times Square closed 11/6/2016.  Other locations can be found by going here (look under the Tokyo section).

 
 

In my previous post I discuss shopping in Nippori Fabric Town, the main place to purchase fabric.  However, there are some places that are good for buying quilting material outside of that area.  If you want to create your own shop hop and try to visit Nippori and these stores in the same day, it's possible, but tiring.  The Yamanote line (JR train) is only a 22 minute ride between Nippori and Shinjuku.  But once you factor in walking, shopping and eating time it will be a very full day.

Two stores I like are fairly close to one another - about a brisk 10 minute walk apart (see path above). If you decide to visit both stores, I'd start at Okadaya (marked with A on the map above) then go to Yuzawaya (B on the map) - this way you're walking down the hill instead of up it.

​Both are close to Shinjuku Station, which is not only the busiest station in the world (more than 2-3 million people pass through it in a DAY), but it's also incredibly huge - there are more than 200 exits.  This is also one of the few places in Japan I worry about pickpockets.  Depending on which train or subway line you come in on, you can be at completely different parts of the station.  Either way, you want to go out an East Exit - that will get you on the correct side of the station.

It takes about 5-10 minutes to walk from Shinjuku Station to Okadaya.  ​From the Okadaya website, they have directions from Shinjuku station, with (small) pictures (Use Google Translate to get a rough translation into English): ​​www.okadaya.co.jp/shinjuku/access.html 

If your feet are tired, save some steps!

​You can reach Okadaya from a subway station that might be a little more difficult to get to (but then you have a shorter walk - only a few minutes).  Go to Shinjuku-nishiguchi Station on the Oedo or Marunouchi subway lines and take exit D3​.  Cross the street by going under the railroad tracks.  Then walk straight ahead, slightly to the right (now you won't be on the major road - Yasukuni Dori; it will be to your left and you'll be parallel to it).  If you end up at the employee entrance (nicely written in English on the door), just walk around to the other side of the building.

Floor guide to Okadaya.  The "main" building has 6 floors.

Okadaya (don't mix it up with the nearby Odakyu department store!) is located in two buildings basically across a small alley from each other. It's a fabric/costume/arts & crafts shop, so if you're interested in a variety of hobbies, you can spend lots of time here.

The front of the "main" store.

​





The Okadaya building facing the main "street" (it looks like it's pedestrian only, but cars do drive on it) has the sewing notions and a section of US fat quarters (about $4.50/each; no discounts for buying a large amount).  They have a small selection of batik fat quarters, along with fat quarters of other types of US fabrics.​  No bolts are located in this part of the store, but they do have a large amount of quilting tools, notions and (Japanese) quilting books.  It's fun to see the rulers and cutting mats all using metric measurements!  These items are found on the fifth floor - 5A.  There is an elevator.

Floor 5A

I have no idea why the fat quarters are in a different
building and 5 stories away from the bolts.

To find the cotton fabric floor face the Okadaya building on the main "street." Take the little alley to your right and halfway down is the main cotton/quilting fabric part of the store (or if you're in the main building come out the side door and the entrance to the other shop is directly opposite you). 

Second building of Okadaya - with the cotton fabric bolts!

They carry some of the same fabrics as Yuzawaya (including Yuwa and Liberty), but there's enough difference to make it worthwhile.  They have only a few batik bolts, not necessarily the same ones they have fat quarters of.

Fabrics...

...and more fabrics!

My favorite of the chain stores is Yuzawaya.  The location I like best (and is most centrally located in Tokyo) is inside the Takashimaya Times Square department store in Shinjuku. One thing I didn't know before coming to Tokyo is that a department store can also have other, completely separate, stores inside its building. The Yuzawaya store is on half of the 11th floor of the building. 

Yuzawaya in Japanese!

To go from Okadaya to Yuzawaya, you're going to walk along the east side of Shinjuku Station. There are lockers on the exterior of the station so you can drop off your bags if you bought a lot of fabric at Okadaya and they're getting heavy!  You'll also pass a Starbucks and a Lush if you want a drink or to do some bonus shopping while you're out.

 
​​If you ​want to go only to Yuzawaya (or you prefer to start there), the ​New South Gate is the exit closest to the store from Shinjuku Station (it's not the same as the South Gate), but you can't always get to that particular exit from your location in the station.  If you end up going out any of the East or South exits you can find your way there by the streets outside.  You can look for a sign that lists which exit to take for different buildings - Takashimaya will be on it.

Takashimaya is the last store listed on the bottom right.

The bridge to Takashimaya with some
crazy, familiar-looking people posing on the side.

[If you're curious:​ I take the Oedo subway line and it ​comes out in Shinjuku Station near the New Keio (train) line. For me, it's most convenient to take exit 2​, then turn right at the sidewalk outside, walk about half a block, then turn right onto the Southern Terrace. This leads past a Starbucks and a Krispy Kreme (if you're missing US treats) and you'll take a left across the big bridge into the second floor of Takashimaya Times Square.​]

Luckily I don't really like doughnuts, so I'm not tempted to eat here often!

Where's Waldo?  No, no, no - where's Takashimaya?

You can reach Takashimaya directly from another subway station - the Shinjuku-sanchome station. The Fukutoshin, Marunouchi and Shinjuku subway lines all come in here, but it feels like a looongggg walk down an underground hall to the department store (& Yuzawaya)...maybe because there's nothing to look at as you walk. It's nice if it's raining, though! You want exit E8 from Shinjuku-sanshome station.

Big sale at Yuzawaya (the sale signs are not normally up)!

Yuzawaya is similar to the "good" Joann stores in the US - lots of fabric, but also many other craft items - yarn, beading, buttons, sashiko sets, etc.  I have found the fabric here to be of better quality than at Joann; it's similar to what you'd find at a quilt store.  One fabric line they carry is Yuwa, a Japanese company.  Souleiado fabrics (a French company) are also here.  Prices are generally $6-14/meter, depending on what you're buying.  I usually find ones I like that are on the low end of the price range.  They have a decent selection of Liberty fabrics (British), costing about $30/meter. 

Despite the sign, the Liberty fabrics are NOT on sale!  Still $30/meter. 
Several women were very disappointed.

Fabrics here, too!

And here!

They may be getting ready to do a remodel.  When I went to take pictures, they had taken down a lot of the shelves and had the fabric bolts on tables.  I'll check back again to see what they're up to!

 

 


You can sign up for their reward card (the form does ask for a Japan address and phone number) for $5, which will give you a 10% discount on your purchases. However, Liberty fabric is excluded from the discount.

The Italian restaurant on the 12th floor.

Typical with big department stores, there are restaurants located near the top floors. Here it's the 12th-14th. I like the Italian restaurant on the 12th floor - you get a nice lunch set (small salad, small broth soup, pasta, drink) for about $14. The restaurants on the 13th floor tend to look more expensive, and there's a Belgian cafe on the 14th floor that serves traditional mussels and fries, among other things.  There's lots of variety among the different kinds of restaurants, so pick your favorite and rest your feet from all your shopping!

The Belgian restaurant on the 14th floor.

Basement grocery store

Also, in the basement, is a huge food hall. Half the basement is over 50 different counters selling prepared foods - sushi, tempura, bento boxes, salads, etc, all easy to take out (there is no place very convenient to eat here). The other half of the basement contains over 50 dessert counters, selling tarts, eclairs, Japanese sweets, etc. Yum! There's also a grocery store, a wine shop and several French bakeries.

So many choices!

You can get all sorts of Kit Kat
flavors here - but it's very expensive.

I always end up buying too much - it all looks good.

Steve perusing some of the desserts.

Dry...and warm.  No air conditioning in the hallway to the station!

You can reach Shinjuku-sanshome Station from the basement floor.  You can find the entrance to the hall near the wine shop.

Didn't I see a Japanese golfer advertising this store??

When I go to this Yuzawaya I usually stop at the Uniqlo on the 12th floor. This is a clothing store, similar to the Gap, that carries mens, womens and childrens, with everything from business attire to sleepwear and workout clothes. Prices are reasonable.  Just remember sizes run about one size smaller than the US - a Japan large is about a US medium.

One of my favorite shops!

I also like to visit Tokyu Hands, located in a corner of the Takashimaya building on floors 2 through 8 (there's an escalator for each floor right there, so it's easy to move between floors). It's similar to a nice Target - they carry a wide variety of items, from shampoo to screws to saute pans to stationary and sofas. If you need any travel items (like a new suitcase to bring home all your fabric purchases) or you want some hand lotion made in Japan, this is a convenient place to stop.

Oh, so pretty!

One last place I stop at in Takashimaya is the Japanese Craft Shop on the 8th floor.  It's a small selection of (mostly) handmade traditional Japanese crafts, such as wood carving, pottery, lacquer and inden (leather wallets and purses decorated with bits of lacquer - it's like they make a quilting pattern with the design).  This is a good place to stop if you don't have time to make it to the Aoyama Japan Traditional Crafts Shop with their large collection of items for sale.  Nice souvenirs!

There are a limited number of small quilt stores in Tokyo, but I'll share that info in an upcoming post!

Tokyo Quilt Fabric Shopping - Nippori

Update May 2017 - the last two times I've visited Tomato it's been extremely crowded.  Try to be there when it opens (10:00 am) or at 12:00 pm, when many people leave to eat lunch.  

When I travel, I research fabric/quilt stores in the city I'm visiting so I can look for new quilting material. Now that I live in Tokyo, I can share a little about my favorite places to fabric shop here.

North Gate (north side of the station) - to the East Exit

South Gate - to the East Exit

The best known area for buying fabrics is Nippori Fabric Town, a ½ mile stretch of road lined with fabric and textile stores. It’s located in the northeast part of Tokyo, about 12 minutes from Tokyo Station (JR Yamanote Line) or 21 minutes from Shinjuku Station (JR Yamaonte Line).

Depending on which train you take (or even which train car you're in) you come out in different parts of Nippori Station. You want to go to the East Exit, but there are two of them (one on the north side and one on the south side). Either one is fine to take, though the South Gate is closest to the street leading into Nippori Fabric Town. The North Gate is in the main part of the train station.

Nippori Station is on the far left of the map.

The stairs at the east exit on the south side of Nippori Station.

After exiting the station, you'll walk to Nippori Chuo Dori (dori means street), the main street of Nippori Fabric Town.  To reach it, if you exit from the main part of the station (east exit on the north side) after coming down the escalator you'll take a right onto the sidewalk and walk near the end of the block.  If you come out through the east exit at the south gate, you'll walk down an old set of stairs and be close to the end of the block.  You'll need to cross the street from the train station. Head towards the Ginza Cozy Corner and once you're in front of it go left and continue walking along as it curves.  Walk past a Family Mart and you're on the correct street - you've entered Nippori Fabric Town!

These signs can help you find your way, too.

Walk this way!

If you're planning a shopping trip, be aware the stores in Nippori are closed on Sunday.

Visiting can be overwhelming because there are about 100 shops here, but the one best known for quilt fabric (and the largest selection AND the best prices) is Tomato. There are actually five different Tomato buildings, but you want the main, 5-story one (number 53 on the map).  It's about three blocks from the train station and it will be on the left side of the street.

Stores will have the Nippori maps near the checkout counters.  Look for the English version!

This is it - the main Tomato store

$1/per meter!  Great bargains!

The bottom level (first floor) is a variety of fabrics, including some 100% cotton (the first word I could recognize in Japanese was cotton - 綿). Most of the fabrics are on rolls and can be inexpensive - $6/meter or even less. In the back right corner is a large collection of Asian fabrics, priced around $5-6/meter (the same ones that sell in the US for $10-12/yard). Fabrics are usually 110 cm wide, or about 43 inches.  You have to buy at least a 1/2 meter, then you can buy at increments of 10 cm (so you can't buy 3/4 meter, it's 70 cm or 80 cm).

Fabric on rolls

Fabric on the bolt

Remnants bin on the left side when you enter the store.

More discount fabric - $2.80/meter!

The Asian fabric corner

After visiting the first floor I usually go up to the fifth floor and work my way down (there's an elevator if you need it). The top floor has the American quilting fabrics. The US fabric is priced at around $10-15/meter, so it’s not really a bargain if you're coming from the US. There are different companies, including Moda, Hoffman, Benartex and Windham.

The 5th floor - fabrics separated by color & style

The largest batik section in Japan - 1 column!

"Hand-dye" and ombre US fabrics

Lots of choices in the fat eighths area

Almost all the fabrics are on a bolt and you can also find pre-cut fat eighths (around $1.80). You don’t normally see other precuts like jelly rolls or layer cakes in Japan.

 

This floor also has a small selection of Japanese style fabrics - they are still 100% cotton, but made with thicker threads.  Typically they are shades of taupe, navy or gray with a subtle plaid-type pattern.  I think my friends who work with wool would really like them.  They're available on the bolt, cut to the length you like, or as fat quarter precuts (around $3.50).  There are also small cuts of kimono-type fabric here.  It has a wrinkly appearance since the warp thread is a different thickness than the weft.  These fabrics are usually very colorful.

Japanese style fabrics - fat quarter table

kimono-style fabrics

This is also a convenient place to pick up any other items you might need for your projects, though this Tomato location won't have the biggest selection.  Hardware needed to make purses/bags (handles, zippers, etc) can be purchased here.  In fact, Japan shops seem to have a much larger selection of purse pieces available than US stores.  There's also thread and typical sewing tools (such as marking pencils, pins, etc) but they're usually cheaper in the US when they're on sale or if you use a coupon – even the Clover items that are made in Japan are more expensive here.   

  

Sewing tools and notions

Zippers in every color!

Batting - located near the stairs
I think I'm starting to feel batty taking all these pictures!

A small amount of batting is on the fifth floor.  This is the only place I saw batting larger than 1 meter wide.  They have a precut piece that measures 2.5 meters by 2.5 meters for around $50.  I didn't check to see what material it is, though.  

 

The 4th floor is the Japanese brand quilting fabrics. Most of these are usually inexpensive – less than $10/meter, but depending on what you choose it can be as much as $20/meter.  You can purchase traditional Japanese patterns, novelty fabrics and reproductions of indigo-dyed fabrics.  Fabrics are on the bolt or rolled here.

Asian style fabric

4th floor sale fabric!

Indigo reproductions...plus more

So much to pick from!  Lots of cute novelty fabrics!

Included on this floor is a good amount of plaid and checkered fabric ($5-9/meter) along with some inexpensive solids ($4-6/meter).

Solids...

I should make my husband some
golf pants out of these fabrics!

...and more solids

partial view of the third floor

The third floor has the dressier fabrics, including silk (but not Radiance Cotton/Silk). I usually check out the “scraps” bin near the stairs for silk remnants. I can usually find 1/3 – ¾ meter of silk for $3-5. Good for quilting practice!  My second word in Japanese was silk: シルク

The 3rd floor remnants - look closely to make sure it's silk and not rayon.

 














The second floor has knits and polyesters.  I don't use those for quilting, so I've never really looked at that floor in detail.

Second floor - I think it feels neglected.

One thing about Tomato (and a lot of stores in Japan) – you pay on each floor. So you purchase your items before you move to another floor. Tomato accepts Visa and MasterCard.

This has the 100-yen section...but it's NOT the main store!

Right before the main Tomato store is another of their buildings – Tomato Arch. The first floor has more of the 100 yen (about $1) meter fabrics. It can be a bit crazy there, but you might find something you like. Side note: if you live in Tokyo and need blackout curtain fabric, the Tomato Interior store sells it in different thicknesses (the sun does rise at 4:25 am in the summer).

If you're not tired or already carrying too much fabric, there's another store that has only 100% cotton fabric.   Walking from Nippori station it's on the corner before you get to the main Tomato store (they're on the same block) - it's name is Mihama (number 43 on the map). 

Mihama - it's raining, so that's why the front displays are covered.

They sell precut quilting fabric from the bolt, in sizes from ½ meter to 2 meters. There have some US fabrics made in Japan (metallics and Asian). I've also seen some of Patrick Lose's fabric here. Because the fabrics are wrapped up already (in clear plastic) you don’t get to see the entire cut. Once when I opened up one at home it had a bad spot in the pattern. Not big (4 inch circle), but it could have caused problems if I had needed all of it. When talking to quilters here, they said they thought he was sometimes getting “seconds” of the fabrics. Still a good deal (usually around $5/meter), but just be aware you may not get a fully usable piece of fabric. Though to be honest, I’ve only seen the problem in the one piece (and I usually buy 6-8 pieces when I visit). This shop is cash only.

traditional Japanese patterns on fabric

Metallics!

They do have the fabric out on display so you can see
what the design looks like.

Directly across the street from Tomato is a shop that has some different kinds of Japanese style fabrics.  I can't find it on the map - it looks like it should be at number 56 on the Nippori Fabric Town map, but that's not it's name.

No-name store building

No-name store front door.

They have some small cut variety packs (5 different 10” squares of Japanese fabrics) that make nice gifts. They also have a selection of Japanese fabrics that are not 100% cotton – stuff like the fabric used in some kimonos. It’s probably cash only, which is the case for most of the small stores here.  

Here are a couple of looks inside:

Lots of people browsing today!

Don't forget to check upstairs!

 
 





If you like buttons, lace, etc, there are lots of places that provide that here, but I don’t know them, other than the Tomato Notion shop located between Mihama and Tomato Arch. 

Mihana on the left, Tomato Notion on the right.  The main Tomato store is a few shops down the street!

 
A couple of peeks inside the Tomato Notion store...

I believe this woman thinks I'm stalking her. She keeps showing up
where I'm taking pictures!  Or maybe she's stalking me...

Lots of buttons!

You can also find many other types of fabric, leather, etc, but I don't work with them so I'm not familiar with where to shop for them.

My favorite shopping bag - from Ikea.
It may or may not be filled with fabric right now!

Take some consideration on how you plan to transport your purchases.  The aisle in the stores are very narrow, particularly in the main Tomato store.  Using a backpack may be better for your back, but you'll probably hit multiple people with it while you're in the store unless you're very careful.  Tote bags may cause some trouble with your shoulder if you buy a lot.  I've finally settled on a little rolling shopping cart - it's better for my back and shoulders.  I can turn it sideways so it's narrow enough for me to get by another person while walking in the aisle and I can still pick it up when I have to go up/down stairs.  A small (17-18") rolling suitcase might also work, but if it has a clamshell design it may be difficult to keep opening & closing to put in your purchases (remember, you have to pay for your items on each floor).  Unlike in Europe, you see few people with the little shopping carts (though I love mine - it's my bag for fabric, Costco and grocery shopping).

Easy to see when walking back to the station!

There are many food choices around Nippori station, both in and out. Mos Burger is a chain that originated in Japan and has an English menu. They offer vegetarian options and a few other choices than just burgers.  It's on the Nippori Fabric Town street, about one block from the station. 

My favorite casual tempura restaurant!

On the ground floor outside of Nippori Station (about midway between the north and south East exits) there is a Tempura Tendon Tenya, an inexpensive tempura chain with an English menu.  Two chain coffee shops, serving light lunches, are right beside it.  They also have English menus.  I know Doutor allows smoking though. (Yes, people can still smoke in restaurants in Japan.  Yuck!)  I'm not sure about Excelsior Caffe.

If you wish to try "real" Japanese style ramen, there's a restaurant on the opposite corner from the Ginza Cozy Corner (which is a dessert shop if you prefer to jump ahead in your meal) called Bazoku, though I only saw Japanese on the signs.  They make their own noodles in the shop, and they have an English menu, with a large selection of choices.  

The side of Bazoku - see the guy making noodles in the window?

My lunch!

Across the street from the station is a McDonalds, if you're craving something similar to home or if you want to see how different it is in Japan. 

Inside the main part of the station, before you go to the tracks, is a very small food court with 6-8 different counters selling Japanese sweets and takeaway food items - think onigiri (the sushi rice triangles).  Sometimes I just need a quick snack and purchase a corn fritter at one of the counters - it's good! 

Japanese sweets (but they aren't, really)

Wait - is that woman here again?!?

More fabric shopping still to come - the next blog entry will be about fabric shopping at the chain stores!