4 flower shops in the centre of tokyo that you'll kick yourself not to know
There was one thing that I was very, seriously obsessed with when we came on our “look & see” trip to Tokyo this past January.
And it was not the usual suspects of school, house, logistics, etc.
Nope, one of my biggest thoughts and wonders was, “Can I get my weekly fresh flowers and fill my home with plants?”.
I am only partially joking.
Ever since I was a little girl, picking wild flowers in the forest behind my parent’s home, I’ve been pleasantly obsesses with green.
Here are my go-to places in Tokyo for my fix:
For Fresh Flowers:
hanaya, Nishiazabu 2 Chome-5-1
Cleo and I have a weekly, Saturday-morning ritual where we go fetch the flowers together. Sometimes the trip is not really needed because the flowers from Hanaya are super fresh and last for ages. But we still ride over on our bike, mostly because we are both suckers for blooms.
The two ladies inside are sweet and helpful. Somehow, with my nearly non-existent Japanese and their super-kind will to be helpful I always manage to learn a new flower type or put together a combination, which is surprising and beautiful.
And the very best part? Hanaya is open every single day. So, perfect when you’ve been invited and need a little something for your hosts.
They specialise in freshly cut flowers and arrangements, but always have some (very good quality) plants outside too.
They have the best-priced, highest quality cut flowers I have found.
In & Out Door Plants
Ebisu
Sorcery Dressing, Ebisunishi 1 Chome 7-6
This shop is one of my all-time favourites and I sometimes just pop in for inspiration and to be surrounded by green beauty.
The concept is based on the idea that plants are magic and you should select the best one – do not overdo it. I suppose this is like “a little bit goes a long ways”?
Personally, I find it tricky to select only one when I am there. To make the decision easier, there is little to no car parking in the area, so what you can actually carry home rather dictates your purchase.
They have lovely staff, gorgeous plants and a serene shop. And, although I have not tried it, they also have a webshop.
Shirokane
Biotop, Shirokanedai 4 Chome 6-44
The top floor of this concept shop is a sweet place for a coffee and the shop, itself, is a bit of browsing, but I go for the plants.
I have found that it is best not to take your children if they are curious about plants (or send them outside to the garden where they can slide) and prepare to try your best Japanese for the best experience at Biotop.
Azabu Juban
Dan Dan Flower Shop 2 Chome−9−7
We bought all of our balcony plants here in the spring – and they are (mostly!) all still alive.
We figured it all out with google translate and the super-patient, helpful staff that seemed secretly amused to have two foreigners trying to decorate our balconies.
I found the plants and flowers all very reasonably priced. They always have some odd items next to the sidewalk on a steep discount. They are usually the plants that don’t look too hot anymore, but with a little bit of TLC are gorgeous again in no time.
And the quality? Well, if I didn’t kill them, you won’t.
But the very best part is that you can select your plants, pay for them, enjoy your afternoon and come back later with the car to fetch them.
As a lover of all things "flower", I am always interested to find new places.
I would happily spend a Sunday at a farmers' market outside of town or travel to that remote place that has the most gorgeous so-in-sos ever. In my exploration of this wonderful city, the nature is top of the list.