With shopping experiences to be had all over Tokyo, choosing a smaller department store is by no means a compromise. Sometimes escaping the larger crowds makes for a more enjoyable shop and Tokyu Plaza is one such place. Located next to Kamata Station, the store is open seven days a week and comprises of 7 floors. Floors B1 to 2 open from 10 am until 9 pm, floors 3 to 6 from 10 am with an alternative closing time of 8 pm, while the restaurants on the 7 th floor open from 11 am until 10 pm.
The basement floor or B1 has a small supermarket offering mainstream Japanese groceries at reasonable prices. This shop extends to the first floor where a bakery can be found, with Japanese and western confectionery as well as a section devoted entirely to tea.
The second floor is the beginning of the many clothing stores with the appropriately named Fashion Promenade selling a variety of women’s, men’s and children’s clothing. Though this floor has a great selection women can continue to make their way to the third floor where a larger variety of stores such as E hyphen offer more options for finding the latest fashions. Until the fifth floor you will find further clothing stores stocking men’s suits as well as cosmetics.
Once you make your way to the 6th floor, at first glance you may feel inclined to move on. Conveniently (or strangely) a dental clinic and Optician are located on this level but past these you’ll find an amply stocked CD/ DVD store as well as bookstore. For its size, the bookstore offers a broad stock. From Manga to magazines it even sells some English language novels.
Once finished with shopping or if you are simply looking to eat and skip the shops, the seventh floor or restaurant town is ideal. Offering a reasonable selection of eateries in close proximity, you can find dishes of all kinds ranging from Soba noodles to Korean Cuisine. You’ll be sure to find something that takes your fancy. Many of the restaurants make use of the plastic meal displays helping make the ordering process easier for non-Japanese speakers.
Once reaching the seventh floor you’ll soon discover by far the most interesting and somewhat unusual aspect of this department store. Located on the roof floor (RF) is a small fairground. Open from 10 am until 6 pm on weekdays (7 pm on Saturday and Sunday) Plaza Land even boasts it’s own Ferris wheel and is one of the only stores in Tokyo to have this. Also offering a host of other small rides, claw machines (UFO catchers) and a bouncy castle, this floor is idea for younger children who would rather play than shop or even as a stand-alone attraction.
