Tokyu Hands is a popular department store chain that escapes easy definition. It calls itself a “hint market” and specializes in everything from plumbing supplies and interior goods to character merchandise and stationery, with an emphasis on home improvement and hands-on projects (hence the name). Because it has a bit of everything, Tokyu Hands has appealed to Japanese and foreign shoppers following its founding in 1976.
There’s a large outlet of six floors in the Takashimaya Times Square Building on the south side of Shinjuku Station. It begins on the second floor, and there’s an entrance on the elevated Shinjuku Southern Terrace boardwalk.
On the second floor, there are travel accessories and suitcases as well as wallets, umbrellas and rain gear. Healthcare and beauty products are one floor up.
Kitchen and bath goods are on the fourth floor, where you’ll find a number of interesting Japanese products including high-quality carbon-steel and stainless steel kitchen knives.
Past the interior products on the fifth floor, the sixth floor has a plethora of hardware, gardening and electrical supplies. This is also where you can find Japanese earthquake survival kits, which can be very handy in the event of a disaster.
The seventh floor stocks games, toys and character goods, both foreign and domestic. There are Star Wars Lego figurines as well as stuffed animals and puzzle sets based on Totoro and other characters from anime powerhouse Studio Ghibli. There are also hobby, craft and party goods.
The eighth and uppermost floor of Tokyu Hands is stocked with agendas, notebooks and other stationery including goods featuring manga and anime characters such as Crayon Shin-chan.
Article by Tim Hornyak. All rights reserved.