Run by expat American Amy Katoh, Blue & White in Roppongi sells a beautifully-curated selection of blue and white traditional Japanese crafts. It’s great if you want to hunt down some charming gifts for your friends.
Blue And White - image © Florentyna Leow
Blue & White has been a favorite shop with Tokyo expats since the 1960s, and it’s easy to see why. The Japanese crafts sold here are charming and beautiful, with an emphasis on quality handmade work - a far cry from the cheap, mass-produced tourist tat you’ll find in more mainstream souvenir shops.
Blue And White - image © Florentyna Leow
Naturally, everything here comes in shades of blue and white. You’ll find plenty of indigo-dyed cloth products such as tenugui (hand towels), yukata (light cotton kimono), and dyed fabrics, as well as ceramics and tableware. Some of the hand towels here were custom-designed for Blue & White, such as one printed with soba bowl designs.
Blue And White - image © Florentyna Leow
The shop assistants are enthusiastic about the products, and it shows. We learned, for instance, that you can distinguish a handmade tenugui from the printed ones by seeing if the pattern appears on both sides (meaning that it’s dyed by hand, rather than machine-printed). Prices here are also a little higher than your average souvenir shop, but you do get what you pay for.
It’s a wonderfully inviting, atmospheric space, and proprietor Amy Katoh is as charming as the products she sells. You might walk away with some souvenirs, but you’ll also gain a greater appreciation for Japan’s folk arts.
English name:
Blue & White
Japanese name:
ブルー＆ホワイト
English address:
2-9-2 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 106-0045
Japanese address:
〒106-0045 東京都港区麻布十番2-9-2
Opening hours:
11am-6pm
Price:
Nearest Transport:
Subway: 3-minute walk from exit 4 of Azabu-juban Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku line, and Toei Oedo line.
Telephone:
+81-3-3451-0537
Website:
Official website (English)
Near To Here:
Blue and White is located in Tokyo's Roppongi and Akasaka district. See our complete list of things to do in Roppongi and Akasaka, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay.
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