1.Prologue
In part one of this series, I covered Ships, Beams, and United Arrows, Japan’s three major “select shops”.
In part two I’ll be going over a number of popular select shops that have locations in Shibuya and Harajuku.
With the current resurgence of ame-tora (American traditional style) and ame-kaji (American casual style) trends, these shops—each of which puts forth a distinct take on style–are ones to watch, perhaps more than ever.
2.Baycrew’s Group
The Shibuya and Harajuku neighborhoods are home to a multitude of select shops beyond the major three (Ships, Beams, United Arrows).
They run the gamut of size and scale, from bigger names with locations nationwide that are run by major corporations, to others that are essentially run by visionaries with an importing business.
Among them, Baycrew’s is a company to watch. It operates two famous select shops—Edifice and Journal Standard—along with a range of other businesses, from furniture and zakka sellers like Acme Furniture and Journal Standard Furniture, to dining establishments.
3.Edifice
Edifice is select shop that first opened its doors in Shibuya in 1994. It sells menswear with a French traditional/chic aesthetic. The styles are aimed at adults, but the prices are mercifully reasonable.
Perhaps the average French male is slimmer than I am, because most of the clothes here don’t quite fit my frame. Nevertheless, as the offerings range from dress for special occasions to daily casualwear, I’ll swing by at the turn of the season to get a glimpse at what trends are “in" for the coming months. You’ll get the sense that French men have the ability to dress up without coming off as stiff, and keep and casual while still giving off a refined air.
On September 14th, Edifice reopened its Shibuya store as & Edifice Shibuya, which is brings together three distinct brands under one roof: Edifice Tokyo, selling imported clothing, Paris Saint-Germain Store Tokyo, the soccer club’s first official Japanese outpost, and Pulp, dealing in domestic designer fashion brands.
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EDIFICE Shibuya
4.Journal Standard
Journal Standard has been selling ame-kaji centric fashions like western shirts, denim, and military style clothing since 1997.
The name comes from the idea of being a “journal”—a newspaper dealing with up-to-date news and trends—that also offers “standards”, that is, classics. You’ll find women’s and men’s casual basics with just the right touch of current trends. Compared to the more urban Edifice, Journal Standard has a more natural, rustic aesthetic.
The brand also has a separate line of clothing at a lower price point called Journal Standard Relume. Relume means “to rekindle”, perhaps a nod to the power a becoming wardrobe has to kick-start the wearer’s engines.
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JOURNAL STANDARD JINNAN STORE
5.ACME Furniture
This furniture store meticulously repairs and sells midcentury (meaning designed roughly between the 1940s and 60s) vintage furniture collected from the West Coast of the U.S.
The brand also sells series of original pieces inspired by American vintage furniture.
On the ground floor of the Shibuya store you’ll find zakka and plants, and on the second floor, furniture. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, brought to life with the nostalgic tone of vintage furniture, aged wood, broken-in leather, and weathered metal sporting chipped paint.
For the American like myself, the storage boxes proudly displaying the U-HAUL logo are a sight for sore eyes.
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ACME Furniture Shibuya Store
6.J.S. BURGERS CAFE
This gourmet burger chain offshoot of the Journal Standard brand serves up all-American atmosphere and food.
The burgers are all delicious, made with homemade, whole-grain buns and 100% beef patties, but I especially recommend the “J.S. Burger", topped with avocado and melted cheddar cheese, or the “Hickory Smoked Burger", topped with aged bacon and smoked cheese. Combos come with crispy fries that’ll have you hooked.
Also on the menu is a good selection of sandwiches and hotdogs. On weekdays lunch comes with salad bar and drink, perfect for a salad lover like myself.
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J.S. BURGERS CAFE Shinjuku
7.CITYSHOP
The term “American cuisine" usually evokes junk food—hamburgers, pizza and the like—but a growing up the staple of American cuisine I always loved was salad.
Cityshop serves up gourmet salads and deli foods, and has the sort of health-conscious vibe you’d expect to find at a deli L.A. or San Francisco. In other words, I feel weirdly comfortable here.
Choose one of two basic options: a custom salad and 2-deli plate, or a 5-deli plate (or order a la carte). Next, choose your deli foods from a regular selection of 10 to 15 dishes including chicken, risotto, and roasted vegetables. Finally, add a piece of gluten-free bread by request and order your drink. The fact that everything is heaped onto a single white plate only reinforces the American-style cafeteria feel.
Cityshop has another location inside of Shibuya Cast at the end of Cat Street, as well as a Cityshop Pizza concept inside of the Shibuya Stream complex.
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CITYSHOP Shibuya Cast Store
8.nano・universe
This select shop offering the latest and hippest takes on trends opened its doors in Shibuya in 1999.
The selection of clothes is centered on refined casual European style, collected chiefly from the U.K., France, and Italy. Dressing to impress is the aesthetic here, with menswear and womenswear as well as watches, wallets, and other accessories. The clientele is mostly university students and early twenty-somethings.
The word nano means “extremely small", and so it’s no surprise that entering the Nano Universe Tokyo Store in Jinnan is like walking into a small, self-contained fashion universe. There are plenty of collaboration products on offer, each with that distinct Nano Universe take on high fashion.
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nano・universe Tokyo Store
9.Urban Research
This select shop was founded in 1974 to research urban living, not only in Tokyo but around the world, and present simple, modern takes on casualwear and zakka (sundries).
The clientele is mostly in their late 20s or early 30s. Although the brand introduces elements of the latest trends into their selections, there’s no dressing to impress here—the style on display is relaxed. The products all offer good value for money, sure to make a trusty companion amid the hustle and bustle of urban life.
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URBAN RESEARCH Shinjuku Store
10.Freak’s Store
This select shop offers a distinct take on ame-kaji fashion. Fitting, as I’m assuming the name refers not just to a love of clothes, but to a certain sense of style.
That being said, you won’t find much of the hard, rough-around-the-edges kind of American casual style here. The offerings are straightforward enough to mix and match, just right for a university student or early twenty-something looking to take their first foray into ame-kaji. There are also plenty of items made in collaboration with other casualwear brands, all functional and made to last.
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FREAK'S STORE Shibuya Store
11.Epilogue
One street over from Shibuya’s Koen-dori (koen means park, and the street leads up to Yoyogi Park), along what is colloquially known as “Petit Koen-dori" and near Kitadani Park, lies a select shop neighborhood of sorts that BigBrother and I will visit on almost a weekly basis to stay up-to-date with the trends.
Specifically we always make sure to check out Beams, Pilgrim Surf+Supply, United Arrows, Beauty & Youth, Nano Universe, Ships, Journal Standard, Schott, The Backdrop, Dulton (furniture and sundries), Noce (also furniture and sundries), and Freak’s Store.
We’ll also make our way over to Mortar, Regal, and Clarks along Fire-dori.
Along the way, BigBrother makes sure to swing by the vintage guitar shop Nancy, pro audio store Rock On to check out newly arrived instruments and gear.
Inevitably, BigBrother brings up memories of the Charlie House’s ramen, as well as the zakka store Garakuta Boeki.
BigBrother says he’ll never forget the pakomen (spare rib ramen) served up at Charlie House, which operated near Kitadani Park until 2007.
And he cherishes his memories of Garakuta Boeki, which closed its Koen-dori location in 2008. (The Ueno location is still alive and well.) He loves to reminisce about the sound of the imported cassette tapes he’d obtain there, another unforgettable part of adolescence.
He talks about how in high school, he and a friend had custom-ordered baseball jackets made at The Backdrop—which back then was located along the so-called Yellow-dori. He gleefully recounts how the pair would wear those jackets and go on double dates to Charlie House and Garakuta Boeki.
