Harajuku

Started more than forty years ago in Harajuku, Beams has gone from being another clothing store in Tokyo to a trailblazer in Japanese fashion. In a recent survey, Japanese women were asked where they’d want their boyfriend to shop, and Beams was the top choice. The store caters to both men and women, specializing in domestic designers, and also has housewares and accessories. The house-brand staples are of amazingly high quality (T-shirts and underwear), so be sure to pick up some to take back home.

Obviously, you have to go to Harajuku. Tokyo’s epicenter of street style sets trends all around the globe, and one of the key stores that helps propel those trends is Tokyo institution WEGO. While it may look at first like a vintage store, everything at WEGO is new—and relatively inexpensive. The store is a riot of Japanese and American pop culture (are those the California Raisins over there? Yep). If you need any guidance on what to buy, just look around you—the store’s staff is a walking look book for the latest and greatest styles in stock.