Tokyo Area Tobacconists?

[schmitzbitz]

Shortly after the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/narrowly averted nuclear disaster took place, my cousin and his family decided to leave their home in the Sen Dai region and spend a couple of months visiting family back here in Canada. Whilst he was out, I discovered that he had been dabbling in pipe-smoking back home, although not having the greatest of success (usual story - basket pipe, goopy cheap aro's, former smoker).

Needless to say, I sent him home with a couple of cobs and a Brigham, as well as samples of 20 odd blends to play with. This morning I got a message from him, he is smoking the last of the leaf I sent him back with, and looking to purchase more, but can't find a decent tobacconist in Tokyo that doesn't deal almost exclusively in cigars.

I've suggested that he look into some of the site-vendors, but instant gratification being what it is, he would like to find a good B&M to frequent.
On a side note, if you ever get the chance to try Motoyama pipe tobacco (blended by MacBaren for the Japanese market; seems its been discontinued in the past couple of years), don't pass it up because it sounds like a hodge-podge of everything. Very odd stuff, definitely interesting.

 

[grouchy]

bet the folks over there are still getting the heebe jeebies over those nukes. havent heard anything on news lately. just hope it isnt one of those you really dont want to know news black outs.

scarry to think of what could happen here with all that we have. then again, who could we rely on getting the real truth as to what needs to be done to insure future generations wisdom in safety and low risk energy sources.

little bigger dose of commonsence would go a long way too.
motoyama sounds like one i would want to try. japanese electronis is amazing and wouldnt expect any less of their tobacco's. anyone knows of an online dealer care to share?

 

[papipeguy]

I've been to Japan 16 times and never found what we call a B&M. Some of the large department stores carry a very limited supply of pipe tobacco. I did bring back some Motoyama for the guys at the local B&M. Nothing special. Japan is a cigarette country. Interestingly, the Royal Park Hotel that I usually stayed in while in Tokyo sold Cuban cigars and I remember paying only about $12US for a Cohiba. Go figure.

 

[nemrod]

papipeguy: then you haven't been looking very carefully. I've only been back there once since I started smoking pipes but with some help from native friends (I lived there for a year) I easily found one. This was in Shiga prefecture (where I lived) next to Kyoto though so I don't know anything about B&Ms in Tokyo.
I checked out Japanese pipe e-stores a while back and many seem to be B&Ms as well so they're definitely around here and there.

 

[papipeguy]

nemrod, you're right in that I didn't go hunting. My trips were for business so I didn't have much free time to explore. Interesting country but i don't miss the 15 hour flight. When I think about it its funny that I didn't find any B&M's but I got dragged to about 50 temples. I guess my hosts thought that I needed that more than pipe tobacco.

 

[mrmotoyoshi]

I see this thread is old but I figured I wouuld update it for anyone looking for tobacco in Sendai or Tokyo.
Sendai has the Tobacco Loft on Kokubuncho near the Kotodai Koen side. This place sells some pipes (very expensive Stanwells and Petes) has an array of aromatic pouches like Larsen, Cap Blak, Borkum. It also has a decent collection of Dunhill Tins EMP, Ultra Mild, Flake, Night Cap. And some other tins of Dan Tobacco Billy Bailey's Birhtday.
The best tobacco shop I've found in Japan is actually in Sendai. It's called Kawarada Tobacco and it is near the Kita Sendai train station. About a 5 min walk from the station. This guy has almost everything you could want, for a price, and then some. No bulk, only tins.
In Tokyo there is a tobacco shop in Ginza by the Uniqlo called Kikusui. Very upscale, typical Ginza, with a wide array of expensive pipes from Dunhill to Stanwell to Peterson to BCs. Not a great selection of tobacco here.
The last place I found is outside of Shinjuku Stn. I can't remember the name off the top of my head but it is on the first floor down the hall behind the large Kinokuniya. They have a nice selection of pipe accessories and a nice collection of pipes as well. Tobaccos are in the back wall and there is a nice selection of English blends and some VA flakes.
Hope this is useful.

 

[allenz]

I was browsing the Tsuge website the other day and saw that there's a list of tobacconists.
Tsuge Website
The addresses are in Japanese but hey, one must understand some Japanese to be able to live there right?

 

[pipeherman]

Thanks guys for updating this for people who may come across this page seeking answers. Good job ::

 

[billbearcat]

I was in the shop in Ginza about 6 or 7 months ago. They had a lot of pipes in there. If you consider the rate change the prices aren't too far off. I didn't pick up a pipe there because I was looking for a Japanese pipe, purchased in Japan for my collection. The only ones I saw there were the Tsuge Ikebana. These were well out of my price range. I didn't need tobacco so I didn't even check out their selection. Ginza is fancy.

 

[zuiderzee]

I spent three weeks in April 2016 in Japan, doing training for our company branch office both in Tokyo and Osaka.

As I live in New Zealand we have prohibitive (health-related) excise on tobacco there which means that for me Japanese prices for pipe tobacco are dirt cheap.
While in Tokyo I found the very same Kikusui shop in Ginza that others mentioned, where I bought some Mac Baren from a surly snobbish salesman. Yes, very Ginza, and he did not have to treat me nicely as I was not wearing an expensive suit and tie.

If you are coming / going via Narita Airport, a good alternative is to take a very short trip to Narita village (one stop from Narita Airport by a local slow train, it was 160 yen each way). Right outside the station is a large plaza/town square and on one of its corners is a small tobacconist kiosk staffed (manned???) by an elderly lady. I bought a tin of Dunhill My Mixture 965 and one of Early Morning Pipe. Prices are about 1,200 - 1,500 yes per tin / packet of 50g or 2oz. The saleslady was delirious with a client that wanted not one but two tins of pipe tobacco and gave me a free lighter with it.
In Osaka I was lucky enough to find a small but very nice little shop called Sakuranbo which is in one of the arms of the giant underground mall around Umeda (Osaka rail station). As I am a continental aromatic smoker I bought a couple of pouches of W.O. Larsen and some Amphora (same prices). They were very nice to deal with and let me go behind the counter to examine the selection and make my choices (there is a limit on how much I can bring with me through New Zealand Customs). I will be back there again in late October (Osaka only) and look forward to restocking on 7 Seas Red by Mac Baren and maybe some more Dunhill.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This kind of stuff fascinates me, especially the mention of Motoyama pipe tobacco. I would love to see a picture of these types of tins and get a review. Even though, I may never get a chance to try it, I would love to know more about pipe smokers from a around the world.

 

[pagan]

I would love to see a picture of these types of tins and get a review.

I wonder if the tin art is appealing, I to would love to see some photos

 

[tslex]

Likewise. Please share any images you have.

 

[hugodrax]

Best shop in Japan as far as tobacco selection is definitely the one mentioned off the Shinjuku station, although there is another very good one off the Tobu side of the ikebukero station.
Kikusui in the Ginza is, however, the friendliest in all Japan. Not big, but we'll stocked and helpful. For Ginza, surprisingly inexpensive.