Nippori Textile Town
Posted by: kirin on 
Aug 12th, 2010 | 
Filed under: Kawaii Shop★wholesale fabrics and dress furnishings★
Nippori Textile Town
The nearest train station: JR Nippori station (north exit => east exit)
When you arrive at JR Nippori station, you will head for the north exit from the train platform. (I knew the exit was east so I looked for it for a while from the platform but there was no sign. Because I was not tranferring trains, there was only north exit that I could choose from the platform.) When you follow the sign to the north exit, you will be led to this place in the picture.
These gates are for north exit, and you can see there are 2 ways after the gates; east exit and west exit. So you should go to the right, to the east exit to go to the Nippori Textile Town. (The west exit is for Yanaka district which remains good old Japanese atmosphere.)
Anyhow, don’t go to the wrong direction. Nippori is even connected directly to Narita airport by Skyliner.
Nippori is not like Shibuya or Shinjuku. It’s like a quiet town with local people. The wholesale stores of fabrics, textiles, and dress furnishings have been located in this place for a long time. You can see some shops look really old.
***The map can be downloaded from the official website of Nippori Textile Town.
I’ll share some major shops. The first shop is called “Heiwado”. It’s a wholesale clothes shop, but you cannot expect anything stylish.
Heiwado
address: 5-51-13 Higashi Nippori Arakawaku Tokyo
phone: 03-3891-1487
open: 10am -8pm
Can you feel from the picture this store sells things well discounted? To be exact, they sell stuff at a wholesale price or something similar to it.
It’s a little bit tricky this 99yen is not tax inclusive. With tax included it’s 103yen. Anyhow the price is still very cheap when compared that socks like this usually are priced 300yen or so.
These are pictures of inside Heiwado. So many women were busily shopping there; from high school girls to elder women…Well, to be exact, I think the most customers were either school girls or elder housewives. haha….^ ^; There was only 1 fitting room very next to the cashier but it was like a temporary fitting set that can be carried to anywhere. It had only a single curtain and I didn’t feel like changing clothes there. I only got 399yen pants to wear at home. :p
They have cute small towels like the ones from OUTLET store. 3 towels for 99yen is a wonderful price, considering 1 towel was 100yen at OUTLET. lol I like that. 
Leaving Heiwado, the next main shop I can suggest here will be Lemon.
Lemon
address: 5-47-9 Higashi Nippori Arakawaku Tokyo
phone: 03-3802-6700
open: 10am – 8pm (open everyday except for summer holiday and new year holiday)
Kids clothes are so colorful, cute and moreover very reasonable, which is of course thanks to the wholesale pricing! 
Even though I have no kids, I was attracted by the kids clothes so much. I realized I’ve never seen kids clothes very well until this time, because there was no reason to see them when I have no kids. I entered this store without knowing it’s a kids apparel shop. ^ ^;
For example, these pants and skirts are so cute. I wonder how my life could become more of kawaii if I had my kids. Kids clothes are so kawaii I wish I had my size of these leggings!! So amazingly cute~~!! XD
It’s not only clothes but they had bento boxes and character goods such as Anpanman and Hello Kitty for kids. Cool~~.
Then, there are several Tomato branch stores but the pictures I have here are from the main one.
Tomato
address: 6-44-6 Higashi Nippori Arakawaku Tokyo 116-0014
phone: 03-3805-2366
open: 10am – 6pm (closed for national holiday and Sunday)
Unfortunately the kawaii fabrics are not here. The fabrics in this place were for 100yen per meter. It’s considered pretty cheap!! I wish I could make my own clothes!!
Finally one more store for a little bit of Gyaru taste of fashion for a reasonable price.
Pop Girl
address: 5-24-10 Higashi Nippori Arakawaku Tokyo
phone: 03-3891-9115
open: 10:30am – 8pm
I forgot to take pictures from the inside of Pop Girl…
As you may have noticed, Heiwado, Lemon and Pop Girl are run by the same company.
The post is getting too long. Let me finish with some more pictures that give you the right image of Nippori Textile Town.
If you are looking for cheap textiles and clothes (not always stylish) you should come over to Nippori. It’s also nice to stroll the other exit to explore Yanaka area. But if your time is limited and you want to shop more stylish, nice and kawaii clothes and goods as well as some textiles, I don’t think you should bother to come over to Nippori. Well it actually depends on where you stay of course, but I’m saying you can get handicraft goods (retail price though) in Shinjuku too where you have a lot more places to check out at the same time, I suppose. I rarely come to Nippori area, I guess it was over 4 years ago when I came here last time. ^ ^;
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August 12th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
I heard alot of review about Tomato… and also Okadaya (sp?) If my time is limited in Japan, and I like to sew (not a big big fan, but I can), do you think it's worth it to go to Nippori? Thanks!
August 12th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Fantastic! I've always wanted a stroll around the area, and this is just reinforcing that desire.
August 12th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
It looks very interesting! I wish I could visit this type of market
August 13th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Ah Kirin!
I love this post! So many lovely pictures!! Especially the kids' clothes!! I like kids' fashion too! Sometimes, I think they are nicer and more fashionable than adults' fashion! Hahahaha!
I've been to Nippori the last time I came to Japan, but I came on a public holiday and most of the shops were closed!!! I was disappointed because I really wanted to explore Nippori. ^^
Well, maybe I'll go again this time! ^^
August 13th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
If your time is limited and you don't need to buy bunch of fabric to go back home, I don't think you should go all the way to Nippori only for that. In Shinjuku, you can have fun shopping other things as well as fabrics at Okadaya or Yuzawaya, there are any kind of restaurants, cafes and bars and Izakaya… You know, if your time is limited, sometimes time is more precious than some bucks, right?
August 13th, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Oh I thought you've already been there. ^ ^; You can go there next time. I somehow have an image that you travel UK – France – Japan all the time. ^ ^;
August 13th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
Yes, it's interesting to visit such a place once in a while.
August 13th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Thank you Apple!
Yes, I guess most of the stores are closed for Sunday and national holiday. I remembered the last time (4 years ago) I came here was either Sunday or national holiday. I didn't pay much attention to that, because most of shopping places in Japan open Sunday and national holiday. But they are wholesalers, they do not always need to attract individual customers.
Your trip to Tokyo will be so much fun! I wish I could travel some other countries…but there seems no luck and no money this year…hahaha ^ ^;;;
August 13th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
haha! yes! i didn't realise it was Japan's national holiday too because I didn't live in Japan…and i was wondering why so many shops were closed! it was rather nice and quiet though. i just strolled along with my friends and ate at mos burger. HAHAHAHA!
So this is all i remember about Nippori: Closed Tomato. strolling with my friends. mos burger. running to the train station because we realised we were late for our plane. and we ran the wrong way!!! we ran to a cemetery! -_-" we really panicked because we couldn't find the entrance to the station! hahahaha! i asked an old man for the way in my hurry, and surprisingly i could speak and understand Japanese when i'm panicked! hahaha! usually i am too shy to say it because i'm very slow!! i think too long!
anyway, i agree that my upcoming trip to Tokyo will be really fun because I'll get to meet you~~ ^^ Don't worry! You can definitely travel to some other countries soon! If you think about it all the time, you will definitely get to go!
I didn't think I would be able to travel to Tokyo this year too, since I'm so broke. But miracles can happen. hahaha! in my case, it was the sudden sale of air tickets and my friend moving to Tokyo, and i could stay at her place.
August 13th, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I quite like Gyaru fashion, but would you say that POP GAL is a good cheap store to visit for this kind of clothing?
I would like to find cheap places for this fashion as I won't always be able to afford ALTA and 109 etc. prices.
August 13th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Thanks for the post. Sakie and I should visit there sometime after Im back in Japan.
August 13th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
I don't go to France that often. Oddly enough I go to Japan more than I do somewhere far closer =^-^=
Actually, some posts on other shotengai would be really useful, especially places that you think might be especially interesting. We tend to hear a lot in guidebooks and on the net about Kappabashi dori but far less about places like Jinbocho.
August 13th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
Oh my goodness!! My husband would love to check it out cos things are so cheap! Haha…
August 13th, 2010 at 11:59 pm
Kappabashi is popular among foreign travellers? Do you buy kitchen tools or Japanese knives there? ^ ^ Jinbocho is for books or sports goods but I have not been there for years, because I often borrow books from public library or shop them online.
I just noticed I have not been to certain areas of Tokyo for a long long time…over 10 years or even more…
August 14th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Oh then it was not a good Nippori memory last time. Hope you can visit there weekdays this time and have fun with what you missed last time!
You're so lucky you have that friend who lives in Tokyo where you can stay!
Yes, I'm always dreaming about travelling around the world, so I believe the day will come I can go anywhere as I like. ^ ^; Thank you <3
August 14th, 2010 at 12:17 am
Yes I think so because I saw many ads in the store that were about something like this. "The item (i.e skirt) of this store was on the XXX (gyaru magazine, like "egg")"
If you are looking for cheap gyaru fashion, have you checked out "Jam Pixy"? http://www.kk-souther.com/shop/
And actually online stores will be cheaper, although you cannot try the clothes before you buy them.
For example, how about this website? http://galstar.jp/pc/
(Again, they don't ship overseas, so you'll have to combine with service like this => http://tokyokawaiietc.com/archives/3287 or http://www.flutterscape.com/user/Kirin )
August 14th, 2010 at 12:19 am
You have a boy and a girl so I'm sure you can enjoy shopping at Lemon!
August 14th, 2010 at 1:50 am
haha yes!!!
Kappabashi is always featured in English guidebooks somehow. hahaha! it's weird, isn't it!
I used to stay at Jimbocho everytime I went to Tokyo (I stayed at Sakura Hotel. Haha!) and I really grew to like that place!!! ^^
I agree that it would be nice to read about some interesting areas in Japan that isn't covered by guidebooks. ^^
August 14th, 2010 at 10:24 am
Oh wow, I am impressed. I will definitely check this out now and Jam Pixy.
Thank you for mentioning it!!
i know of galstar but I prefer to try items on, but now I am moving to Tokyo I can do that at stores like this.
August 14th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
Great post, Kirin! Do you already have a post from Shinjuku and if not, will you be doing one? I'd love to see that especially since I'm in the middle of writing a book that takes place there in parts.
August 15th, 2010 at 11:43 am
Thank you. It's difficult to write a post like this about Shinjuku because it's huge. When I write about stores in Shinjuku, it'll be one by one like I already did with some posts. I'll share you the links to Shinjuku station and scenery from some exits. You can also watch the related videos on Youtube. Hope this helps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDeQqG8OpDw&fe…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV9VPPtcMkY
August 15th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Exactly. Kappabashi is in just about every guide book I've seen LOL. I think they want us to go there and buy lots of plastic カレライス.
August 16th, 2010 at 4:38 am
Sorry – I just realized I'd meant Harajuku. I was thinking of that and typed Shinjku. Do you have an entry on Harajuku? But thanks for the links for Shinjuku. I do want to learn about that area as well. I have a whole series that I set in Ni Chome.
August 16th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Ah, same in Harajuku. It's too large to write up in a single post. There are so many nice clothes shops, shoe shops, goods shops, hair salons, restaurants, bars, shopping places…
Yes I have entries about Harajuku, although some are old. http://tokyokawaiietc.com/kawaii-shop/q-pot http://tokyokawaiietc.com/kawaii-shop/uniqlo-t-st… http://tokyokawaiietc.com/archives/2142 http://tokyokawaiietc.com/kawaii-shop/pink-latte http://tokyokawaiietc.com/archives/2238 http://tokyokawaiietc.com/archives/4372 http://tokyokawaiietc.com/kawaii-shop/laforet-har…
There might have been more. You may find them if you enter "Harajuku" in the search box of this blog. (top of the right sidebar)
August 16th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Thank you for all this information! I appreciate it!
September 27th, 2011 at 1:31 am
Sorry, but why the North exit ( of Nippori station ) is the East? I have to go there for the first time, the january 4.
What is the difference between the southern exit and north exit, I mean, once out, is it possible to reach the northern exit easily?
September 27th, 2011 at 9:06 am
Maybe it's possible to access East exit from South exist.
It was difficult to explain this, but please look at the first photo. If you go straight, you are exiting to North. If you go to the right, before you exit from North, you are exiting to East.
If you are at a loss, ask JR crew "Sumimasen (excuse me) Sen-i-gai (textile town) docchi (which direction)?"
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