Design Tour of Aoyama
The other day I posted my don't-spend-a-dime design tour of Ginza, and now I offer you the same thing for my favorite Tokyo district, Aoyama. Although the tour can be done without spending any money, I always end up stopping at a cafe to read the magazines/books I picked up along the way.
- Get out of Omotesando station, and head to Spiral. The first floor has the very nice Spiral Records and a large cafe area, adjacent to which you'll usually find an exhibition. The second floor's gallery shop has a nice selection of design-related objects and books.
- Continue walking as if you're heading to Shibuya, crossing the street eventually, and go to the Aoyama Book Center, probably the best bookstore in the city for art and design books. Nice magazine section also.
- Start walking back towards Omotesando station, but go down a side street to check out the Sputnik Pad. It's by Idee, and so expect design goodness throughout (best place for Freitag bags). The basement's Low is a nice cafe/bar.
- Go back up to Aoyama street, and then take another side street to check out the Plusminuszero shop and cafe. Some of the most beautiful objects you are likely to see during your stay in Tokyo.
- Another side street has the Rocket Gallery, with an art space on the second floor, and a shop on the ground floor.
- You will cross Omotesando street (you could easily walk up or down to check out all the well-known brand stores -- Prada, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Tod's...) and then walk down in the direction of Harajuku. You will turn right on the first street after the Anniversaire cafe and shop, and walk to the end, take a left, and soon find yourself at Nadiff (pictured in this post), and art book/music store with a gallery space, and the Cafe Crepuscule.
If you start getting hungry after all that walking, just follow the signs to the Maisen restaurant just down the street. Some of the best tonkatsu (fried pork) for a very reasonable price. You could then continue walking down that road for about a minute and finish up with a drink and desert at Lotus.
Design Tour of Ginza [Gridskipper]
