The main shopping areas in Nagoya are in Sakae, the busiest and most popular part of the city, and near Nagoya Station. There is no shortage of shops selling international high street fashion and designer brands in these parts of town, but neither is it difficult to find shops that concentrate on local crafts and souvenirs (for instance tied-dyed textiles or pottery).

A massive Takashimaya department store is located above Nagoya Station. The Loft department store in Sakae's Nadya Park is also popular among serious shoppers. For street-level shopping with a stronger local link the area around the Osu Kannon temple offers a nice atmosphere and several small clothes and crafts shops and cafes.

Nagoya and the surrounding region is one of Japan's centres for production of fine porcelain, ceramics, lacquer-ware and tie-dyed fabrics, and there are many outlets for these products. Arimatsu, 12km (7.5 miles) south east of downtown Nagoya, is an old centre for the production of tie-dyed fabrics and clothes, and it is possible to get hold of some wonderful items there.