Navigating Tokyo's address system is difficult even for locals, many of whom rely on digital maps to find their way around. So it's especially frustrating for foreigners seeking out the city's hidden and cult boutiques.
But help is now at hand with Tokyo Style File: A Shopping Guide (Kodansha International; $16), by Jahnvi Dameron Nandan. "Japanese buyers scour the globe for the best and the latest," says Nandan, who has worked in the fashion and design industries in Tokyo for more than ten years. "That makes Tokyo a minefield of trendsetting shops."
Her indispensable book describes 600-plus boutiques, primarily those carrying Western or Japanese brands but also some specializing in stationery, handkerchiefs and even bonsai trees. Most important, each store is shown on detailed maps of the twenty-two major shopping districts.
