Shopping

By category

As one of the biggest cities in Japan after Tokyo and Osaka, Nagoya offers the shopper a rich array of goods, from every-day necessities to world-famous brand-name articles and stylish antiques. Since Nagoya has many distinctive goods not available in cities in other prefectures, shoppers in Nagoya will have a real treat in store for them.

Nagoya City Map

Electronic goods / CDs and DVDs

In Osu in Nagoya City there is a consumer electronics district (Denki-gai, “Electric Town”) like Akihabara in Tokyo that has rows of stores selling personal computers and other electronic goods. The area is known for its low prices, and customers can try to negotiate prices to reduce them even further.

Brand-name goods

A number of upscale international brand-name stores have opened in recent years in Nagoya’s Sakae district. With the gorgeous arrays of clothes and accessories popular among women, shoppers can enjoy a delightful shopping experience. There are also casual-brand stores with goods for children and men, so the entire family will be able to coordinate their shopping.

Clothing

An attractive feature of shopping for clothing in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture is that a wide range of types - from the latest fashions to traditional clothes—prices, and tastes are available. Large, upscale fashion specialty stores (“select shops”), designer boutiques, clothing outlets, and other clothing stores can be found almost anywhere in Nagoya.

Foodstuffs

The Yanagibashi Wholesale Market, the largest of its kind in the Tokai region, is an assortment of some 400 wholesalers selling fresh fish, meat, confections, and so on, and just being there and seeing it is a dazzling and exciting experience. Ordinary visitors to the market can purchase items while soaking up the atmosphere of this pulsating marketplace. (The market is crowded with dealers early in the morning, so visitors should go there after 8:00 a.m.)

In Aichi Prefecture there are also many factories and facilities producing soft drink beverages, beer, miso, mayonnaise, and other foods and drinks. Visitors can take observation tours and sample the foods or beverages being produced, getting a first-hand look at the way Japan's food tastes are created.

Curios and antiques

Going to antique fairs is recommended for buying antiques, old bric-a-bracs or curios. Many foreign visitors visit the famous Osu Kannon Antique Fair held on the 18th and 28th of each month. The fair held at Nittaiji Temple on Kobo-ennichi(a Buddhist fête day) on the 21st of each month is also very lively, with many unique vendors offering Japanese and Asian curios and antiques. A short trip to Arimatsu will bring the shopper to several shops selling Japanese textiles and bric-a-brac. The streets here still retain the atmosphere of the Edo Period, and this shopping experience should remain in the visitor’s memory for a long time.

Toys

The shopping complexes in Sakae have many shops selling popular character goods. There are also large toy stores in the Motoyama and Yagoto areas, which are bustling with children and their parents.