Does anyone know a good place to get art supplies?

Well, if you're looking for selection (and not price), Itoya in Ginza is pretty big. Be sure to visit the annex out the back door where there is more in the way of paper, etc.

Note from Admin: tel: 03-3561-8311 Ginza 2-chome (across more or less from Meidi-ya supermarket).

Lemon Ginza
2-6-12 Kanda Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku
03-3295-4681
nearest station: Ochanomizu, building backs on to the JR station on the south side of the river.
Kyoko Haga-san speaks English (talk slowly)

http://www.lemon.co.jp (in Japanese)

They have a a lot of artists' supplies. enogu or pallet collections, paints, etc.

Sekaido - the mother of all art supply stores -

The main store in Shinjuku is the biggest and the best and the only one that I personally have been to. Incredible. Tokyu Hands can not compare in the area of art supplies. Also have a framing department. I will happily make corrections to the following list if any of our readers sends me a list of my mistakes (PLEASE!)

Sekaido honten building
3-1-1 Shinjuku
Tel: 03-5379-1111
Hours: 09:30 - 21:00 open all days

Sekaido nishiguchiten building
1-11-11 Nishi-shinjuku
Tel: 03-3343-6551
Hours: 09:30 - 20:00 open all days

Sekaido Ikebukuro
Ikebukuro Parco Department Store - 6F
Tel: 03-3989-1515
Hours: 10:00 - 21:00 open all days

Sekaido Tachikawa
Tachikawa Ekibiru (JR station building) Lumine Department Store - 6F
Tel: 042-527-6555
Hours: 10:00 - 21:00

Sekaido Artman
Seisekisakuragaoka Artman 3F (on the Keio line out of Shinjuku)
Tel: 042-337-2583
Hours: 10:00 - 20:00

Sekaido Machida
4-2-1 Haramachida, Machida City
Tel: 042-710-5252
Hours: 09:30 - 21:00 open all days

Sekaido Sagami-oono
Sagami-oono robifaibu
Tel: 042-740-2222
Hours: 10:00 - 20:00

Any ideas where I can buy children's paint? Tokyo Hands and other dept. stores all seem to have adults stuff only. 100261.2731[at]compuserve.com

This was sent to me directly by mistake:

Jan Thompson janthompsonjp[at]yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Shopping in Japan: Art Supplies
Crayon house in Omotesando have a nice selection of natural paints.

by Admin: tel: 03-3406-6409 or 3406-6492?
3-8-15 Kita-Aoyama, Omotesando/Harajuku

Yuzawaya in Kichijoji is a great place for arts & crafts supplies. If you get a membership card (free I think), you are eligible to receive all their discounts. To get there, take the Inokashira line to the very last stop. Express trains run from Shibuya and can get there in about 20 min (fare is about 190 yen, I think).

The original Yuzawaya is located in Kamata. They even have a better reputation for cloth and sewing material and they're huge! Go out to JR Kamata Station and you'll see a big map which shows all the buildings Yuzawaya has. It's has been the typical shop for Japanese craft-lovers, and dress-makers for decades.

Yuzawaya -
http://www.yuzawaya.co.jp/ -- in Japanese
http://www.yuzawaya.co.jp/company/y_brochure.html -- three page brochure in English including a page with the addresses and phone numbers of all locations

Tokyu Hands - http://www.tokyu-hands.co.jp/index.htm Here are four of the at least 21 stores in Japan:
Futakotamagawa tel: 03-3708-1211
Ikebukuro
1-28-10 Higashi Ikebukuro Toshima-ku Tokyo 170-0013 tel: 03-3980-6111
Shibuya
12-18 Udagawa-cho Shibuya-ku Tokyo 150-0042 tel: 03-5489-5111
Shinjuku 03-5361-3111

Lapis tel.03-3583-0861, fax.03-3583-0867 Roppongi, Axis Building (2nd floor)

Washi (Japanese paper) -- most of the stores listed in this discussion carry some of this, especially Itoya has a big selection, but here are a few more:
Haibara 03-272-3801 Nihonbashi, Tokyo
Isetatsu 03-3823-1453 Taitou-ku, Tokyo
Washi Kobo 03-3405-1841 Nishi Azabu, Tokyo

How to get there by train? Try using: http://www.japanhomesearch.com/TravelExpert/TE_main.asp or http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/

Also, for all sewing type crafts, Kinkado in Ikebukuro has a very notable inventory.
3-11-8 Minami-Ikebukuro,Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8550 http://www.rakuten.co.jp/kinkado/ This is one of those places where you have to cross between buildings and really explore. But there is a big selection of trims, laces, beads, buttons, notions, as well as fabrics (kiji).

Framing/canvas stretching - we have a couple of large oil paintings that had to be removed from their frames for shipping. Does anyone know a reliable place in Tokyo that can re-stretch canvases and possibly frame them? Does Sekaido do that kind of thing?

Dear Bethan,
It really depends on how special these paintings are. If they are expensive or very important to you, then you might want to get a proper craftsman to handle them. To find someone who is specialized in stretching and framing fine art, you would ask around at galleries or a museum curator (if you happen to know one ;-) It's not easy information to get, and it would be more costly.

I know Sekaido can handle fairly large framing jobs (I saw one painting going in there that was about 2.5 by 2 meters). But I'm not sure about building a new stretcher to size.

Bethan,

I have had 3 pieces of art framed at the
frame shop in Hiroo. It's on the main
shopping street, right off Gaien Nishi Dori.

I am certain they do stretching. They
ironed out a badly wrinkled poster that we
had and it came out beautifully. They've
also framed 2 oil paintings for us. They
are very professional and the woman who
has helped us speaks English and has
given us very good advice on what frame
to choose, etc.

They also have a gallery on the second
floor. They are not cheap, but framing is
expensive anywhere you go and if it's
something special, it's worth it.

Of course, I forgot the name and can't find
my receipt. But if you are interested in
them, I will be in Hiroo this weekend and
could get the name for you.

Suzanne

The gallery in Hiroo is called Kato and their number is 03-3446 5259

Thanks for the tips, everyone. I will check out both Sekaido and the place in Hiroo.

***********Cornelia************

Thank you so so much for the info on SEKAIDO: It is definately an art supply MECCA.

Begginers in art should however do their homework before getting there as:
1/ there is a lot of choice (not only japanese)
2/ a lot of ONLY japanese product in Japanese only
3/ SOME staff speak a LITTLE english but helpfull once they understand