Japan 2017: Going Shopping at Tokyo station

I've been going in and out of Tokyo Station since the first time I travelled to Japan, and more often than not, I do find myself a bit lost when I want to find the Tokyo Character Street.  You have to be wary of your surroundings, especially around Tokyo and Shinjuku station because, there's more than one exit. It's one big maze just to go around the station that if you took the wrong exit, you'll reach the exit on the other side ( and you wouldn't want that).  

So here's some insider tip:
Just how do you go to the Tokyo Character Street inside Tokyo Station
Go out of Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station, go down the flight of stairs to B1 level. 
Alternatively, go out of Yaesu Central Exit, turn left and go down to B1 level.

If you are on the platform where entrance/exit to take shinkansen are, you're on the right direction! Tokyo Character Street is just 2 floors down. 

But before anything else... 
Before you go and buy stuff at Tokyo Character Street, I would suggest you get your tax refund form from the tax counter.  This is because you'll probably spend above 5,000yen alone for food souvenirs, and another 5,000 yen for merchandise ( with all the Sailormoon merchandise they kept rolling out, I can roughly spend more than that) . But I would have wished they could have combined both  items like in Don Q, but alas Tokyo Station Character Street shops follow the same rules as in Tokyu Hands (a separation of perishable and non-perishable tax refund goods).

How to spot the Tax Refund Corner for Tokyo Character Street

It should be near the left luggage area around where the shinkansen platforms are. There are particular signs , but best direction is when you're coming from the Pokemon Store in tokyo character street, and you will see a flight of stairs, go up to the first level, the tax refund counter should be within your eyesight.

Some insider tip: Yaesu Exit is at the opposite side to Marunouchi exits. Yaesu is the east district of Tokyo Station, where some Daimaru and some other old department stores are plus it's the entrance where you'll be taking the shinkansen. Marunouchi is a district leading to Imperial Palace, where the emperor of Japan resides. 

Happy Shopping!

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