Face-shrinking masks, skin-munching fish, 100-degree baths: We test some of the most outrageous beauty treatments in Tokyo.
BEAUTY
Don Quijote: "Don Ki"
Multiple locations
www.donki.com
A discount chain store with the best prices on drugstore cosmetics and beauty gadgets, from curling irons to face-shrinking masks. The Roppongi store is open 24 hours a day and becomes an after-hours scene when nearby bars and clubs close.
Isetan
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3-14-1 Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku
+81 3 3352 1111
www.isetan.co.jp
One of the oldest department stores in Japan, Isetan carries all the high-end beauty brands. Check out the natural and organic floor's tea bar with beauty- and wellness-themed tisanes like "First Love's Tears." Also look for fruit-flavored black vinegars in the basement's gourmet grocery. Foreigners receive a 5 percent discount on many purchases.
Kiddy Land
6-1-9 Jingu-mae Shibuya-ku Tokyo
+81 3 3409 3431
corp.kiddyland.co.jp
Located in high-end shopping mecca Omotesando (next door to Chanel), this six-level toy store carries everything from the latest Hello Kitty creations to faux edamame key chains (popping the attached pea from the pod supposedly relieves stress).
Loft
21-1 Udagawacho Shibuya-ku Tokyo
+81 3 3462 3807
The Shibuya outpost of this home store (associated with Seibu department store) is best known for its beauty floor. Choose from hundreds of bath salts (from tempura-shaped fizzies to hot-spring minerals) and facial treatments.
Marui Young Shinjuku
3-18-1 Shinjuku Shinjuku-ku Tokyo
+81 3 3354 0101
www.maruione.jp
Keep an eye out for the 0101 signs outside (maru means "circle" in Japanese) and murals by artist (and frequent Louis Vuitton collaborator) Takashi Murakami on the interior walls of this department store/mecca for everyone from teenagers to 30-somethings.
Matsumoto Kiyoshi
Multiple locations
www.matsukiyo.co.jp
A drugstore chain with the most comprehensive beauty selection, from skincare and cosmetics to supplements and tonics like Yomeishu.
Natural House
3-6-18 Kita-aoyama Minato-ku Tokyo
+81 3 3498 2277
www.naturalhouse.co.jp
An organic supermarket known for its natural supplements and beauty products. Don't be surprised if you spot designers Rei Kawakubo or Junya Watanabe shopping here. The fashion flock are all regulars.
Ranking Queen
Multiple locations
+81 3 3477 6039
www.ranking-ranqueen.net
If you want to know which calorie-burning underwear or Botox Q-tips are best, this is the store for you. All products (even snacks) are ranked.
Shibuya 109
2-29-1 Dogenzaka Shibuya-ku Tokyo
www.shibuya109.jp
+81 3-3477-5111
Popular with clubgoers and Harajuku Girl wannabes, this mirrored mall houses 10 floors of trendy fast fashion. To distinguish itself from Harajuku department store La Foret, Shibuya 109's lower basement level has a wig emporium, where you can try on incredibly realistic bangs (trimmed to order) and get hair-extension styling lessons at the Navana Wig salon.
Tokyu Hands
12-18 Udagawacho Shibuya-ku Tokyo
+81 3 5489 5111
www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/shibuya
This eight-floor, self-proclaimed "Creative Life Store" sells everything from power tools to the latest beauty electronics and gadgets.
FOOD
Ajima Ashibi
2-8-9 Shinbashi Minato-ku Tokyo
+81 3 3502 5340
Shiseido Artistic Director Dick Page's favorite Tokyo restaurant offers many varieties of collagen-rich pig ears, an Okinawan delicacy.
Gokaku
3-14-4 Minami Aoyama Minato-ku
+81 3 5413 0831
Fashion editors line up to feast on the exquisite, mostly vegetarian bites at this nouveau Japanese restaurant.
Hare No Hi
1-18-10 Nishi Azabu Minato-ku
+81 3 3401 8350
Collagen stew, the specialty of the house, draws a steady stream of female customers hoping the fish- or chicken-based stock will plump their skin.
SERVICES
Crystal Devil
+81 3 3486 2753
Email: [email protected]
Tucked away on a fashionable Aoyama side street, this private nail atelier (the secret address is disclosed when you book an appointment) caters to fashion editors and celebrities looking for one-of-a-kind manicures and pedicures.
J-Body Resculpting
+81 3 5712 7338
Email: [email protected]
www.jbody.jp
Like a cross between rolfing, shiatsu, and acupressure, this unique resculpting treatment relaxes muscles and realigns bones to shrink your face and body. One look in the mirror afterward makes all the pain worthwhile.
Oedo-Onsen Monogatari
2-57 Aomi Koto-ku Tokyo 135-0064
+81 3 5500 1126
www.ooedoonsen.jp
A hot-spring-themed amusement park near Tokyo Disneyland that offers spa treatments like the Germanium bath and Nibble Fish pedicure.
Twiggy salon
3-35-7-001 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0001
+81 3 6413 1590
www.twiggy.co.jp
Musicians and models fill the chairs at this bohemian beauty outpost. The salon uses mostly organic products and opens up directly onto an outdoor garden. Plush velvet drapes ensure privacy (and that no one looks up your skirt while you're at the shampoo bowl).