Japan, the land of luxury brushes and makeup, and intriguing skincare that’ll give you that incredible complexion. And yes, it’s awesome, not only for beauty reasons, but beauty shopping was quite a challenge. So here’s what I learned after one week in Japan, in which I had to balance beauty shopping and exploring with a rather impatient husband who would rather go sightseeing and eat sushi. (Totally valid goals as well.) On to my Japan beauty shopping guide!
Arm yourself with pics
So you prepared a list, right? Searched reddit, blogs, YouTube, and you’ve plenty of notes on your phone. And then – you’re in a store and ready to do some damage. But the product names on the packaging are in Japanese and you’ve no earthly idea how the bloody product looks like. Bottle? Tub? Tube? So either you try to hunt down a sympathetic Japanese SA who speaks English (possible), or you look at pics of the products you want to buy beforehand. Look at the Kikumasume lotion I bought – I assume there’s the brand name on it, but I for sure can’t read it. If I hadn’t known what the bottle looked like before? No dice.
Drugstores are hella confusing – and what the hell is a drugstore anyway?!
I thought Hongkong or Korean drugstores had trained me well, but no. Japanese drugstores are another world of confusing for this beauty junkie. Sometimes, in bigger branches, you’ve got little counters for brands, especially high-end brands. Mostly products aren’t sorted by brand, but by product type. Like in Korean drugstores, there’s a sensory overload of colourful products nearly screaming at you in every colour of the rainbow.
Oh, drugstore products aren’t only sold at drugstores, oh no! Beauty products can also be found at electronic stores (which is nice to park the husband) like Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera. Going shopping and exploring with a friend who’s into lifestyle stuff? Go to Loft or Tokyo Hands, stores that carry everything from bags to travel items to kitchen stuff to stationary – and also a selection of beauty products.
Brush shopping can be really easy – or really, really complicated
You want to stock up on some Hakuhodos or grab that famous Shiseido flat top foundation brush? Well, that’s easy. For Shiseido, every bigger drugstore will have it for around $10 (yes, really). Hakuhodo counters or stores aren’t that sparse either (at least in touristy cities like Tokyo and Kyoto). Nearly every bigger department store will have a counter. Come armed with a list and know what you’re looking for. When I visited the Hakuhodo flagship store, a Chinese lady came barging in, fired “English? Mandarin?” at the SAs, and when they politely smiled and shook their heads, she left in a huff. Nevertheless, the SA could answer my few questions easily in English. All brush series had explanatory labels in English, detailing material and purpose as well.
When you’re looking for something that’s a bit more out there, you’re likely out of luck. I was looking for the Chikuhodo AF and Koyudo Lohas series, and searched high and low for them. Even with the assistance of an awesome hotel concierge who called the company and nearly every department store in Tokyo – nothing. Chikuhodo has pop-up counters frequently (the next one being at Isetan in May), but how you are supposed to find out where and when if you don’t speak/write Japanese, I’ve no clue. Google didn’t seem to help either.
If you’re looking to visit TAU Hiroshima Kumano Fude Select Store for both brands, the Internet is right – it’s a small counter, and they don’t carry a lot. What they carry is pricey, though, which makes me think CDJapan or Beautylish is the way to go? Same for Rokkakukan Sakurado in Kyoto.
Tax free shopping ftw!
Tax free shopping is easy (basically) – if you shop for more than 40.000 yen, you’re eligible for tax free shopping (tax is 7%). Be careful though, some stores show prices with, some stores without tax. Some stores (Bic Camera) offer an additional 5% off if you pay with Visa or UnionPay, or just because you’re a tourist (Takashimaya).
At most stores, you’ll pay the tax free price, get a receipt and throw that in a box at immigration at the airport. Takashimaya, though, lets you pay the full price, makes you go to their own tax refund office, and gives you cash back minus 1,1% that they’ll keep as transaction fee. Nevertheless, I’d strongly suggest Takashimaya as destination for your beauty shopping needs – the 11% discount is nothing to be frowned upon! (No Hakuhodo shop offers tax free shopping, so keep that in mind as well.)
We flew back from Narita, and I wasn’t that happy with the duty free shopping at Terminal 1. (Also, if you want to stock up on KitKats – do it in the city! It’s actually cheaper.) High-end options, sure, but not a lot of drugstore brands you might be interested in. Also, it’s small. Same with souvenirs. Buy them somewhere else!
If you buy cosmetics tax free, they’ll most likely seal them in a little bag. You’re not allowed to open it until you’re out of the country. I put them into my check-in luggage, and that was totally ok. No controls, no need to put them into your carry-on.
Smaller can be better (easier) – Tokyo vs. Kyoto
If you’re pressed for time, keep in mind that Tokyo is a huge city, and it’ll take a lot of time to get from A to B. You might do better in a smaller city (like Kyoto), where there’s still a lot of shops, but in a smaller area. I would’ve found everything I wanted in Kyoto – Hakuhodo, drugstore products (there’s a two-storey Mitsukoshi drugstore in the Nishiki market area and the beauty department at the seven-storey Bic Camera at the main station is surprisingly good!), and even high-end brand counters at Daimaru (think Ladurée, rmk, Suqqu, Three).
If you want to quickly beauty-shop in Tokyo, I’d recommend the flagship Takashimaya near the Tokyo station (Nihonbashi), and Omote-Sando. There’re both Ainz & Tulpe and Cosme stores there, and a lot of high-end brands to ogle when you come back from visiting the Meiji shrine. (Including a Shu Uemura boutique.)
Extra tip: Adresses?! Lol!
Yeah, finding your exact destination can be tricky. Street names? Maybe, maybe not. I’d recommend a Sim card or pocket Wi-Fi. Even then it might be difficult to find the store you’re looking for. Always remember to look up, as well – the Hakuhodo flagship store in Tokyo is on the 5th floor, for example – so you’re out of look hoping to find something just by looking at shop windows or signs.
If you want to just play it by ear, like I did in Hong Kong – surprisingly, you don’t stumble across drugstores right and left like I did there. Come prepared!
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