Tucked away in a small corner, the Ginza Kazuya is a small haven serving heavenly artisanal sweets.The chef-owner here is a one-man machine - he does everything on his own, from purchase the ingredients needed to make his 'Kazuya no ren' (the base of all his sweet products) to greeting and serving his customers. He fills his sweets with a variety of local ingredients; Ginza Kazuya confections are very popular with locals and the initiated so call in advance to reserve sweets as production is limited. The shop might be a little difficult to find but in the end it is all worth the effort.

A beautiful notebook makes an excellent gift and here, at Misuzudo, you can find exquisite ones, made from recycled printed sheets that Misuzudo receives from publishers. The book bindings are marbled and colored and each notebook is unique; the range of colors and sizes mean that you'll have difficulty narrowing your choice down to just one.

This street market was formed after World War 2. At that time, people were short of food, and food and clothes were under a ration system, so people had to have a ration ticket to buy items. However, some people started selling food at this street. They sold items like sugar, jackets and trousers. This street started as black market and eventually became legitimate. Now, many tourist visit Ameya-yokocho from all over the world. You can buy various kinds of things, not only clothes and food, but also uncommon foods and cosmetics here, making it a must visit destination in Tokyo.

Designshop opened in 2005, with a designer at the helm that wished to create pieces from his native Tohoku region. Everything has a clean aesthetic and you can buy everything for beautifully glazed pottery to sleek iron works (like rice pots and teapots). Along with these paeans to the past, you can find modern pieces from Amadana and Scandanavia and also admire the traditional craftwork from Nanbu.

Okura, sister shop of Hollywood Ranch Market, specializes in traditional indigo-dyed clothing and accessories. The store is in a lovely old traditional building and the interior decor reflects a similar mood and style. The upper floor has women's clothing - you can buy traditional Japanese socks, kimono-motif shirts and tops; it's a fantastic place to get a gift.