22 best vintage stores in Tokyo for bargain second-hand clothes

Best for: Classic Levi’s and rare jackets
Visit if... You think double denim isn’t enough

This vintage store has been around for more than 20 years and has been able to survive the continuous storm of new trends from Harajuku. Mainly housing casual basics such as military pieces, jersey and denim, the store also offers a wide range of sneakers as well as a good selection of designer labels as you sift through the shop.

Don’t miss the basement space dedicated to denim where you’ll find a generous assortment of Levi’s pieces including jeans and rare denim jackets that are categorised by their time period. BerBerJin usually gets a new shipment of stock every month, so it’s worth checking in to see what’s new in store.

Best for: Quirky, unique styles
Visit if... You want to meet an Instagram style star

Opened by a husband and wife duo from Fukushima – who relocated to Tokyo after the 2011 earthquake – this shop is indeed funky, offering a mix of accessories, toys and clothing. 

However, the focus here is on fashion from the ’90s to the early 2000s, with the odd older piece thrown into the mix. Deadstock Converse, upcycled leg warmers and cut-out Levi’s are on the shelves here as well as trinkets for your home, including vases, candles and wall mirrors.

For some fashion fiends, this shop might seem familiar – the owners’ daughter Coco is a famous Instagram style star who has accumulated over half a million followers. 

Best for: Unusual European designs
Visit if... You like Toga but want vintage

Intrepid fashion hounds in search of unusual designs won’t be disappointed by this used clothing shop, opened in 2007 and run by designer Yasuko Furuta’s Toga brand. The choice of location – it's effectively squatting in the ground-floor parking space next to Toga’s Harajuku shop – is thoroughly in keeping with the eccentric nature of the selections within. Toga XTC focuses on second-hand European clothes, shoes and accessories, with a fine eye for unusual designs and textiles – the kind of thing that's likely to appeal to dedicated Toga fans, in other words.

Best for: Indie brands, jewellery and quality vintage pieces
Visit if... Toro’s a little out of your price range

The younger sister of Shibuya boutique Toro, Otoe does a nice line in quality vintage clothing at affordable prices, while also stocking remade items and accessories created by young designers. Boasting the same commitment to on-trend pieces as its sibling, it stocks good quality vintage menswear and womenswear, as well as select items from indie brands.

Best for: Outlandish costumes
Visit if... You want to stand out from the crowd, or you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of Lady Gaga

Basement boutique Dog has wooed some unusual customers with its blend of outlandish vintage and reworked clothing – not least Lady Gaga, who’s been known to visit incognito on her trips to Tokyo. Indeed, those with a taste for the theatrical will appreciate its remakes, which include replicas of costumes from Gaga’s own shows (and a few Madonna numbers). If you’re looking for something a little more wearable, its range of indie designer remakes are also worth browsing.

Best for: Distinctive vintage eyewear
Visit if... You’d like to know how you look in a pair of specs from the 1800s

Not your typical eyewear shop, Solakzade’s Harajuku boutique is home to a distinctive range of unused vintage and antique frames sourced from Japan and around the globe. The shop has a particularly broad selection of styles in its 10,000-frame trove, including a few shades that date back all the way to the 1800s.

Best for: Classic Western pieces, antique dresses and old lace
Visit if... You have money to burn on chic European/American style

A giant scarlet shoe marks the entrance and sets the tone for this chic store specialising in American and European clothing from the 19th and 20th centuries. Haight & Ashbury has been plying its trade for more than 20 years now – and it’s in good hands too, as the owners also run Shibuya vintage store Boy and ultra-hip boutique Fake Tokyo. The shop is divided into menswear and womenswear (with a slight skew to the ladies) and there’s a vintage section where you’ll find old lacy numbers, embroidered antique dresses and summery floral accessories.

Best for: Cheap vintage buys
Visit if... You’re looking for affordable vintage or American-style clothing

The Shimokitazawa branch of Flamingo – sibling to its Harajuku and Kichijoji namesakes – opened in 2005 and stocks a mix of new clothing and American vintage duds, starting at the ’40s and ending at the ’80s. Thanks to its US-based buyer, new stock comes in quickly, and there’s a good selection of both men and women’s clothing – as well as a few added extras such as retro-look tableware.

Best for: Modern second-hand clothing
Visit if... You like your thrift stores thrifty; you want to offload some of your unwanted clothing

Exchange by name, exchange by nature: this spacious store sells imported, non-branded used clothing, while also buying in items from customers, or even allowing them to swap threads they no longer want for pieces from the store. They have to meet a certain criteria, mind, so showing up with a sack of baggy old T-shirts probably isn’t going to get you much more than a raised eyebrow.

Best for: Affordable vintage duds 
Visit if... You don’t know where to start vintage shopping in Koenji

Koenji’s wealth of vintage stores can be an overwhelming experience to any shopper, but if you’re looking for a shop that has a bit of everything, Slat is your place. The shop offers a good range of clothing for both men and women as well as a small selection of children’s items – all at affordable prices. 

There's a particularly good range of US military items including cargo pants and khaki green jackets with plenty of large pockets. Looking for denim that won’t break the bank? Slat’s got a bit of that too. Sift through stacks of well-worn Levi’s 501s as well as denim jackets to match.

Best for: Anime fans
Visit if... You want some eye-catching items to add to your wardrobe

If you like to buy your style in stylish surrounds, this used clothing shop in Koenji's Kitakore Building won’t disappoint. The one-of-a-kind decor has a new theme for every season, with scraps of manga pages plastering the walls and stuffed toys dangling from the ceiling. Stock centres mostly on unique, brightly coloured menswear, while many of the remade items draw inspiration from anime.

Best for: Fashion-forward vintage buys
Visit if... You’re looking for old, but not old-fashioned

Sokkyou is carefully stocked with on-trend pieces for both men and women, mostly of American origin, so you can be sure your buys are fashion-forward. Vintage pieces range from the 1920s to the 1990s (and every date in between), though there are a few finds from as early as the 1800s.

Best for: One-of-a-kind designs
Visit if... You want a stress-free shopping experience

Sangenjaya is a surprising treasure trove for vintage shoppers, and you’ll come across a few gems worth visiting, including Zig. Sitting along Chawaza-dori shopping street, Zig has been a neighbourhood staple over the last seven years and offers a well-curated selection of men’s and women’s vintage and deadstock wares from the US.

Unlike some of the jam-packed vintage stores in Harajuku or Shimokitazawa, Zig has its thought-out selection displayed with other complimentary pieces to help you easily find a whole outfit. The shop also carries a good range of graphic vintage T-shirts that are worth a browse.

Best for: Understated, cool pieces 
Visit if... You want a late-night shopping excursion

This hidden gem in Kichijoji is perfect for late-night shopping, as it’s open till 11pm on weekdays. Nico is just a few minutes from Kichijoji Station and sells on-trend yet eclectic second-hand clothing from Europe and the US for both men and women.

To give you an idea of what you’ll find in store, expect a colourful selection of plaid shirts and vintage college sweat tops, plus frilly blouses and graphic tees. There’s usually a few pairs of vintage Converse and Vans lying around, too.

Best for: European fashion and things for the little ones 
Visit if... You miss travelling to Europe

This lovely little vintage shop is tucked down a residential street in Yanaka and stocks a mish-mash of vintage dresses and blouses from Europe as well as second-hand accessories, bags and tableware. 

Most notable is the collection of second-hand vyshyvanka, the traditional Ukrainian white blouses often embroidered with colourful flowers. There's also an interesting lineup of Air France travel bags from the ‘50s and ‘60s. For the little ones, you’ll find a few racks of gorgeous children’s dresses from France as well as baby onesies and shoes.

Best for: Antique interiors and top-quality vintage clothing
Visit if... You want to beat the fashion insiders to the best buys

Vintage store J’antiques offers a good range of items from throughout the 20th century – the bulk of which is menswear and womenswear. That said, you'll also find vintage fabrics and buttons, as well as interior items including antique accessories, furniture and tableware, dating from as late as the 1950s and as early as the 1800s. It’s rumoured that the quality of the stock draws big names from the fashion industry in search of inspiration – and you can’t go wrong with an endorsement like that.

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