Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square

Visiting Tokyo, but wish you could check out some other regions? Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square might not take you out of Tokyo, but it brings the best crafts from all over the country under one roof.

[Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square - image © Florentyna Leow]

Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square isn’t exactly in the main shopping district of Aoyama. But it is worth going just slightly further afield to check out this shop, which stocks an excellent selection of traditional Japanese crafts from all over the nation. Pretty much all the crafts you can think of are represented here, from the major to the esoteric: wooden kokeshi dolls, hand-carved bows for archery, indigo-dyed scarves, washi paper, lacquer - the list goes on.

[Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square - image © Florentyna Leow]

The main draw here is almost certainly the ceramic ware. About half of the shop’s display space is given over to exquisite, quality hand-made ceramics sourced from all over Japan from Yamagata to Kumamoto. One worth examining is the selection of Setosometsuke-yaki wares, a blue-and-white porcelain style from the Seto Inland Sea region. Think of hand-painted motifs like delicate blue fishes and you’ll be on the mark.

Depending on the piece, you’ll likely find something for your budget than not. But the emphasis on quality means that most items are a little more expensive than the usual trinkets you’ll see in other shops. A pair of teacups might set you back JPY3000, while an incredibly ornate hand-carved lacquer tray goes for around JPY10,000. On the other hand, the washi paper goods, chopsticks, and bookmarks are pretty affordable - and won’t take up much space in your suitcase.

Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square is a shop you visit for investment pieces to keep in the family or to gift to someone special. But even if you don’t end up purchasing anything, it’s worth visiting just to view the range of crafts available in Japan.

English name:
Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square

Japanese name:
伝統工芸 青山スクエア

English address:
1F, 8-1-22 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 107-0052

Japanese address:
〒107-0052 東京都港区赤坂8-1-22 1F

Opening hours:
11am-7pm

Price:

Nearest Transport:
Subway: 4-minute walk from exit 4 of Aoyama-itchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza, Hanzomon and Toei Oedo lines.

Telephone:
+81-3-5785-1301

Website: Official website (English of the machine translation)

Near To Here:
Japan Traditional Crafts Aoyama Square is located in Tokyo’s Harajuku And Aoyama district. See our complete list of things to do in Harajuku And Aoyama, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.

Where Is This Place Located?

• Open the Tokyo map
• You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
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• Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
• If you’re using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.

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