The best shops in Nakameguro and Daikanyama

Fermentation has been all the rage recently in Tokyo, and this new shop, part of the Nakameguro Koukashita complex, plays right into the trend's hands by focusing on said time-honoured preservation technique. With a selection that includes soy sauce, miso, sake, cheese, bread and much more, 85 deals in items for daily use that are both good for your health and the enviroment's...

1LDK Apartments is the lifestyle-oriented branch of 1LDK, the popular Nakameguro clothing store that draws an aesthetic comparison with Muji. Offering clothes, food and homeware, the store consists of three main sectors: 1LDK Me for a highly wearable selection of women’s and men’s clothing; the Taste and Sense food section for casual café fare by morning...

In a perfect world, all bookshops would be like this. Tokyo's Klein Dytham Architecture won an award at the World Architecture Festival for their work on Daikanyama T-Site, which is spread across three interlinked buildings adorned with lattices of interlocking Ts. That 'T' stands for rental chain Tsutaya, whose seemingly bottomless pockets helped fund the kind of book emporium...

Expressing the very specific ambition of being the store selling the cutest ties in the entire world, Giraffe deals only in original products – from colourful bow ties to classic business ties, simple skinny ties and chic bolo ties. We also like their women's necklace selection...

Directed by Chloé Doutre-Roussel, the Parisian chocolate connoisseur, this slick shop is part of Tokyo's recent 'bean-to-bar' invasion and creates quality choc from raw cacao beans. Join one of their workshops to learn about the entire production process and enjoy an educational journey into the wonderful world of chocolate...

This shop nestled in Nakameguro is not to be missed as it’s one of the last of its kind, promoting what’s left of the area’s grungy street art culture. Browse through their collection of cool art which comes in the form of casual fashion pieces like T-shirts and sweat tops, as well as small memorabilia like stickers and accessories...

Vintage store J’antiques sells chic American clothing and furniture from its base in the Nakameguro shotengai (shopping street). Opened in 2005, it’s run by Hitoshi Uchida and offers a good range of vintage items from throughout the 20th century – the bulk of which is menswear and womenswear. Interior items – including antique accessories, furniture and tableware dating from as late as the 1950s...

Made-to-order colognes plus other great-smelling items like candles and lotions can be found at the Daikanyama outpost of this NYC fragrance label. Not your most conventional scents, they're both easily wearable and unisex. The brand have made quite a name for themselves with some of their most popular creations, including Rose 31 and Santal 33...

In addition to their Aoyama shop and café, Parisian brand Kitsuné also operate this chic Daikanyama location since spring 2016. Said to be inspired by the late Hotel Okura's retro interior, the décor at Maison Kitsuné Daikanyama is the work of co-founder Masaya Kuroki himself. You'll find womenswear on the ground floor, while the second floor offers men's clothing and accessories...

Designer Akira Minagawa's hugely successful lifestyle and clothing brand, which incorporates Finnish influences while remaining distinctively Japanese, packed up and moved to Daikanyama in spring 2016 after 15 years in Shirokanedai. Minä Perhonen's new Hillside Terrace location is actually two stores in one: the space facing the Hillside Terrace complex's entrance...

At Okura you'll find clothing and other textiles based on traditional Japanese tailoring techniques and designs. The store itself housed in a beautiful old building and invokes a real Japanese atmosphere – it even features a weathered curtain over the door at the entrance. Browse through a wide range of items including indigo-dyed...

With its wood floors, chilled-out vibe and in-store espresso bar, this Daikanyama outpost does a good job of recreating the appeal of the original Saturdays Surf shop in Soho, New York. There are some beautifully crafted surfboards and wetsuits on offer...

The Yanaka-born Tokyobike continues its success story with this Nakameguro shop, the brand's third location in Tokyo. The stylish, factory-like shop sells not only bikes but also a wide variety of accessories, spare parts and fun knickknacks...

Part of a wine import chain, Vinos Yamazaki's latest shop is found inside the new Nakameguro Koukashita complex. The knowledgeable staff can tell you all about the 400-plus varieties of wine on offer, while you'll also be able to emulate other sides of the good Mediterranean life with their selection of imported cheeses, olive oil...

Tokyo is well known for its vibrant record store scene, but finding a shop specialising in good old cassette tapes might surprise even the most hardcore of collectors. Waltz stocks a whopping 3,000 tapes amassed one-by-one by the owner, plus an extensive selection of vinyl, VHS tapes, vintage mags and boomboxes....