Review: Shibuya 109

Let’s start with scale. Where are we between global flagship and neighborhood boutique?
When it first opened in the heart of Shibuya in 1979, the fashion-focused Shibuya 109 department store targeted women in their 30s. The demographic soon shifted to teenage trendsetters who, generation after generation, have come to regard Shibuya 109 as a sort of nerve center. Architect Minoru Takeyama's iconic design has become synonymous with Shibuya itself, and the distinctive cylindrical design has been featured in myriad movies, music videos, anime, and manga.

Excellent! What can we find here, or what should we look for?
Inside are dozens of clothing and accessory shops aimed at winning the hearts and spending money of Tokyo's most fashion-forward young women. Must visits for noteworthy Japanese brands include sweetly sincere Liz Lisa and quirky Secret Honey, which is known for its collaboration dresses with Disney.

If money’s no object, what goes in the cart?
On the spendy end of the scale, Shagadelic specializes in clothing made from natural fibers, while SLY and Moussy sell more luxury and designer attire.

And … what if we’re on a strict budget?
The best bargains at Shibuya 109 come only once a year. Fukubukuro, or "lucky bags," are sold on the first day of business in each new year, and people line up outside Shibuya 109 overnight to get as many as they can from each store's limited supply. Each bag has a selection of mystery items, both old and new season, with a face value well below what customers pay. Every other day of the year, consider popping into Esperanza XYZ for Japan-made shoes or bargain hunting in the impressive cosmetics section.

Who else shops here?
The vast majority of serious shoppers at Shibuya 109 could be described as Shibuya girls, which on the surface changes season to season but is generally flashier and more mature than the Harajuku girl style one train stop north. The Shibuya girl lifestyle is as much an attitude as it is an aesthetic, so expect confident and carefree teens and 20-somethings perusing the shops and riding the escalators floor to floor.

Any secret tips, or “don’t go home without” purchases?
Two of Shibuya 109's less traditional shops are Voeux, which sells a wide spectrum of color contact lenses, and the fittingly named costume shop Sadistic Action.