Ahead of my 2025 Japan blog posts (yes, I went to Japan last year haha!), I would like to share a little snippet about that time I bought myself a Polène bag in Japan.
Instead of just doing a story-time type of blog post, I'll be answering some questions I was asked by some people (by some, meaning 3 people who were just polite enough to indulge me to yap about my purchase) to give an informative twist to this post.
So, let's start!
1. Where is Polène in Japan?
- In 2025 it was only available in Tokyo, particularly in Omotesando, however upon checking they have branched out to other locations inside department stores such as Hankyu Umeda in Osaka, and another branch in Tokyo particularly in Ginza Six.
2. Do I need to have a reservation to be able to shop?
- Nope, but do expect there may be a long line especially when you go to their Omotesando branch. However, when we went there (on a Monday at 4pm) there were no lines. I guess we were just lucky.
3. How do I go to their Omotesando Branch?
- Let's say your starting point is Shibuya Crossing, all you need to do is walk to Shibuya Station, take the Hanzomon Line going to Omote-Sando Station. Then after taking the train, it's only one stop by the way, you have to walk 450m to reach the store.
For reference, you can just Google Map their address here:
4. Do they carry all the designs in their Omotesando branch?
- At the time, I think they do have most of the popular designs such as the Cyme (the tote one) and Dix (the small shoulder bag one), those designs also come in interesting colors and materials. However, considering how many shoppers frequent their store, there's a chance that neutral colors of their popular designs might go out of stock faster.
Aside from bags, they also have smaller leather goods, like wallets and pouches, and jewelry. When we visited, the leather goods were at the 2nd floor, but since they seem to re-arrange the store from time to time, they may have move this in some other parts of the store.
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| Pretty much like a catalogue |
Since there were no lines when we visited, we were immediately let inside the store. But once we got in, there was quite a crowd inside, each person checking out different bags and trying them on. My husband's niece had her eyes on the Numero Dix, but before I look for that bag, I decided to mill around and check out the different designs.
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| This Neuf is so pretty! I just have some qualms about its opening though. |
5. How was the staff, were they snobby?
- Nope! They were very friendly, and at the same time I appreciate how they let people check out the merchandise without constantly breathing at the back of your neck. Also, I really appreciate that when it was time for me to ask for assistance, a sales associate immediately assisted me.
Shoutout to Asami! She's half-Filipina so it was so easy for me to ask questions since I don't need to do it in English, LOL!
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| The one that started it all, Numero Un! |
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| It looks so elegant! |
During our visit, the Numero Un designs were placed at the 2nd floor along with other materials of the Cyme (they have it in Canvas!) At that time, I just wanted to take a peek and see how the Numero Un looks like in the flesh ... and eventually on me hahaha!
6. Were there seats in the store?
- Yes! I was able to leave my husband sitting in one of the soft chairs at the ground floor while I check out some bags at the 2nd floor hahaha!
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| Here he is, letting me do my shopping in peace. |
But my main consideration in whatever design of bag I'll be getting boils down to: Will it fit my iPad Pro? Surprise, both does! 😜
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| The Numero Dix with a twist! |
7. Can you fit a lot of stuff inside the Numero Dix?
- To be honest, I don't think so. I mean, I think it could fit a phone (not sure if an iPhone Pro Max would), a slim wallet, mints, and lipsticks, pretty much your standard necessities. But if you're like me who's a neurotic mess who needs to bring 2 different types of inhalers, a separate coin purse, and a gigantic powerbank, the Numero Dix might not be the best choice of bag. But if you can live your best life without so much baggage, this is a pretty bag to have.
It looks so well-crafted as well!
8. How much is the Cyme?
- First of all, there are 2 sizes: The standard and the Mini. For reference, you can check out their website here for accurate pricing: POLENE WEBSITE However, if you're curious how much it was in Sept. 2025, I believe it was around Php 33,000.00+ then you get tax refund, so around Php 29,000.00+
And with that...
9. Do they have a preferred mode of payment?
- If you're worried that you don't have enough Japanese yen on-hand, you can pay with a credit or debit card! I am not sure if Alipay, Apple Pay, or GCash would work here, but I would recommend having a trusty credit card would work.
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| The bag I was tasked to buy |
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| The only pain I tolerate hahaha! |
10. So, what bag did you end up buying?
- I got the Numero Un! I equally love both Numero Un and the Cyme, however there were some things I noticed about Cyme that made me feel kinda iffy:
1. STRAPS - for some reason, it feels tacky, I'm not confident that it will be strong enough to hold the totality of the bag (even if there's 2 straps hehe) and I'm worried that it will end up digging on my shoulders when I use it. If ever I bought the Cyme, I am positively sure I will get the Normal size, which unfortunately can't be used as a cross-body bag.
2. BOTTOM SHAPE - Unlike the usual tote bags with more uniform upper and bottom shape, the Cyme looks like a boat. In theory it can hold a lot, but considering the shape it feels like items will end up piling on top of each other instead of them all uniformly scattered at the bottom. Why does this matter? I think there's a big chance things will fall out of my bag hahaha!
3. WIDE OPENING - I mean, duh it's a tote so it has a wide opening hahaha! While this makes it the perfect vessel for bringing my laptop or iPad, I just felt that this might not be the most secured bag to use when commuting
Just to add, 11 months in, and I'm still in love with my Numero Un bag 💓
And finally...
10. Can I get a tax refund?
- Certainly! They also process the tax refund right after you pay for it, so you don't need to bring it to some counter at the airport to get the tax refund money. HOWEVER, if you pay via card, the tax refund will be paid back to your card around 2-3 days after your purchase.
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| I was so excited I even used it as my carry-on bag on our flight back home lol! |
And that's it! I think I pretty much covered some questions that people asked, might ask, and I imagined them to ask me about buying a Polène bag in Japan.
Would I buy another one, considering I used the title "buying my FIRST Polène" so assuming there will be a second or third, it depends on whether I have fully ROI-ed my current one-which I will probably write an "a 1 year after review of" next month ✌
Lastly, before I go and say love always, I just want to share how grateful I am that now I am able to explore places, experience things, and buy items my 17-year-old self could only dream of. When I started this blog, most of the things I would write about are school stuff, dreams, and even things I wish to have someday. I might not have already achieved all of them, but it's nice to be reminded of how far I've come 😌
Anyway, may all of our heart's desires, big or small, come true!
Love always,
Nicole
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