Kuramae, just south of tourist-heavy Asakusa, is a relaxed, slightly under-the-radar downtown district with a rich history of leatherworking and other crafts. The last few years have seen a new generation of designers, makers, and independent stores spring up here, continuing Kuramae’s artisanal tradition while reinventing the neighbourhood as a hub of understated cool. Here, we guide you to four of Kuramae’s very best spots for design-conscious shopping.
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01
Koncent
![Koncent]()
Koncent
Koncent is a shop opened by a local firm, H Company, that provides design consultancy to a number of forward-thinking Japanese manufacturers. This industrial design background is reflected in many of the innovative products arrayed here, while, at the same time, a great sense of playfulness is evident in an eclectic range of household goods and novelties sourced from all over the country.
Step through the stark black facade on Edo-dori street and you’ll find an expansive, airy space offering everything from minimalist umbrella stands to miniature kites. Best sellers include Michi-Kusa’s tiny glass vases.
The store also incorporates a coffee counter, run by the local Sol’s Coffee Roastery, that offers hand-picked original beans prepared as Hario-method pour overs, espressos, and lattes. Grab a drink and then leisurely sip it up on the interior balcony that runs around this lofty space’s upper reaches.![Koncent]()
Koncent
- KONCENT(コンセント) 蔵前本店
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- 東京都台東区蔵前2-4-5 1F
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- 03-3862-6018
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02
NEWOLDSTOCK by Otogi Designs
![NEWOLDSTOCK by Otogi Designs]()
NEWOLDSTOCK by Otogi Designs
Further along Edo-dori, on the third floor of an anonymous-looking old building, is another must-see store opened by a local design company. Otogi Designs opened this tiny, packed-to-the-rafters shop to showcase an aesthetic in which innovative modern design happily coexists with timeless, artisan-made products and story-imbued vintage pieces.
![NEWOLDSTOCK by Otogi Designs]()
NEWOLDSTOCK by Otogi Designs
Items crammed into the artily weathered space range from costume jewelry to vintage musical instruments – from handmade greeting cards to tableware. Particularly worth checking out is the Irobaki range of colorful soft shoes for women, created by Otogi Designs themselves.
Nui. Hostel & Bar Lounge
2-14-13 Kuramae Taito-ku Tokyo
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03
REN
![REN]()
REN
REN is a small, independent local bag maker that combines original leather treatments with women’s and genderless designs, which are very subtly influenced by the Japan of old. Distinctive leather finishes, given such enigmatic names as Still and Crack, are available in a wide range of generally quite muted hues. Whether in the form of a tote bag, backpack, clutch, or weekend bag, all are soft yet highly durable, with certain leathers being water-resistant.
The brand’s Fukuro collection, consisting of leather bags based on the silhouettes of disposable paper bags used back in the Showa period, is anything but throwaway. As is almost de rigueur in Kuramae boutiques, everything here is artisan-made in Japan. -
04
Sunny Cloudy Rainy
![Sunny Cloudy Rainy]()
Sunny Cloudy Rainy
Sunny Cloudy Rainy is a select shop (the Japanese term for a multi-brand boutique) for women, with the air of a French countryside atelier. Still-young owner and buyer Kana Akiyama enthuses that she dreamed of opening this kind of shop since high school days, and, here, she brings together rustic yet softly feminine clothing from a roster of mostly Japanese labels. Complementing the clothing is a selection of elegant costume jewelry, along with leather goods and homewares. Look out for Tokyo brand irose’s clever, origami-inspired wallets, and smock-like shirts from Magi-Big.
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