What Do Aoyama & Omotesando Have to Offer?
A Fresh Look at Tokyo Souvenir Shopping & Relaxation

Aoyama and Omotesando are two of Tokyo’s most sophisticated districts, known for stylish shopping, modern architecture, and a more relaxed atmosphere than nearby Shibuya or Harajuku. The area is a patchwork of packed crowds and surprisingly quiet corners, densely clustered with designer boutiques, local lifestyle brands, and cafes.

If you’re a traveler with a taste for nice things, it’s an exciting place to explore, especially if you’re on the hunt for the kind of interesting items that make great Japanese souvenirs, or just a nice place to unwind. The Aoyama-Omotesando area is polished, and at first it might feel a little stuffy, but if you know where to look, you’ll find some pretty cool surprises. Stop by to discover a truly memorable side of Tokyo.

A Half-Day Tour of Aoyama-Omotesando

Where to Find Some of Tokyo’s Best Locally-Crafted Souvenirs & Sweet Treats

Whether you’re escaping the crowds of a crazy morning in Shibuya and Harajuku, coming from a brunch picnic in Yoyogi Park, or you’ve taken the Ginza Line straight from Asakusa’s Sensoji Temple, an afternoon in the charmingly chic Aoyama-Omotesando neighborhood is the ideal way to relax and treat yourself during a busy trip to Tokyo! Start with an afternoon snack to get your energy levels up, enjoy a little souvenir shopping (including some surprising local items you might not expect in the area), then enjoy the unique Tokyo vibes with a low-key stroll down the narrow back streets and along Omotesando’s broad avenues.

Sample the Best Aoyama Cafe Hopping Spots

With so many people exploring the streets of Aoyama and Omotesando in search of retail therapy and relaxation, it’s no surprise that it’s also home to an incredible selection of cafes and coffee shops. There are tiny specialist shops with just a couple benches and an intense focus on high-quality beans, alongside upscale establishments with big sunny terraces and extensive menus, as well as everything in between.

For the Japankuru team, some of our recent favorites include Café Madu Aoyama, where our Korean editor recently indulged in a pretty decadent strawberry parfait, as well as Yoku Moku Aoyama—a sweets shop that also serves up an impressive afternoon tea. Many of the apparel brands along Omotesando also have their own little cafe spaces, like Ralph’s Coffee Omotesando (Ralph Lauren), or Cafe Kitsune Aoyama (Maison Kitsune). If you’re looking to relax at a cafe that perfectly matches your own style, you’re likely to find one while you wander the streets of Aoyama and Omotesando, whatever vibes you’re searching for.

Shop Locally-Crafted Tokyo Souvenirs (Find the Best Leather Bags in Japan!)

The only thing better than a hand-crafted souvenir from Japan is a hand-crafted souvenir that you can actually use every day. And when you’re in the Aoyama-Omotesando area, one of our favorite places to look for uniquely local pieces is actually HERZ, a Japanese leather brand founded in Tokyo in 1973 with a reputation built on slow, deliberate craftsmanship, attention to detail, and a strong undercurrent of Japan’s oh-so-cool style.

Despite being so close to the glitz and glam of Omotesando, HERZ offers a different kind of shopping experience. Every HERZ bag is made one at a time, by a single artisan who cuts each piece of sturdy leather and stitches the bag into shape, pouring their soul into each item from start to finish. In a city overflowing with fleeting trends, HERZ has spent decades aiming for the opposite, focusing on timeless designs meant to be used for decades—a practical reminder of all your fun Japanese adventures for many years to come!

The best place to shop the HERZ lineup is their flagship, located on an astonishingly peaceful little street just a few minutes from Omotesando Station. The store carries an impressive range of products, from investment pieces like backpacks and messenger bags, to smaller items that make excellent souvenirs: purses, wallets, bag charms, and much more. No matter what you reach for first, the brand’s philosophy becomes obvious the moment you pick up one of HERZ’s handmade leather items, because each piece is shaped with strong stitches, finished with sturdy hardware, and made with thick Italian leather chosen for its durability and character.

^{Left: Luxe Backpack | Right: Wanpaku Backpack (both samples formerly used by members of staff)}

Choosing the right HERZ item is like choosing a partner you want to grow old with, because watching the thick leather soften and develop a rich patina over the years is even more satisfying than the excitement of a new bag. (Well, at least according to the one Japankuru editor who has been enjoying the aging leather on her HERZ Wanpaku Backpack (R-144) for the past five years.) And because these are built for the long haul, HERZ also offers repair services (within Japan) to keep them in use for years to come—if something happens to your bag, just think of it as a great excuse for another trip to Tokyo.

At the main store, you get the full HERZ experience, because it’s not just a retail space, and the entire back half of the store is actually an active workshop where HERZ’s team of artisans work on the bags sold on the other side of the counter. The workshop is completely open to the rest of the shop, so you can watch the careful craftsmanship in action before moving on to browse the products, with the sounds of sewing machines and tools echoing across the shop floor.

There are hundreds of different bags, wallets, and other practical accessories arranged around the retail space, along with some less obvious leather items, like mousepads, and a small case built to hold a single pen on a long cross-body strap. Throughout the store, you’ll also find multiple examples of used HERZ items—not for sale, but on display so you can see the way the item might age with use, with the years adding extra personality.

What should you look for at HERZ? Well, during our recent visit the Japankuru team had a hard enough time deciding—our Taiwanese editor kept flitting between the wall of backpacks and the many tables full of temptations, determined to take home her own new HERZ bag, but having an impossible time choosing between their Luxe Backpack (R-143), the Cartella Mini 3-Way Bag (BC-5) (above), and the Collage Bag (CW-13) (below), all in a range of about 35,000 to 55,000 yen.

If you’re looking for something on a smaller scale (or working with a smaller budget), their shoulder bags are popular, but we suspect visiting travelers will love their onigiri rice ball-shaped pouches just as much as we do—or maybe the Suica/Pasmo card case shaped like a little bus. Whether you arrive intending to buy a bag for everyday use, or simply a small keepsake, HERZ really offers a uniquely Tokyo blend of craftsmanship, utility, and friendly faces.

▶︎ HERZ Hint: Want to look like you walked out of an anime? HERZ actually does offer “Randoseru” (ランドセル), the cute backpacks used by students around Japan, but they’re entirely made to order. If you want a similar look without ordering in advance, keep an eye out for styles like the Gallon Backpack (M-2) or the Classical Backpack (R-23)!

HERZ Main Store (ヘルツ 本店)
Il Centro Sereno B1, 5-46-16 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo
Hours: 12:00 – 19:00 | closed Wed/Thur
HERZ Official Website (jp)

If you’re looking for something extra special, schedule your visit for a weekend day, when the upstairs HERZ Sample Room is also open. The artisans (and even shop staff) at HERZ are always coming up with new designs, and this little showroom is where you’ll find those samples for sale, from totally wild one-offs to unique variations on established models.

Find Even More: HERZ Haneda Airport Garden Store

Couldn’t quite make up your mind at the HERZ main store? Looking to splurge on one last souvenir from Japan? In spring 2026, HERZ actually opened a new boutique in Haneda Airport Garden—directly connected to Haneda Terminal 3—offering a selection of some of their most popular designs. You’ll find many of the same sturdy backpacks, practical messenger bags, small wallets and pouches, as well as purses of all shapes and sizes. The limited floor space at the store means a less massive selection than the main store, but if there’s a particular item you’re hoping to buy before leaving Japan, you can always call ahead and see if they can ship one from another store. There are plenty of good souvenir options always in stock, and of course, it’s all conveniently close to the airport departure hall.

If you’re just arriving in Japan, the Haneda HERZ location is also a cool place to pick up a reliable everyday bag to use throughout your trip and beyond… or maybe a coin purse for all the spare change everyone ends up gathering in Japan.

There are actually two limited-edition HERZ items exclusively available at this location: a little kisslock pouch with a card sleeve, and a compact wallet with a coin pocket. Both of them seem pretty perfect for use during your trip to Japan, where cash still reigns king, but since they’re both such convenient designs, we think you’ll find plenty of uses back home too. (Makeup, medicine, cards, whatever you need on hand!)

HERZ Haneda Airport Garden Store (ヘルツ 羽田エアポートガーデン店)
Haneda Airport Garden 2F Japan Promenade, 2-7-1 Haneda Airport, Ota City, Tokyo
Hours: 10:00 – 21:00

Ramble Through Omotesando

If you’ve found the perfect new stylish souvenir and you want to show it off to the fashion lovers of Tokyo, you can take your time strolling along the tree-lined sidewalks of Omotesando. (We couldn’t resist the pretty and practical Collage Bag (CW-13), shown above in Camel, which worked perfectly as an everyday shoulder bag.) Famously elegant and upscale, this broad avenue is crowded with designer boutiques and enormous flagship stores, attracting a busy mix of visiting travelers and many of Tokyo’s most stylish residents.

Despite the HERZ main store being so close, it’s hard to imagine that this is basically the same neighborhood!

When you’re in the mood to splurge and bring home a suitcase full of Tokyo’s latest trends, this is a great place to do it, especially if you’ve got a big HERZ tote where you can stuff all your purchases (we were particularly fond of the “Leather Paper Bag” (T-5), above in Black). But Omotesando is also a wonderful spot for window shopping and people watching, absolutely resplendent with subtle style and wild fashion statements, as well as some surprising characters.

You could spend all afternoon slipping through the quiet back streets of Aoyama to explore all the little boutiques, and striding along the wide sidewalks of Omotesando as you browse all of the upscale designer options, and the relaxing atmosphere is lovely enough without you having to spend a cent… but we think you’ll find plenty to take home with you!

A Stylish Escape in Tokyo, With Memories to Bring Back Home

From elegant Japanese cafes to handcrafted leather items at HERZ and relaxing strolls along tree-lined streets, Aoyama-Omotesando gives visitors a special glimpse at a different side of Tokyo. Enjoy the fashion, admire the craftsmanship, and don’t forget to relax—enjoy your time in Tokyo!

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