Aoyama

Aoyama (青山) is a Tokyo Neighborhood in the Minato Ward. As one of the most popular entertainment and shopping districts in Tokyo. Known for its fashion boutiques, large shopping malls and department stores, and multiple fashionable restaurants, Aoyama is a haven for Tokyo’s youth.

History

Aoyama, during the Edo period under the Shogunate, was filled with various temples, shrines, and government residences held by Daimyo and Samurai. Aoyama Tadanari, a samurai who served under the Shogunate built his mansion in Aoyama, resulting in the district later being named for him.

Also located in Aoyama is the Aoyama Reien, Japan’s first municipal cemetery. Opened in 1872, this cemetery is home to many famous Japanese citizens as well as foreigners who died and were buried in Japan. Some of the many famous non-Japanese citizens buried in Aoyama Reien include Hugh Frazer, Francis Brinkley, Edoardo Chiossone, Julius Scriba, and Henry Spencer Palmer.

Aoyama Business

Aoyama is home to many business headquarters as a central district of Tokyo. Some of the larger companies currently operating out of Aoyama include Honda Motor Company, Sony Computer Entertainment, Louis Vuitton Japan, Itochu, Berlitz, and JCB.

Aoyama Transporation

In the Aoyama district there are three Subway stations including the Aoyama-Itchome Station which is home to the Ginza, Hanazomon, and Toei Oedo Lines, the Omote Sando Station, which is home to the Chiyoda, Ginza, and Hanzomon Lines, and Gaienmae Station which is home to the Ginza Line.

Shopping

The shopping in Aoyama is among the best known in Tokyo with boutiques and stores for young urban professionals looking to buy expensive, well cut clothing. Various stores in this district include Gucci, Prada, Michael Kors, Jil Sander, Costume National, Issey Misake, Rei Kawakubo, and many more European, American, and Japanese designers as well as a large collection of flagship stores. Hanae Mori is another favorite in the Aoyama district with clothing designed to be more traditional and slightly more elegant, even worn by Japan’s royal family.

Select stores

• Boutique W – This store is known for its intriguing, modern design of the building itself, with headless mannequins and industrial lighting, but the mix of European and Japanese designs is an equally big draw for many Harajuku shoppers.
• Dress Camp – This store is known for its elegant, sleek design and its outlandish, colorful clothing with everything from jackets and pants to dresses and bikinis.
• Flair Aoyama – This store is located in the midst of Aoyama and is known for taking huge risks and creating new trends. Rather than carrying what is currently popular in the streets, Flair will showcase whatever their designers and operators feel looks good and thus is not a highly visited location for teenagers.
• Loveless – This three story shopping complex is home to more than 100 different brands from around Tokyo including up and coming new stars, classic Japanese favorites and new styles that are sweeping the Harajuku and Aoyama scenes.

External Links

• Aoyama Shopping Map
• Aoyama Attraction Map