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May 24, 2019
“Happy Monkey Town”
This installment of The Best 7 focuses on a particular corner of an area that the Great Demon King has recently rediscovered. Where could this place be!? ...The answer is in the title.
Direction by SUKEZANE TomokiPhotographs by YAMAGUCHI KenichiStyling by KAWAI KohtaText by HATAKEYAMA SatokoGrooming by ODAIKYO
Vol. 44: Happy Monkey Town
Yusuke“Daikanyama is now a place where many people gather again, partly due to the opening of the Tsutaya bookstore a few years ago. I often come here for work-related searches and personal shopping, and it’s been my favorite neighborhood since I moved to Tokyo about 30 years ago.
Among my favorite spots is the area around the T-junction at Sarugaku-cho 19, 20, and 25. This corner has Journey, Maison Kitsuné, High! Standard, Stüssy, and Descente Blanc. I buy personal items at Journey and stock up on socks and T-shirts for shoots at High! Standard. Among the newer shops, Caban is also quite good. I’m particularly fond of their hoodies. And at the heart of this area is Okura, which disseminates Japanese style and attracts many foreigners. It’s remarkable how so many unique and appealing shops are packed into such a small space; I don’t think you’ll find anything like it elsewhere. I believe that corner possesses a certain mysterious power.
As a side note, my first visit to Daikanyama was when I was in my third year of high school. As I was leaving Hollywood Ranch Market, a cream-colored Rolls-Royce was parked on the street, and the actor Atsumi Kiyoshi was sitting in the back seat. When I murmured, 'Oh, it's Tora-san!', Mr. Atsumi, noticing me, gave me a friendly nod. That made my first impression of Daikanyama very positive! It remains my favorite town to this day.”
Blazer ¥39,000, Shirt ¥19,000 (Brooks Brothers), Pants ¥26,000 (Breeches), Tie ¥10,000 (Pocket Square Clothing / Journey 03-3461-8506) *Other items: model’s own
JOURNEY
Journey opened as a shop with a gallery space, preserving the Japanese house built during the Taisho era and rebuilt after World War II. It offers a selection of travel accessories and items curated from Japan and abroad...
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CABAN
Launched in 2018 as a new brand from Tomorrowland. It offers simple yet playful pieces that enhance the wearer's individuality, transcending gender, age, and nationality...
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MAISON KITSUNÉ
The third boutique in Japan, opened in 2016. Inspired by the former Hotel Okura Tokyo, its interior features a Japanese-modern aesthetic with extensive use of woodwork. In addition to the highly anticipated collaboration items each season...
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HIGH! STANDARD
Along with Hollywood Ranch Market on Kyu-Yamate Dori, this is a shop that visitors to Daikanyama invariably stop by. Since its opening in 1982, its red sign has been a landmark at the T-junction...
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STÜSSY
The brand was established in Southern California in 1980. As a pioneer of American real clothes based on surf and skate culture, it boasts enduring popularity. The Daikanyama store, opened in 2014...
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OKURA
With its solid, warehouse-like exterior, Okura's concept from its opening has been “a country village in the city.” It offers casual items, including those made with traditional Japanese indigo dyeing techniques...
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DESCENTE BLANC
A concept shop from the sports brand Descente, offering comfortable everyday wear with running apparel and basic lifestyle clothing. The shop features the Allterrain line primarily...
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【Spotlight】
BOMBAY BAZAR
Yusuke“Bombay Bazar, located in the basement down the stairs next to Okura, opened in the same year as Okura, 1993. I realized it had been a while since I last had their curry, so I ordered the chicken curry, a long-time favorite...
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