In Japanese, there is a word that describes a place that is a best-kept-secret. This is anaba, which literally means “a place that is like a hole”. For example what appears to be a small alleyway of no importance in the city at first may in fact house some of the areas’ best restaurants, bars, or shops. Tokyo is an extremely dense urban area and so it is no surprise there are a great number of these “anaba” shops in Tokyo! So in this season of new beginnings in Japan (we welcome a new school and business year) let me introduce you to some of my favorites.

About 10 minutes from Ginza between Akihabara and Okachimachi stations on the Yamanote Line, is 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan. It is a half-open market that sits slightly hidden under the train tracks. In fact, just when you think you might have walked too far, you will come to Aki-Oka’s a clean, white outside wall. It opened just at the end of 2010 and it is a modern cluster of over 30 workshops, studios and shops that sell their own handmade wares including fine jewelry, kimono, hats, bags and even toys. It is similar to the “Chelsea Market” in New York City, and there are some really fun and excellent cafes　like “Toy Café Toique” sprinkled throughout the market.

Even Omotesando Hills, the new shopping center on the Omotesando promenade, has a secret underground shop! To get to it, you will need to find the “Forbidden Fruit” café and walk through it to the back, taking the spiral staircase downstairs. There you will find a clothing shop called Bedrock with a cave-like atmosphere, reminiscent of a gothic “Land of the Lost”. Inside is a selection from local brand If Six Were Nine, which is luxury street wear, created with high-end denim, crystals, silk, crepe and fur. There is also a selection of vintage and archival items from brands such as Givenchy and Dior. Pictures aren’t allowed to be taken inside and no information is given to magazines, so it is really a special place!

From Shinjuku, take the Orange Chuo-line for 5 minutes out to Koenji, and you will be welcomed to a Mecca of used clothing shops that are revered for starting new trends. Among these shops is a seemingly dilapidated wooden building that is called the Kitakore Building. It is a mini-mall of 6 or so independent shops, where many of the owners are young underground designers in their 20s. They re-work used clothing to make fantastical one-off items or completely new items only for the most daring fashion-forward folk. In that vein, it is a secret favorite of Western designers, including Frida Giannini of GUCCI.

Finally, for some who prefer a more refined experience, walk right next to Daikanyama to the backstreets of Ebisu where you will find gallery-cum-shops in residential-type houses and alley cubby holes. One of these is Gallery Deux Poissons, which exhibits one accessory artist at a time from an artist around the world. You can pick up a piece from the artist as well as from a curated selection of objects from local and western artisans like Droog from Amsterdam. At Waitingroom near the Hiroo neighborhood, you can peruse the artwork and purchase souvenirs from them such as postcards, prints and quirky gifts like lacquered biscuits and pretzels.

Tokyo Style Guide’s “Anaba” shops