Our Japanese Design Directory

1. POJ Studio

(Online & Kyoto, Japan)

Founded in 2020 in Kyoto, ("the cultural heart of Japan"), POJ Studio is a team of experts in traditional Japanese craftsmanship who have come together to promote and celebrate the work of Japanese artisans via its online store and studio. One of its most popular products is its Kintsugi Kits. Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken ceramics by piecing together the broken fragments with urushi lacquer and dusting with powdered gold. As well as kits, POJ Studio in Kyoto also offers Kintsugi and brush-making workshops, making for perfect experience gifts.

pojstudio.com

2. Wagumi

(London, UK)

Opening in 2011 and located in London's famous OXO Tower, Wagumi is a wonderful place to find and experience authentic Japanese craft and design. Stocking the work of regional producers, individual artists and design collaborations, it offers everything from homewares, and Kasama pottery, to wellington boots from the Wild Bird Society of Japan. Worldwide shipping options available.

wagumi-j.com

3. CIBI

(Melbourne, Australia)

Translating as 'a little one' in Japanese, CIBI is a cafe/restaurant and design store conceived by couple Meg and Zenta Tanaka as an expression of their way of living and a blend of their experiences, both Australian and Japanese, in food, wine, design and architecture. Drawing on three key Japanese elements required for enjoying one's personal environment and bringing happiness to daily life: the Head, the Hands and the Heart, CIBI's products are designed to appeal to all three, aiming to enrich the lives of their customers, friends and family. Products include exquisite Hakusan porcelain, Shotoku glassware and Akari lighting alongside kitchen goods, tableware, stationary, gifts, and Japanese pantry goods. It's also an excellent spot for breakfast, lunch or coffee.

cibi.com.au

4. Redcast Heritage Co.

(Madrid, Spain)

Eduardo Sánchez and Isabel Moreno founded Redcast Heritage Co. in 2018, a multi-brand menswear digital store and showroom inspired by Japanese denim and vintage workwear. The couple began to immerse themselves in Japanese culture and design in 2008 and have spent many years travelling around the country. During their travels they met many artisans and small brands dedicated to offering the best textile quality whilst using artisanal techniques to produce high-quality garments and accessories. Now, six years later, their digital store stocks a wide range of Japanese clothing brands including: The Flat Head, Sugar Cane and Whitesville, and have developed a strong customer base across the world. Their showroom, based in Madrid, is also open to customers upon appointment.

redcastheritage.com

5. Junkudo

(Paris, France)

Junkudo or Junku is France's oldest and largest Japanese bookshop. While located in the heart of Paris, it has the feel of a typical bookshop in Tokyo's Jimbocho district. Here you'll discover a wide range of Japanese magazines like Vogue Japan or Popeye, Japanese literature and Manga in both French and Japanese. Alongside magazines, books and Manga, they also stock a range of Japanese stationery.

junku.fr

6. Rikumo

(Philadelphia, PA, USA)

Founder Yuka Morihata envisioned Rikumo as a "door to the world of Japanese design" that brings the work of artisans and craftsmen from their workshops into the homes of design-curious people everywhere. Since its beginning in 2009, this concept store has continued to support and share the unique artistry of traditional Japanese design, with collections including: artisanal jewellery, incense and aromas, natural skincare, and tea and teaware. The shopping experience at Rikumo is a special one, where knowledgeable staff serve tea samples, guide customers and answer their questions, in the true spirit of omotenashi – the art of Japanese hospitality.

rikumo.com

7. Tokyobike

(Tokyo, London, Berlin, Bangkok)

"Designed to explore the places we love and call home," Tokyobike was founded in the quiet neighbourhood of Yanaka in 2002. Its design philosophy sees the humble bike as more than just a mode of transportation, but as a tool for contemplation, emphasising comfort over speed; a concept they call: Tokyo Slow. Now with several stores around the world, including Mexico City and Melbourne, Tokyobike is the perfect way to discover your city and enjoy the ride, not just the final destination.

tokyobike.com

8. Topdrawer

(Multiple locations, USA)

Topdrawer's history traces back over a century to Tokyo's Ginza district. In the early 1900s, the founder of Topdrawer's parent company Itoya, embarked on a global expedition from Ginza and returned with a range of Western stationery products – that were novel to Japan at the time – to introduce to Itoya's range. Many years later, the company expanded to the US, with the first Topdrawer store opening in San Francisco in 2012. While the retailer stocks carefully curated products for "creative professionals" suited to a "nomadic lifestyle" from over the world, its range includes stylish Japanese made pieces such as bento boxes, stationary, watercolour sets and beautiful handkerchiefs.

topdrawershop.com

9. Kinokuniya

(Worldwide)

With its first bookshop opening in 1927 in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, today Kinokuniya is Japan's largest bookstore chain with 80 stores worldwide, including Sydney, San Francisco and Singapore. The Kinokuniya Sydney bookstore offers the city's largest range of books with more than 30,000 titles in a variety of languages, including: English, Japanese, Chinese, French and German. Also stocking a wide range of Manga and offering a Japanese magazine subscription service, Kinokuniya is the perfect place to explore Japanese literature and magazines further. With the bookstore's headquarters still in the Shinjuku district, it offers a wide range of books and magazines over nine stories and two underground levels.

kinokuniya.com.au

10. Gaijin Paris

(Paris, France)

Gaijin Paris is a Japanese vintage and second-hand store opened by two childhood friends Thomas Robert and Chahine Bettat in 2020. Located in the heart of the Marais, the store exclusively stocks pieces from Japanese designers. It was after their first visit to Japan in 2015 where they discovered many second-hand shops selling pieces from Japanese, European and American designers, that an idea came to the pair. They wanted to create their own space where they could sell Japanese vintage garments from a range of designers, from both big design names and lesser-known designers. The name Gaijin (meaning foreigner) embodies the pair's unique experience on their travels to Japan and their discoveries. Now offering a collection of unique and high-quality pieces sourced from Japan and through collectors and sales platforms across Europe, Gaijin is a boutique driven by a passion for sharing a love of Japanese culture and fashion in a sustainable way. Among their curated selection of brands some include: Issey Miyake, Tsumori Chisato and Yohji Yamamoto.

gaijinparis.com

11. Muji

(Worldwide)

This iconic Japanese retailer was founded in 1980 and has more than 1000 stores worldwide. Since its inception, MUJI has been driven by its desire to simplify processes, packaging and products. The ubiquitous beige of its labelling and packaging, for instance, resulted from omitting the bleaching process for pulp in its production processes. Its products – that now number more than 7,000 and range from clothing and household goods to food, furniture and even houses – have always remained unbranded as a contrast to the often "over-embellished products in the marketplace".

MUJI.com

12. ZAKKAsine

(Malmö, Sweden)

Translating to "miscellaneous goods", ZAKKA or ZAKKAsine has both a physical store in Malmö, Sweden and an online store that ships worldwide. Partnering with skilled Japanese artisans to offer products and brands ranging from fashion to furniture and from glassware to vintage Kokeshi dolls, all their items are carefully selected and combine good design, style and quality craftsmanship. ZAKKAsine was founded in 2017 by Sine, a Swedish native, who continues to combine her unique blend of Scandinavian and Japanese influences, along with her background in graphic design, to create a distinct and fun aesthetic.

zakkasine.com

13. Shin & Furoshiki stores, Japan House

(São Paulo, Brazil)

Brazil is home to one of the world's largest communities of Japanese descendants outside of Japan. Japan House in São Paulo, where the Shin & Furoshiki stores are located, was opened in 2017 by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of strengthening its ties with the large community of Japanese Brazilians. On the ground floor, Shin is a space where one can explore and learn about the different regions of Japan and explore an array of homeware products, art and the Japanese rice-based alcoholic drink Sake. On the first floor, the Furoshiki store is a gift store specialising in the use and technique of furoshiki, a traditional Japanese method of folding and wrapping fabric to package and transport things. Customers can learn furoshiki in-store and enjoy bags made using this traditional technique, perfect for everyday use.

japanhousesp.com.br

14. Píck Store

(London, UK)

Pick Store is a London-based Japanese lifestyle store launched by siblings Dan and Alliysa Pickles, combining homeware, apparel and accessories with their personal vision of Japanese culture and fashion. With backgrounds in the creative and retail industry, and a shared interest in concept stores, Dan and Alliysa place lifestyle and experience at the core of their brand, along with the high-quality of their selected brands and products. Some of the brands found in-store include: IKIJI, NANGA and Amabro's colourful, handmade homeware.

pick-store.com

15. DC4

(Berlin, Germany)

Daniel Cizmek's "denim addiction" spurred him on to embark on the journey of founding and owning a premium denim store in 2004, specialising in men's Japanese clothing brands. Cizmek was introduced to denim at a young age by his father, and over time his interest for the material grew into a real passion and his own business idea. Each customer who purchases jeans from DC4 has the opportunity to customise and personalise their leather patches, and has access to in-store chain stitching, repair and embroidery services. All making for a very personal and premium experience, and expressing Cizmek's true love for denim.

dc4.de