Until relatively recently, used clothes in Japan have had one fate: burnable garbage. If you’re from a country with a collection bin and a few secondhand shops in every neighborhood, this just feels wrong. Some people take suitcases full of cast-offs back home rather than throw them out. Happily, the Japanese concept of mottainai (avoiding wastefulness) is catching on and leading to more options for recycling your clothes in Tokyo.

Sell It!

© Photo by iStock: CrispyPork

Do you have too many designer clothes and accessories in like-new condition? You’re in the right city. Many brand-conscious secondhand shops will buy your things.

Komehyo Or RagTag

Start with Komehyo or RagTag, both of which have about a half-dozen outlets throughout Tokyo. Be prepared to take a number and wait a while if you go on a busy day, but if you can read Japanese, RagTag has an excellent online option. You can send in a box of clothes free of delivery charges, and you’ll get an email within a week or two telling you how much the store is willing to offer you for them. If you accept the price, a deposit will be made to your bank account, and if there are any items whose prices you disagree with, they’ll send them back to you at no charge.

Pass The Baton

Pass The Baton in Omotesando sells items that fit its quirky aesthetic on consignment (they call it “relighting”). Still, the store requires an appointment for anyone wishing to sell items, during which you’ll have to explain the “story” of each piece. Expect to spend at least an hour with a staff member, even for a small number of items, but you’re likely to get more cash for designer clothing and accessories that sell than you would from RagTag or Komehyo.

Mercari (メルカリ)

The fastest growing app in Japan (also available in the U.K. and the U.S.), Mercari lets you sell and buy pretty much anything. To use it, you’ll need to make a (free) account and have a good command of Japanese, although it’s fairly easy if you have a friend to help you do it. Take up to four photos, upload them along with a short description and wait for someone to buy it. Clothes and small items typically sell within a few hours. After someone buys it, you will have to wrap the product yourself and send it to the user who purchased it.

Logistics company Kuroneko Yamato has a partnership with Mercari, which allows you to drop by any Yamato store and whisper the magic words “Mercari.” They’ll have your goods delivered in a special package. The best thing is that it’s anonymous, so neither the sender nor receiver knows the other party’s private information (unless they’re sending it in another way). Mercari takes 10% of every deal, so make sure to set the price in a way that gives you some profit.

Other popular online selling options in Japan include:

• Rakuma (楽天ラクマ): This one is a major competitor to Mercari, with lower selling fees (just 6.6%) and strong integration with Rakuten’s point system—perfect if you already shop in the Rakuten ecosystem or have a Rakuten card/account.
• Yahoo! Auctions (ヤフオク): Japan’s original online marketplace. It’s great if you want to set up a bidding war on higher-value items.
• Yahoo! Flea Market (Yahoo!フリマ)/PayPay Flea Market (PayPayフリマ): Linked to PayPay’s cashless system, this app, now combined with Yahoo!, makes selling and buying easy with direct digital payments. It also has frequent discount campaigns, so it might be the best deal if you already use PayPay or have an account.
• Facebook Marketplace: It’s not as popular for locals, but it’s suitable for quick local sales and exchanges with other expats. It’s pretty convenient for larger items like furniture or appliances, but just watch out for any scams and make sure all deals are clear before proceeding.

Recycle It!

© Photo by iStock: Cunaplus_M.Faba

Uniqlo

Uniqlo’s recycling program works with international humanitarian partners to donate used Uniqlo clothes to refugees and other displaced people. What they take is specific, but if you’ve ever gone on a summer sale binge and bought enough cooling t-shirts to outfit a tropical party, it’s good to know there’s a place where it won’t all go to waste. Simply bring your things to any Uniqlo shop.

H&M

H&M will give you a ¥500 store coupon for every bag of clothes you donate. The staff will send clothes in good shape to markets to be resold and then recycle the rest as raw materials, but they won’t take shoes or accessories. There’s a limit of two bags per person per day. There is no explicit limit to the size of the bags, but the cardboard deposit boxes set up at the cash registers suggest they expect donations to be on the smaller side.

Donate It!

© Photo by iStock: Marizza

Salvation Army

The Salvation Army will not only take your used wearable clothes in bulk but also send someone to your door to cart them away for free. The catch? They only make pickups during the week, and you may have to schedule as much as two or three weeks in advance. You can contact them via telephone: 03-5860-2992 to organise your donation.

There is a little-known Salvation Army store open on Saturday mornings in Nakano-Fujimicho. It offers serious bargains on housewares, English books, and—yep—clothes. It’s a great place to start refilling all that new empty space. If you don’t schedule a pickup far enough in advance, the store will accept donations of some items via courier (although you must pay the delivery charges).

HELP (House in Emergency of Love and Peace)

HELP offers a safe place for women and children escaping abuse. Many come with almost nothing, so they’re always looking for clean, modest women’s and kids’ clothes. Everyday wear, seasonal coats and shoes are especially useful. Just make sure items are freshly washed and in good shape, or consider whether you’d be happy to wear them yourself.

If you would like to donate to their cause in general, food (within the expiration day), rice, snacks for children, new toys and stationery, new pajamas, new underwear and detergent are always urgently needed. You can contact them via telephone: 03-3368-8855 to organise your donation.

Sanyukai (山友会)

Sanyukai supports people experiencing homelessness in Tokyo’s San’ya area. Their biggest need is practical men’s clothing like T-shirts, jeans, jackets, socks and shoes. Durable and comfortable items work best since they’re handed out directly through outreach. Wash everything before donating, and avoid anything too worn-out. Warm coats and sturdy shoes are especially welcome in winter!

We recommend this one for men with clothes to donate or those with male friends/partners who are in good need of a closet cleanout. Contact them via telephone: 03-3874-1269 or email: info@sanyukai.or.jp to organise your donation.

Japan Relief Clothing Center (JRCC)

JRCC takes good-quality clothing for all ages and gets it to those in need, from disaster survivors in Japan to refugees overseas. Like the others, they don’t accept damaged or overly worn items, so keep donations clean, neat and wearable. Everyday pieces, lightweight items and seasonal outerwear are all useful.

Send a cardboard box or paperbag full of clothes to their warehouse in Kobe: Japan Relief Clothing Center, 22-2, Fukaehama Machi, Higashinada-Ku, Kobe, Hyogo 658-0023 (Tel: 078-441-2641)

You could also try testing your sewing skills by turning your old clothes into small items like pouches and masks.

How do you go about recycling your clothes in Tokyo? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking for a sport that demands great clothes, perfect shoes and just the right manicure? Rock climbing could be just the thing for you. Of course, the perfect shoes are ultra-snug rubber flats, and the right fingernails can best be achieved with heavy-duty nail clippers. There are plenty of cute climbing clothes, though—think yoga wear with a little attitude. Laced in and filed down? Great!

Tokyo has been enjoying an indoor climbing boom over the past few years, so there are plenty of places to try. Unlike many yoga studios, climbing gyms usually require a one-time sign-up fee but no annual membership. One-day passes cost between ¥1,500 and ¥2,100 (weekends tend to be more expensive), and there is always a discount for buying a multi-use pass. All places offer shoe rental, usually for about ¥300.

Here are a few of the places I like to climb—there are dozens more to discover throughout Tokyo.

B-Pump Tokyo (Akihabara)

Like its counterpart in Ogikubo and Yokohama, B-Pump in Akihabara has nice, fresh locker rooms and a few friendly amenities thrown in. With three floors of walls, there are difficulty levels for everyone. The third floor features neon-lit “space bouldering,” which is as fun as it is ridiculous. There are classes throughout the week for all levels for no additional charge. On Friday evenings, climbing champ Kyoro-sensei teaches a women-only “Ladies’ Dojo.”

This B-Pump also has an extensive shop, including pink, sequined chalk bags that any thick-lashed Shibuya gal would be proud to dangle off her hip, as well as all the serious gear you need.

Address: 1-1-8 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-6206-9189
Open: Mon-Fri 12-11 pm; Sat 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Miyashita Park

The climbing wall at Miyashita Park has the best view and the greatest climbing bargain in Tokyo. This outdoor park, part of a complex that also includes a skatepark and futsal court, is sponsored by Nike and costs only ¥500 to climb for two hours. There’s a bouldering wall and a taller top-rope wall that gives unique city views from the top. The downside? It’s very small, and they only let in eight people at a time. If you can make it on a weekday afternoon or morning, though, it’s an unusual chance to get in some outdoor climbing in the heart of the city.

Address: 6-20-10 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3498-6231
Open: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Peki-Peki

If you get to Miyashita and find a waiting list, or if you don’t fancy climbing in the heat (or the cold, or the rain), pop across Meiji-dori to Peki Peki. This place is definitely small compared to other gyms, but the walls it has offer a good workout. The staff is friendly, too, and there are often mini-campaigns where they give out free sports drinks or bananas or hard-boiled eggs. The gym has a third floor with a children’s wall (we won’t tell anyone if you practice there) and a lounge with vending machines, magazines, and a few tables and chairs inside and on a quiet balcony. The gym has a ladies’ day discount (only ¥1,500) on Mondays and it also offers a free walk-in introductory lesson every Tuesday from 7 p.m. for anyone’s first time.

Address: 6-19-14 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5778-0247
Hours: Mon-Fri 12-11 p.m.; Sat, Sun and hols 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

T-Wall (Edogawabashi and Kinshicho)

A little grittier than the B-Pumps, the T-Walls have one thing many other Tokyo bouldering gyms don’t: height. These cavernous gyms in Edogawabashi and Kinshicho have two- and three-story top-rope walls. In Japan, it seems top-roping is favored by older people and bouldering is for the kids. Personally, I feel safer top-roping, even though it’s (much) higher. All gyms will run a free class teaching you to use the belaying equipment and make sure you know what you’re doing before you hoist your partner 30 feet in the air. T-Wall has a vertiginous free-climbing wall, too, where you attach the rope to the wall as you ascend.

The changing rooms are no-frills but serviceable. Both sites have a basic selection of clothes, gear, and climbing books and DVDs for sale.

Edogawabashi

Address: 2-5-23 Suido, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5802-2273
Hours: Mon-Fri 1-10 p.m.; Sat, Sun and hols 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Kinshicho

Address: 2-10-12 Mouri, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-3634-0730
Hours: Mon-Fri 1-10 p.m.; Sat, Sun and hols 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Take it Outside

Many outdoor climbing and bouldering sites are within a two-hour train ride from Tokyo. Look for fellow riders lugging gigantic crash pads, and you’ll know you’re headed in the right direction. The website and app Everytrail has detailed information in English about the many climbing spots surrounding Tokyo. It features photos and in-depth descriptions of locations from climbers with personal updates on the conditions.

If you’re not ready to head out on your own, Adventure Seekers runs guided rock climbing trips throughout Japan and internationally as well.

Photos by , Peki-Peki, T-Wall, Jenny Silver and Alex Indigo.

This was only the beginning of the hospitality at the storied Imperial Hotel, which has discreetly hosted countless high-ranking officials and global celebrities in its 124-year history. The guest attendant badged us through the sliding glass door to our floor with a sweep of her kimono sleeve against a card reader, and we were shown to our room. She made a fresh pot of tea as we settled in and admired the nighttime view of the city below. She then explained in English the features of the room, including the bedside control panel for all the lighting, and the bathtub that filled with a touch of a button.

The decor is handsome, with brown leather accents and dark wood furniture. A large desk and comfy leather recliner look down on the mesmerizing stream of city traffic and the calm of the imperial grounds. (The view of the palace is oblique, however—when the hotel was built, new buildings in the area were not allowed to be oriented with a direct view of it.)

As soon as the attendant bowed and left, I pressed the button on the tub, washing up under the separate rainshower and then sinking into the deep, hot water. It was one of my last nights in Japan, and I knew the luxurious Japanese bathtub was one of the things I’d miss most about living here.

The hotel’s famous service highlights the delightful attention to detail that feels particularly Japanese. Turndown service includes not only a white mat laid out at each the side of the bed, but a hand-written note and a hand-folded origami sculpture placed on the pillow instead of a mint. The operator greets you by name when you call the front desk. And if you don’t sound convincingly alert when you answer your wakeup call, you are likely to get a call back in a few minutes making sure you made it out of bed.

If the guest attendants spot you heading outside in running gear (which the hotel will be happy to lend you if you haven’t brought your own), they will hand you a map and description of the popular five-kilometer jogging route that encircles the grounds of the Emperor’s palace. They also lend swimwear for the small but brightly skylit swimming pool. The pool is free for guests staying in rooms on the Imperial Floors, and costs a small surcharge for those in other rooms.

With prior arrangements, guests may experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony on the tatami mats of the Imperial’s own tea house. (The teahouse was closed while we were there, but we did enjoy a modernized green tea experience at Ippodo, within walking distance.)

The hotel has more than a dozen dining options, including Les Saisons, renowned for chef Thierry Voisin’s Michelin-starred cuisine, and Japanese options ranging from sushi to tempura. For our last weekend in town, however, we were glad the hotel was so close to the maze of little yakitori places under the tracks in Yurakucho that we wanted to get to one more time.

The Imperial Hotel is in its third incarnation. When it was built in 1890 to entertain visiting Europeans, it was the first Western-style hotel in Japan and the first to serve steak. It was rebuilt in 1923, in a rather flamboyant Mayan style created by Frank Lloyd Wright. His insistence on including a reflecting pool that could double as an emergency water supply was prescient—the great Kanto earthquake struck on the day of the re-opening ceremony. The hotel survived the quake with little damage and served as a shelter. The current building opened in 1970. After the Tohoku earthquake in  March 2011, it again welcomed hundreds of Tokyo workers stranded by stopped trains.

There are still traces of the Frank Lloyd Wright era throughout the building. Stepping into the Old Imperial Bar is like stepping back in time: the furnishings are all reproductions of Wright’s striking original 1923 art deco designs. There is a slab of the original rough oya stone wall mounted at one end of the room and a mural behind the bar. Spending a night in the Frank Lloyd Wright suite surrounded by furniture and fixtures he designed might be the ultimate immersive experience for serious fans of the architect. For a less extravagant taste of his work, the hotel gift shop has china in Wright’s original linear patterns.

The hotel is conveniently situated between the shopping and dining options of Ginza, the business corridor of Marunouchi and the beauty of the Imperial Palace grounds. It’s also convenient to Tokyo station and a handful of subway lines. Whether visiting Tokyo for the first time or bidding the city a fond farewell, the Imperial Hotel will make an impression that is memorable—and wonderfully Japanese.

The Deets

Address: 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-3504-1111

Access: Near Hibiya Station on the Hibiya, Chiyoda and Toei Mita Subway Lines

Rates: Starting from around ¥20,000 per person per night

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Musubi in Jingumae sells furoshiki in three standard sizes. The largest can be folded, twisted and knotted to make a roomy tote bag or even a child’s backpack. The smallest is perfect for making a nifty carrying sack for a water bottle. Sound complicated? Sit in on a weekend workshop and learn an array of wrapping techniques.

Most workshops are only ¥500, which can then be discounted from any same-day purchase in the shop. A typical class will start with the basic bento box wrap. This is a practical, daily-use way of wrapping and carrying a flat box. Instruction includes details about getting the knot to lie neatly and orienting the cloth to show off its design to the best advantage. Shift the knot to the corner and work some magic with the flaps, and you have a stunningly wrapped present.

With a few minor tweaks, the bento wrap can be turned vertically to carry books. You’ll learn how to make a simple tote bag and then how to turn it inside-out and adjust it to make a surprisingly stable cake carrier.

I attended a workshop recently with two friends. While the children there were busy using their poofy furoshiki bags as soccer balls, we learned to perfect the trick we were most interested in for the holiday season: wrapping wine bottles. We learned how to make a decorative and handy carrying pouch for a single bottle and the classic and elegant double bottle wrap. Bringing either one as a gift would make you the toast of your next holiday party.

If you’ve left your holiday shopping and wrapping til the last minute, Musubi has got you covered. The friendly staff will be happy to show you a few wrapping tricks on the spot whenever you stop by the shop.

The Deets

Address: 2-31-8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5414-5678

Open: Mon-Fri, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sat-Sun, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

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Ema teaches New American Kitchen cooking classes at the newly relocated Cook Coop Book near Yotsuya Station. The storefront is a specialty cookbook shop combined with a spacious professional cooking studio. The bookstore has a large selection of mouthwatering cookbooks in English and Japanese, perfect for browsing before class begins or grabbing to take home along with a cup of coffee after class.

The lunchtime classes are taught in English and Japanese, and Ema switches between the two languages smoothly and effortlessly. She lived in Napa in California for a few years, and now she wants to spread the joy of good, fresh California cooking to Japan. “Japanese people have an image of American food as being pizza, hot dogs and huge servings of meat,” she says. “I want to show them that new American food is about fresh vegetables and fruits, seasonal ingredients, and a combination of flavors and textures.”

Classes are available now as individual drop-in lessons (¥4,200, but due to increase to ¥6,500 from January), and there will also be economical packs of five starting in January. Each class starts with a brisk, thorough demonstration of the preparation of an appetizer, an entree, a side and a dessert, and then breaks into groups. Since each group works mainly on just one dish, it makes sense to take the series of classes if you’d like to be sure to try your hand at making each part of the meal.

When the food goes in the oven, the wine comes out. Ema is passionate about Napa wines, and she explains how the wine she’s chosen marries with the day’s food while everyone sips. She described the Honig Vineyard Winery Sauvignon Blanc that she chose to go with the chicken and savory mushroom bread pudding as a “perfect afternoon wine.”

Once everything is plated and served, more wine is poured, and the class sits down around a big table. Even if you weren’t hungry to start with, you will certainly be ready to dig into the meal by this time—but hold on for one more moment; Ema likes to give tips on making the food look even more appealing. In this case, that means waiting your turn to pour an artistic drizzle of olive oil over the golden chicken. Once it’s picture-perfect, all that patience pays off at last in a healthy, decadent lunch and friendly conversation.

Other classes include the 50-minute Quick Lunch class (¥1,500), taught in Japanese, and the Farmer Chef’s Kitchen (¥7,500)—a course that celebrates cooking with locally sourced, fresh vegetables. Bring an apron, a pen and, if you like, a camera. Cook Coop has separate food photography classes coming up, too, to maximize your friends’ Instagram envy.

The Deets

Address: 4-5 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-3264-3230

Open: Mon-Fri 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Sat, Sun & hols 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

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The facials and body treatments at the Club on The Park (COTP) have long been available only to hotel guests and club members. But with the Park Siesta packages, anyone can enjoy a leisurely day of pampering that includes a choice of three dining experiences.

I chose to combine an aromatherapy massage with afternoon tea at the Peak Lounge. (Jet-lagged, I was afraid I’d fall asleep midway between the cocktails that come with the evening New York Bar package, and I’m not enough of a morning person to properly enjoy the sumptuous Healthy Living breakfast package at Girandole.)

I was greeted by name in the serene, pale green 45th-floor lobby of the COTP and presented with a menu of music for the massage and herbal infusions for rehydrating afterward. I stashed my shoes in a cubby and got a quick tour of the refined space, with its soaring view of the city on all sides. I was left alone to enjoy the whirlpool, sauna and spacious relaxation room for an hour before my treatment.

If you’ve ever dreamed of stripping down and hopping into the tiled fountain in the middle of a Roman plaza, the giant whirlpool here is the next best thing. The private showers, some with rain showerheads and full body side jets, are stocked with shampoo and conditioner from Australia’s Aesop brand. There are three saunas, one with a cleansing eucalyptus aroma, and a cold plunge bath.

Soaked into a relaxed state, I slipped on the thick, white robe that was hanging in the locker and settled into a leather lounge chair with a glass of cold tea and some dried fruit. I barely had time to browse the art books and fashion magazines before my therapist, Ms. Sakamoto, came to get me for my massage. In the subdued lighting of the cozy treatment room, she explained the benefits of each of four Aesop aromatherapy oil blends. I chose restorative rosemary.  The natural water soundtrack I’d chosen burbled gently as I nestled face down on the white terrycloth-covered bed. Ms. Sakamoto then began undoing the damage that 20 hours of airplanes and departure gates had done earlier in the week. She started with hot towels pressed against the bottom of my feet (ahh), spent a long time working the oil into my back and limbs, and put me into a weightless trance with a scalp massage. The aroma blend was sweet and subtle. (My fears of smelling like a rotisserie chicken were entirely unfounded.)

She brought me back to my senses with a refreshing whiff of peppermint oil.

Some of the other treatments that can be included in the package—a facial, a Swedish massage, and a mineral stone massage—use Budapest’s Omorovicza line of spa products, some of which leave a powdered gold sheen on the skin.

She led me back to the relaxation room and soon brought the seasonal herbal tea I’d requested (more rosemary) in a glass pot that showed off the blend’s flowers and whole leaves.

After a little time to sip and readjust to gravity, I had another soak in the whirlpool and then got dressed and dabbed on more Aesop skin and hair products in front of a row of mirrors straight from a Hollywood dressing room.

I put my shoes back on and drifted down from Club on the Park to the stunning high atrium of the 41st floor Peak Lounge for tea time.

I ordered the Afternoon Tea set, which has three tiers of treats: a plate of savory sandwiches, two scones with sweet sauces and clotted cream, and three rich mini-desserts at the bottom. The Sweet Tea set has a selection of pastries all created for the Pastry Boutique bakery downstairs. But this is only the beginning. For as long as you’re there (as long as you like up until 5 p.m.), servers bring around trays with an unlimited supply of more sweet and savory morsels. The selection changes frequently. I enjoyed salmon mousse, split pea puree, skewers of fresh mozzarella and tomato, and breaded triangles of fried cheese. The dazzling sweets tray included a coupe of apple jelly and panna cotta as well as a selection of pound cakes, perfect for dipping in the berry compote or the mango chocolate sauce designated for the scones. You may also try as many different pots of loose tea as you’d like—work through a variety of blacks, greens and herbals. And though your English friends might blanch, you can even choose from the coffee menu.

With its combination of  impeccable service, amazing views and delicious luxury for all five senses, the Park Siesta is a wonderful re-entry into some of the best parts of Tokyo living—and a pretty decent cure for jet lag.

The Deets

Address: Park Hyatt Tokyo, 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5323-3434

Open: Daily, 6 a.m.-10 p.m. (treatments available 9 a.m.-9 p.m.)

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