How to Shop at LOFT in Japan | Tax-Free Conditions and Procedure, Hours of Stores in Shibuya, Ginza, Umeda and More, Cosmetics and Stationery Sections, Payment Methods

Overview

LOFT is a Japanese chain of lifestyle goods stores that sells stationery, cosmetics, beauty and health goods, kitchenware, bags, seasonal goods, and more. According to LOFT's company profile, in Japan there are 158 stores run by the LOFT company itself and 27 franchise stores (as of the end of May 2026). This article is a guide to shopping at LOFT stores in Japan. It is based on LOFT's official information (checked on October 18 and November 4, 2026).

• Only some LOFT stores offer tax-free shopping. When you buy tax-free, tell the staff at the register before you pay, and show your passport.
• From November 1, 2026, you pay the price including consumption tax at the register even when you buy tax-free. After customs checks your purchases when you leave Japan, the consumption tax amount minus the refund fee and other charges is refunded. LOFT's information does not state the fee rate or how you receive the refund (checked on November 4, 2026).
• LOFT's online store (LOFT NETSTORE) does not ship items outside Japan.

The image shows the entrance of a LOFT store inside a shopping center. In the store we photographed, there were sections for stationery, cards, and 2027 calendars near the entrance in October 2026. The look of the sections and the items on display differ from store to store.

Conditions

Buying Tax-Free

According to LOFT's tax-free information (checked on November 4, 2026), the conditions for buying tax-free are as follows.

• You can buy tax-free at some LOFT stores. All the stores in the table under “Stores Travelers Often Visit” in this article offer the tax-free procedure. For other stores, check the “List of Tax-Free Stores” on LOFT's official website. This list shows information as of May 2026.
• Even at a store that is not on the list, you may be able to complete the tax-free procedure at the tax-free counter of the building the store is in (such as a shopping center). Ask the store staff.
• Only the person who bought the items can complete the tax-free procedure. No one else can do it on their behalf.
• Eligible people are foreign nationals who do not live in Japan and for whom less than 6 months have passed since they entered Japan. Japanese citizens who live outside Japan and for whom less than 6 months have passed since they returned to Japan are also eligible. In this case, also show your visa or ID card for the country you live in, together with your passport (LOFT's information).
• LOFT's tax-free information does not say how much you must spend to buy tax-free. Under the national system, you can buy tax-free when the total you buy at the same store in one day is ¥5,000 (tax excluded) or more (Japan Tourism Agency information).

Tax-Free Procedure Steps

1. Before you pay, tell the staff at the register that you want to buy tax-free.
2. Show your passport at the register and pay the price including consumption tax.
3. Register how you will receive the refund yourself (LOFT's information).
4. When you leave Japan, have customs check your purchases at the airport or seaport. After the check, the consumption tax amount minus the refund fee and, where it applies, the international transfer fee is refunded.

LOFT's information does not state the fee rate, the refund methods you can choose from (to a card, a bank account or another method), or when the refund is paid. Check with the staff when you buy. Tax-free procedure hours differ by store, and at many stores they end earlier than closing time. Check the table under “Stores Travelers Often Visit” in this article.

The System from November 1, 2026

Japan's tax-free system changed on November 1, 2026 (Japan Tourism Agency information). To receive the refund, you must leave Japan within 90 days of the purchase date and have customs check your purchases at that time. The procedure when leaving Japan is explained in Tax-Free Shopping in Japan | The Refund Method from November 2026 and What to Do When You Leave Japan.

Highlights

Sections and What You Can Buy

According to LOFT's information, the product selection differs depending on the size and region of the store. The store we photographed was divided into sections such as “Stationery,” “Cosmetic Goods,” “Variety Goods,” “Health Goods,” “LOFT Market,” and others. The section name boards were written in Japanese and English (STATIONERY, COSMETICS / GOODS, VARIETY GOODS, HEALTH CARE GOODS, LOFT MARKET). The pillars that mark the sections had large letters such as A, B, and C written on them.

Cosmetics

In the store we photographed, a large part of the store was taken up by cosmetics shelves, with many Japanese and Korean cosmetics brands.

LOFT holds a cosmetics event called “COSME FESTIVAL” several times a year. According to LOFT's information checked on October 18, 2026, an edition focusing on Korean cosmetics is being held from October 10 to November 13, 2026, at all LOFT stores in Japan and on LOFT NETSTORE. This edition is called “LOFT KOSME FESTIVAL 2026AW,” using the K of Korea.

In the store we photographed, there were shelves of skincare cosmetics under the “Cosmetic Goods” pillar.

Stationery and Lifestyle Goods

In the store we photographed, beyond the shelves of hair care and body care products were the “Variety Goods” section and a section for kitchenware and cleaning supplies. Near the entrance were sections for stationery, cards, and calendars.

Anime and Game Merchandise

Large stores sometimes open limited-time sections (pop-up stores) featuring anime and game merchandise. When we checked on October 18, 2026, the SHIBUYA LOFT store page announced limited-time sections for “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Frieren: Beyond Journey's End,” and a “DRAGON QUEST” merchandise event. At some of these limited-time sections, there may be set rules for how to enter the section on busy days. Check that store's page before you go.

Where to buy

Stores Travelers Often Visit

All the stores in the following table are on LOFT's “List of Tax-Free Stores” (as of May 2026). Business hours and tax-free procedure hours are based on each store's page (checked on October 18, 2026).

The floor numbers in the table are the same as the building's signs (the ground floor is 1F). The GINZA LOFT store page does not say which hours apply when a Sunday is a holiday.

• SHIBUYA LOFT is in the LOFT building of Seibu Shibuya. It was announced that Seibu Shibuya would close at the end of September 2026, but LOFT has announced that SHIBUYA LOFT will stay open from October 2026 onward (LOFT's announcement of March 25, 2026).
• In addition, there are LOFT stores that offer the tax-free procedure in Ikebukuro (Tokyo), Yokohama, Sakae (Nagoya), Tenjin (Fukuoka), Sapporo, and elsewhere. Among the stores in Osaka, besides UMEDA LOFT, LUCUA OSAKA LOFT and ABENO LOFT are on the list. NAMBA LOFT is not on the list.
• Business hours and tax-free procedure hours may change. Before you go, check the store's page on LOFT's official website. The store pages are in Japanese.

Checkout and store

Payment Methods

According to LOFT's information, besides credit cards, you can use payment methods such as the following. The payment methods you can use differ by store, so check the store's page or ask at the register.

• Transportation IC cards (Suica, PASMO, ICOCA, and others)
• UnionPay cards
• QR code payments with Alipay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay
• Japanese e-money, and Japanese QR code payments such as PayPay

Wrapping, Returns, and Shipping

• Items bought at LOFT can be wrapped in a LOFT gift bag or wrapping paper. You pay for the wrapping materials. Ask at the register when you pay (LOFT's information).
• As a rule, returns and exchanges are accepted only for unused, unopened items. Take the item and the receipt to the store where you bought it. Some items, such as items that touch the skin directly, can be neither returned nor exchanged (LOFT's return policy).
• LOFT's information does not say whether items bought tax-free can be returned or exchanged.
• You can have items you bought in a store shipped from that store (not available at some stores). Shipping costs extra (LOFT's information). LOFT's information does not say whether stores can ship items outside Japan.

Online Store and Stock

• LOFT NETSTORE ships items only within Japan. It cannot ship outside Japan (LOFT NETSTORE User Guide).
• In the LOFT app, you can look up which stores have a particular item in stock. However, some items are not in the app, and what the app shows may differ from the actual stock. For accurate stock information, call the store (LOFT's information).

Good to know

Things to Keep in Mind

• LOFT asks that people not take videos inside its stores without permission. When taking photos, LOFT asks that you keep other customers and staff out of the picture. It also asks that you not post photos showing other customers or staff on social media without their consent. If the building the store is in has its own photography rules, follow those rules as well (LOFT's information).
• HANDS (formerly Tokyu Hands) is a lifestyle goods store similar to LOFT. HANDS Shinjuku is explained in How to Use HANDS Shinjuku (formerly Tokyu Hands) | Hours, Floor Guide, the 5F Tax-Free Counter, Pokémon, Ghibli and Gundam Goods, Teapots, Kitchen Knives, Stationery and Tools.
• Japan's 100-yen shops are explained in How to Use 100-Yen Shops in Japan | Reading Prices at DAISO, Can Do and Seria, What They Sell, Payment and Returns.
• The illustrations of LOFT stores in this article are AI-generated images, not photos. Because LOFT asks that photos and videos taken inside its stores not be used commercially without permission, we show them instead of photos taken inside the stores. The details differ from the actual stores.