Beauty shopping in Japan is an eye-opening experience. As someone who’s obsessed with Japanese beauty products, I thought I was super organised with my list of what I wanted to buy. Until I stepped into the first beauty shop.

I didn’t know where to start. Shelves upon shelves of iconic beauty products lured me in. I’ll be honest, most of my beauty shopping in Japan involved me grabbing whatever caught my eye or what I’d read about.

Where to find the best Japanese skin care brands

Bic Camera

5-1 Matsubaracho, Minami Ward, Hiroshima

Monday to Sunday: 10am–9pm

Bic Camera shops are everywhere in Japan, including Kyoto and Tokyo. There’s also a large Bic Camera shop five minutes from Hiroshima Station. Helpful if you need to stock up on a wide range of Japanese skin care like sun cream, sheet masks… hell, EVERYTHING. Just be careful you don’t get too distracted and miss your train!  Although this department store is known for its electronics, skin care junkies will have a full basket in seconds.

What to buy: MegRhythm Steam Eye Masks, Boire UV Aqua Rich Water Essence SPF 50+ PA++ and Kose Suncut UV Protect Spray SPF 50.

Ainz and Tulpe

1 Chome-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda Tokyo

Monday to Friday: 7am–10pm

Saturday and Sunday: 9am–10pm

Ainz and Tulpe offers everything from the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil to the latest beauty supplements, so you’ll definitely need more than five minutes. There are shelves of Japanese and Korean sheet masks, video demonstrations and helpful staff on hand with product recommendations. This can be a blessing or a curse depending on how much willpower you have! I took full advantage of the Ainz and Tulpe at Tokyo Station within minutes of arriving in Tokyo!

What to buy: DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Kose gift sets, skin care vitamin tablets and the Senka Shiseido Perfect Whip Cleanser.

Tokyu Hands

16-10 Hatchobori, Naka Ward, Hiroshima

Sunday to Thursday: 10am–8pm

Friday and Satuday: 10am–8.30pm

I had a train to catch so I didn’t have much time in Tokyu Hands but I quickly grabbed sun creams, sheet masks, lip tints and cushion foundation compacts. Here you’ll find an incredible selection of character sheet masks, tubs of Japan’s most popular sheet masks and Korean make up.

What to buy: Lu Lu Lun sheet masks, Country & Stream Honey UV Water Gel SPF 50+ PA++++, MISSHA M Magic Cushion SPF50+/PA+++.

Yojiya

270-11 Gionmachi Kitagawa, Kyoto

Monday-Saturday: 10.30am–8pm

Sunday: 10.30am–7pm

I hadn’t heard of this popular Japanese beauty brand before I visited Japan. Inside the Yojiya Gion shop in Kyoto, you’ll find essences, travel-sized skin care, cleansing foams and their famous blotting paper in a variety of different scents. You can peruse beautifully designed make up and even have the moisture levels in your skin checked!

What to buy: Moisture Essence, Mayugomori hand cream and Green Tea Blotting Paper.

Matsumoto Kiyoshi 

Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

〒600-8441 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto

Monday to Sunday: 10am–10.30pm

If you’re searching for popular Japanese drugstore beauty products, you’re bound to find them in Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Japan’s biggest drugstore chain. With a garish orange and blue shop front, it isn’t hard to spot. With brands including Shiseido and Kose,you’ll also find a selection of Western brands. They stock everything from sheet masks and cleansing oils to acne treatments.

What to buy: Naturie Hato Mugi Skin Conditioner by Imju and Kanebo Suisai Beauty Clear Powder.

Etude House

1 Chome-16-5 Jingumae, Shibuya, Tokyo

Monday to Sunday: 10am–8pm

Located on the hugely popular Takeshita street in Harajuku, Tokyo, Etude House is a playground for Korean skin care and make up addicts. Try out the latest lip tints or incredible metallic eyeshadows. The sheet masks come in 1+1 packs, so for each packet you buy, you get one packet free!

What to buy: Snail 0.2 Therapy Air Sheet Masks, Any Cushion Colour Corrector SPF34 PA++ in Mint Green and Dear Darling Tint Water Gel Tint Ice Cream in RD306 Shark Red.

Top tips for buying Japanese beauty product must-haves

• Products don’t come with much English text so research is key and make a list (don’t laugh… I eventually ended up following my list!). Get busy on Google and Instagram, read other blogs and ask friends who’ve been before!
• Don’t panic buy in the first shop you see. As tempting as it is, beauty shops are everywhere in Japan so you can shop in any city!
• Make sure you pack light. If you’re going to haul skin care, make sure it doesn’t exceed the baggage allowance.

If you want to check out a selection of what I bought to emulate the iconic Japanese skin care routine, why not check out my DHC haul on the blog today?