Tokyu Hands: The Unsung Hero of Tokyo
Many people flock to Tokyo for fashion brands and shops.
Iconic Japanese labels like Comme des Garçons & KAPITAL and overseas giants like Supreme & Palace attract droves of shoppers and make Tokyo a fashion mecca. Yet, for many people, the unsung hero is another store concept: no limited releases, no 'Fit-Pics', no hype.
We are talking about none other than the legendary "Tokyu Hands" aka 'The Best DIY Department Store of the world'.
Displaying its big bright green iconic logo, designed with a hand on either end, to symbolize its connection to creating "bring new life and culture through using our hands" [手を通じて新たな生活·文化を創造しよう], designed by Hamano Yasuhiro Tokyu Hands Brand Lifestyle Producer.
Why Tokyu Hands is so unique is not just the range of departments, but the incredible amount of product variety stretched over 9 floors [in Shibuya] with 3 different subfloor categories each. The flagship store is jammed with so many different products; it's next to impossible to find the exact thing someone might be looking for without the store floor guide and map offered at the entrance. You will find anything at Tokyu hands that roughly falls into the category of being useful, functional, practical, or just smart, handy and straightforward [and sometimes random].
From pens & markers, stationery goods, a million different notebooks, home improvement, cooking, cycling, a selection of lifestyle products, knitting & sewing, woodworking and a never-ending list of other products - Tokyu Hands is a brick-and-mortar shop that could simply be summed up as the good brother and physical existence of Amazon.
The story of Tokyu Hands began with their first store that opened in Shibuya, Tokyo, in 1976. It has served a wide range of people, from creatives, artists, Tokyo lovers, and everyone in between its 54 stores in Japan. Everyone from around the world who visits Japan that has been to a Tokyu Hands would agree; it's a highlighted place that must be visited!
So next time when you come to Tokyo, skip your shopping spree in Harajuku and get down with some real goods at Tokyu Hands.
