Kelly and I were both looking forward to checking out Nippori Textile Town in Tokyo. We were hoping to find some treasures to bring back for superbuzzy, and I think we scored!
There are scads of fabric shops lining the streets, but the ultimate destination has got to be Tomato. I think there were six floors of fabrics, plus several other Tomato stores focusing on trims, upholstery fabric, etc. We were guided to Tomato by Jen and her girls.
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Not long after Jen departed, Stefana arrived! She called and said she had a strange feeling that we would be hitting Nippori that day. Kelly and I are really fortunate that Stefana met us there, because she was a wonderful and patient guide, and she did not run away screaming when Kelly and I started grabbing bolts and talking a million miles a minute.
Here’s a Tomato dude measuring one of our purchases:
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Here’s a sneak peek!
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The fabric came on long rolls, so we spent an evening refolding the fabric. It proved a little tricky, since our room was so teeny. Kelly was a pro, though. Look at her go!
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A couple of tips when shopping at Nippori:
– If you need to change money, e.g., dollars to yen, go to Sumitomo Mitsui Bank (it’s pretty close to the train station)
– If you need to withdraw cash, go to the post office (also close to the train station. Basically, once you exit the station, turn left and just walk straight until you hit it)
– If you need lunch, go to Mos Burger. Super yummy burgers, and I highly recommend the kimpira rice burger.
– Take the address of your hotel/ryokan/hostel/tent. If you buy a lot of stuff, you aren’t going to want to lug it around with you! Delivery is cheap and efficient.
Looks like a fun day at Tomato!
Oh, I’m envious! When I went to Seoul last year I went to the Tongdaemun Market and drooled over the many booths of fabric shops. It is a good thing that I don’t really sew anymore, besides it was bad enough with all the yarn I’d bought in Tokyo.
Yes, it was a fun day for you, wasn’t it? It was kind of tough to see you and Kelly so excited to go inside and start shopping up a storm, while I stayed in exile on the sidewalk. Looks like it was a very worthwhile trip. Wish I could have helped more, if I did not have the 30+ pounds of extra “luggage” with me. 🙂
Kimpira is nasty.
Is that the andon? i recognize the rooms 🙂
my favourite place to stay in tokyo!
Did I see some Cosmo Fairy Tale fabric?? And something with an alligator? You are teasing us with the pictures that *almost* show the prints!!
jen and the girls look so cute! that store sounds crazy!!!
so, i’m curious now… did you end up shipping back all of the fabric you bought in japan? or did you pack it up and check it on the flight? when i went to japan last year, i purposely bought a really big lesportsac and then stuffed it with yarn 🙂 yuzawaya was fantastic.
I can’t wait to see the fabric in the store!
I can’t wait to see the fabrics in the on-line store!
Such a tease! I can’t wait till the shop is updated, those fabrics look soo beautiful.
hey, you stayed at the andon ryokan! We loved it there! there’s a great restaurant at the junction, opposite the crappy noodle place, I still dream of eating there again.
OMG i love that fabric. i’m simply green with envy!
OMG i love that fabric. i’m simply green with envy! I disagree go to http://www.apartments.waw.pl/