I must admit that I have always looked at Zara and Gap for the majority of my children’s casual clothing in Japan BUT if you’re looking for cute clothes for kids and babies in Japan here are my recommendations.
Before you shop for children’s clothing in Japan…
First thing to remember in Japan is that clothing sizes for kids is almost always sized based on height in centimetres and / or weight in kilograms. For this reason, I have listed in my “what to pack for your kids in Japan” blog post that it is really handy to know these measurements before you travel to Japan (for other reasons too such as for buying diapers in Japan and it also helps you know what rides your kids are able to hop on when going to places like Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea or Universal Studios Japan.) It is also handy to know the length of your child’s foot in centimetres too.
Clothing and accessories for babies
If you just want your baby to look like a Japanese local baby then best to google your closest of one of these stores
-Nishimatsuya (most cost effective of all the options)
-Akachanhompo
-Babies r Us / Toys R US
Buying shoes for kids in Japan
I always head to ABC Mart for most of my kid’s casual shoes. Warning though ! Most of the inner Tokyo Stores do not have a kids section so make sure you check online first. Closest ABC Marts that I know of to the centre of Tokyo are – ABC Mart in Decks Shopping Mall in Odaiba, ABC Mart at Solamachi at TokyoSkytree, ABC Mart at Sunshine City Mall in Ikebukuro and in Lalaport Toyosu (out next to Team Lab Planets.)
The easiest way to find a range of children’s clothing in Japan
The easiest way to find an actual range of children’s clothing in Japan is to, of course, go to a shopping mall a tiny bit outside of the city. I recommend googling your closest AEON Mall (Aeon in Japan is pronounced EE-on) or your closest Lalaport Mall.
For Aeon Malls near the centre of Tokyo, I really like the one out near Tokyo Disneyland at Shin-Urayasu Station, Aeon Family Mall in Chiba and the Aeon Mall out near Narita Airport too.
For Lalaport, I really like Lalaport Makuhari, Lalaport Toyosu near Team Lab Planets, Lalaport Ebina.
I also find the kids floor of Takashimaya or Odakyu in Shinjuku to have quite a few options (higher price point though.). If you are looking for special pieces and don’t mind paying for beautiful quality, you can check out your closest Sogo, Daimaru, Marui, Takashimaya, Mitsukoshi, Hankyu, Seibu, Isetan, Lumine, or Tobu (some are only in certain regions in Japan.)
Which actual clothing stores do I like and recommend for kids in Japan?
Well, like I said before, I do head for GAP and Zara and H&M a lot (I usually head to one of the three big malls in Odaiba but I don’t feel like the kids range there is so good anymore) but if I wanted to buy something unique to Japan …
Please google your closest option as these are scattered all over Japan (some of these companies also ship outside of Japan)
–United Arrows have a cute kids section
–Azul by Moussy is a fave of mine
–Minimal is cool too
–Breeze is great- I especially love their boys stuff
-I love love love love BabyDoll for boys and girls
–Petit Main has beautiful options for kids and babies
-Coca is cute and their colour palette for their range is “oh so Japan” to me.
–Muji (of course!)
-The kids section of Rope Picnic is worth checking out- especially if you don’t like characters or anything too flashy (not all Rope Picnic stores have a kids section so check their site before you go.)
–Rodeo Clowns Wide Bowl have a small kids range that I think is really cute (small range though as mostly an adult clothing store.)
–Comme Ca Ism
-It’s random but Thank you Mart (390 yen store) have cute socks, accessories and t-shirts for school aged kids (especially if they like characters like Sponge Bob or Disney on their clothing)
–Anap Kids
–Apres Les Cours is a bit too cutesy for me in the girls section but the boys section is nice (I like buying girls clothes from the boys section here too)
-My daughter likes Jenni for pre-teen cheap n cheerful Japanese clothing
–UniQlo (of course!)
–GU have some kids options (I’m personally not a fan of the quality but I know that some people like it.)
–Axes Femme is a bit out there but oh so Japan/Lolita/Elizabethan Goth style, if that’s what you had in mind?
–Gelato Picque have the cutest sleepwear for toddlers and babies
What about pre-teen clothing in Japan?
I recommend going to the local shotengai (an undercover strip of shops found in most cities and many countryside towns in Japan) as well as the department stores all listed above.
If in Shibuya I also recommend checking out Shibuya 109 and Lumine in Shinjuku.
See here for my favourite toys and souvenirs to buy in Japan for kids
