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An irresistible selection of Spanish fashion is available in top shopping districts of the Japanese capital.
Akihabara district
The origin of artistic and culinary trends like Manga and sushi that have proved such a huge hit in the West, Tokyo has achieved a harmonious blend of ancient tradition with total modernity which few other cities can equal. The disposable income of its inhabitants coupled with their enthusiasm for fashion have turned the Japanese capital into a hotspot for the coolest looks.
Leading Spanish names have carved out a niche for themselves in some of the city’s busiest shopping districts, including Ginza, Aoyama and Roppongi. Brands like Lupo, Joaquín Berao and Jocomomola have acquired a loyal following, opening shops at a fast and furious pace. Chainstore Zara is currently expanding in Asia and also now has shops all over the city.
When trade experts want new ideas on the fashion front, Harajuku is the place they go to. It is also the choice of Adolfo Domínguez, which can be found in the B6 shopping centre on Meiji-dori Avenue.
A walk from Harajuku to Aoyama along Omotesando Street will bring you to some of the city’s most exclusive boutiques. The LHMV building is the place to find the fashions, leather accessories and fragrances of Loewe, while Spanish leather goods firm Lupo Barcelona is at Omotesando Hills. Innovative footwear by Camper is also available in Omotesando, not far from high-street womenswear chain Mango.
In Aoyama, top international brands rub shoulders with the cutting-edge studios of Japanese designers. This is also a choice location for Spanish design, including ethereal garments by Sybilla and hybrid jewellery by Joaquín Berao. Here too you will find chic bridal wear by Pronovias, in Kita Aoyama.
All the big international names have a point of sale in the exclusive Ginza district. Glamorous jewellery by Carrera y Carrera can be found in Namiki-dori, while Joaquín Berao has a number of jewellery shops in the area. Other Spanish brands are present in some of the area’s most exclusive malls. Sybilla can be found in Seibu and Printemps Ginza, Tous and Lupo in Mitsukoshi and Adolfo Domínguez in Chuo-ku. The basement floor of the Seibu department store, known as Shoes Mansion, is given over to footwear and the place to find Spanish brands like Pedro García, Chie Mihara, Pura López, Paco Gil and Atalitx. Some, like Camper, have their own corner. Castañer is the latest Spanish brand to open here.
Shibuya is a youth meeting point, a fashion melting pot and bustling with department stores near the station area. It was here, in August 1998, that Zara opened Inditex’s first store in Japan, with an impressive 3,000 square metres of retail space. Adolfo Domínguez opened a boutique here in 2000. Jeans brand Cimarrón can be found in Seibu, whose ground floor is given over to the spectacular Shoes + shop with an exclusive area offering footwear by Manolo Blahnik.
Like Shibuya, Shinjuku is one of Tokyo’s department store paradises, with shops like Mitsukoshi and the dynamic, youth-oriented Marui One Shinjuku, where Cimarrón is also available. Another store, Isetan, includes a Camper corner in its extensive offering of quality footwear.
The Roppongi district is best known for its night-life. Located in the south of Tokyo, it is also home to the 54-storey shopping, leisure and housing complex, Roppongi Hills. The more than 200 shops include the boutique of Catalan designer Antonio Miró, with its bright selection of Mediterranean designs.
But Tokyo’s Spanish fashion offering does not stop there. The Japanese capital is also the venue of the twice-yearly Shoes Collections from Spain, where leading names present their latest collections. Spain also has a strong showing at Japan’s flagship leather accessories tradeshow, Promopel.
A number of themed footwear exhibitions have also been held in Tokyo. These include “Carmen” in November 2006 and the forthcoming “Reinventing Footwear”, which is due to take place as part of Tokyo Designer's Week from October 31 to November 4.
