A Second Look at Yuzawaya

Since I'm in Tokyo I thought I'd visit Yuzawaya to check out what's new. The place was buzzing with activity since it was Sunday. The last time I visited there was only a handful of people visiting since it was a weeknight.

I made sure I had eaten lunch before visiting Yuzawaya since we know what happens when you go to a store with an empty stomach! There were a couple of things I was looking for: (1) bag handle to match a project I made last Christmas, I have not been able to finish it because I couldn't find the right handle to use; (2) tiny polka dot fabric; and (3) dark colored fabric pencil, I really liked the one I got from Tokyu Hands in Nagoya.

The store had a lot of bag straps available, but they didn't have any that would match the fabric of the bag I made. I then proceeded to the fabric pencil section, but didn't find the one I was looking for. I then head to the fabric area and then found another section that held other knick-knacks. That's where I found the pencil I wanted. Looked through the fabric and just got three fat-quarters on sale. They had so many beautiful fabric it took all my will not to buy any!

I didn't hang out long in the fabric section because it proved too tempting! They didn't have the tiny polka dot fabric I wanted though. On the way to the cashier I found a bag handle that would match the bag I'm making and then I paid for the stuff I got.

One thing I learned about this trip to Yuzawaya is you need to really go around a couple of times to find the item you are trying to locate. Especially for knick knacks since they have this scattered around the store. I really like how they set-up Yuzawaya because it's so organized, clean and welcoming. Most of the other fabric/craft stores I've been to tend to just stuff in everything they are selling. High shelves, fabric all stocked up is kinda unsightly and common. Yuzawaya's set-up is what makes it distinct. I hope other fabric/craft stores can learn a thing or two about how to make their stores more inviting for crafting. 

Quilting Shops in Tokyo: Yuzawaya

I have very bad sense of direction and oftentimes get lost. I was on my way last week to check out a couple of shops in Ginza when I took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of the street. Well the reason why I got lost was because I was checking where Yuzawaya was located in Ginza. I was reading several blogs about fabric stores in Tokyo and Yuzawaya was a top recommendation.

I had decided to head to Ginza that evening to check out the Uniqlo with 12 floors and an art supplies shop. I was quite frustrated that I couldn't find Yuzawaya on Google Maps and that's when I made the wrong exit. I had to catch my breath when I emerged on the street, only to realize I was on the wrong side. I was quite hungry and decided to check if Ginza Core had an restaurants. I was surprised to see the "Yuzawaya" signage on it.

I immediately checked the building directory and found out that it was on the 6th floor. I excitedly took the lift going up and found heaven in Ginza.

I spent about an hour in the shop. I combed through each of the aisles and I was happy to note they had fat quarters of Japanese fabric available. The area nearest the lift housed all the notions you need for your sewing projects -- thread, zippers, buttons, patterns, needles, scissors etc. For quilting they had a variety of wadding available. I found awesome bag bottom boards as well -- something I couldn't find in other shops.

The back area housed different types of fabric. What interests me whenever I visit craft shops in other countries are the locally made fabric. Japan has a lot of lovely print fabric. I was so glad they had fat quarters available since one meter can sometimes cost at least JPY3,000. They also had kawaii fabric -- mostly cute cats -- which I couldn't resist. Sadly though they did not have any anime or Western cartoons fabric (they have a lot in Nippori Fabric Town). I still ended up buying a few fat quarters.

On the other side of the shop had endless types of beads and other usable craft knick-knacks. They also had a nice variety of bag handles (I like making bags!) and the clay aisle made me really curious about trying it out eventually.

Yuzawaya is like Lincraft in Australia. Some items were pricey, but they had a lot of beautiful fabric. I had to reel myself in. Before I paid the staff kindly encouraged me to get a membership card (JPY500) so I would get a discount. She immediately gave me discounts on the items I bought and it saved me a lot of money.

I promptly added Yuzawaya on Google Maps and later on discovered that it was closed 2 years ago for renovation. The pin was marked closed. No need to worry because it can be easily found now - Yuzawaya Ginza.

Quilting Shops in Tokyo: Nippori Fabric Town

I've been visiting Tokyo fairly often lately and I finally got to check if there were any great fabric shops. I did some research and found out that if you have very limited time there's one must go-to place for craft makers in Tokyo -- the Nippori Fabric Town. Everything for your sewing need is available there and at very affordable prices.

How to Get There

I used Google Maps to find my way there, so from wherever you are coming from within Tokyo just get yourself to the Nippori Station which is on the Yamanote Line.  After offboarding the train follow the exit path to the South Gate.

Go down the stairs.

Cross the street and turn left. You'll see the Cozy Corner shop.

Turn right after the shop. You'll see this signage.

Then cross the street.

Turn to the right and just go straight. You'll start seeing dress shops and fabric shops.

What You'll See

I only had about two hours to go through the Nippori Sen-i Gai (Fabric Town) so I just targeted to go through (from to to bottom) one place. There were many different shops that offered a wide variety of fabric. There's fabric for sewing clothing, curtains, making sofa covers, quilting, lace, gowns and even leather and there was a lot of notions as well. There were also sewing machine shops, both for home and industrial sewing.

I would suggest spending at least half a day at Nippori Fabric Town so you have enough time to browse through the many different shops. Also best to bring a large bag (or a bag with wheels) if you intend to purchase a lot of things.  A map of the textile town is available here. Shops are usually open until 6pm.

I spent all my time at Tomato. I'll post a bit more about that later.