Tokyo Ski Shops

Tokyo has some of the best ski & board shopping in the world. Contrary to popular belief, ski equipment in Japan is not expensive. Huge competition for buyers means gear is often discounted up to 50%, particularly for "last years" models.

The ski shop area of Tokyo is confined to one street, but there are many large shops on that street (maybe 30 shops?) and some smaller ones on the side streets. It pays to shop around if you are looking for a specific model, but we found the biggest problem was too much choice!

How to find it

The ski/snowboard(sports store) area is located between Ogawamachi and Jimbocho subway stations in the Kanda district of Tokyo (about 10min walk west of Akihabara), along Yasakuni Dori(Yasakuni Street) and the small streets just off it. There are a few exits at Ogawamachi subway station, but get out at the Yasakuni Dori exit(B5). You can follow the map from Akihabara if you’re game. You can also get there via JR (Japan Rail, useful if you have a JR Railpass). Get off at Ochanomizu station at the east end of the station(not the Ochanomizu-bashi exit), and head south down Hongo Dori (it runs down the hill away from the river) until it hits Yasakuni Dori just near Ogawamachi subway station. Cross to the south side of Yasakuni Dori, and then walk west along Yasakuni Dori, and within 50-60m you’ll see some ski/snowboard shops. One of the first ones on the left is the London Sports surplus store, where you can get some amazing bargains. This is absolutely the cheapest store in the whole area. EVERYTHING in the shop is cheap. Skis, snowboards, boots, bindings, clothing including Goretex. ( REAL Goretex jackets start at $90) Skis start at a ridiculous $40. A few people speak English in the shop, but you need to know your models. If you have a few days in Tokyo, get onto the internet and find the models. Consult my list in the thread in Snow Talk. I’ve included a couple of pictures so you can identify the shop. You can see the B5 exit of the subway, and the shop is in the middle of the picture. .