Tokyo is packed with plenty of luxe places to shop, and destinations like Omotesando and Ginza are filled with designer stores like Prada, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. However, what if you're a more down-to-earth shopper, or your budget just doesn't allow for handbags worth several thousands of dollars? Thankfully there are plenty of great laid-back shopping options which are friendlier on the wallet, and one of them is Ueno's Chuo Dori shopping street.
This shopping street runs from the Ueno Station area right through to the Ueno-Hirokoji Station area, and can be seen marked in red on the map below.
Major stores along the route
Yodobashi Camera
Yodobashi Camera is a Japanese electronics chain where you can find everything from home appliances to PCs and computer equipment, TVs, cameras, and plenty more. The Ueno store opens from 9.30 am until 10 pm daily, but if you're not in the Ueno area you can find other store locations on their website here.
ABAB Department store
The ABAB department store primarily focuses on women's fashions, with clothing stores like Honeys and Retro Girl, lingerie retailers including Triumph, Wacoal, and Body Patrol, and accessory stores making up the majority of this eight-story complex. You'll also find a pharmacy on the 6th floor, and some dessert stores -- one of them is a branch of the iconic choux cream pastry store Beard Papas.
Matsuzakaya Ueno Store
Matsuzakaya Ueno is a department store that offers something for the whole family. There are floors dedicated to men's, women's, and children's clothing, plus beauty products, accessories, homewares, and more. The B1F contains numerous spots to grab a bite to eat, including restaurants selling sushi, unagi (eel), and tempura to name just a few.
For those seeking entertainment options, Chuo-dori also includes a branch of the TOHO Cinemas chain and a number of karaoke bars and pachinko parlors. To learn the basics of how to play pachinko, check out a helpful Japan Travel article on the topic here.
