FASHION /
WOMEN
May 23, 2016
Japan's Treasures Gathered! "BEAMS JAPAN" New Opening | BEAMS
BEAMS
Japan's Treasures Gathered! "BEAMS JAPAN" New Opening
BEAMS, the select shop, has launched "TEAM JAPAN," a project curating and proposing content with Japan as its theme. BEAMS JAPAN has newly opened in Shinjuku, and from this base, it will disseminate Japan's diverse charms both domestically and internationally. With writer and scriptwriter Kundo Koyama serving as general advisor, and with themes set for each floor from the basement to the fifth floor, we deliver the full scope of BEAMS JAPAN, including valuable comments from Hiroshi Shitara, President of BEAMS, who is enthusiastic about this new initiative.
Photographs by TANAKA TsutomuText by YOSHIOKA Mina
"Appare! Nippon" is the motto for sharing Japan with the world
The first-floor entrance, the face of the shop, welcomes visitors with "Japan's finest products." From "kendama" made in workshops in Yamagata Prefecture and "maneki-neko" from a pottery village in Aichi Prefecture, to the "mandarin orange juice" that Ehime Prefecture boasts, a wide array of traditional crafts, daily necessities, and food items from across the country are on display. Adjacent to this is an event space showcasing Japanese creation, and a coffee stand from "Sarutahiko Coffee," a specialty coffee roaster.
Among the notable items is a T-shirt in collaboration with illustrator Yu Nagaba. Responding to the request for "Shinjuku's skyscrapers and Mt. Fuji," Nagaba added a character wearing a Kabuki kumadori (face paint) to complete the design. It's poised to become a new signature souvenir for Shinjuku, a district with many foreign visitors.
The facade is adorned with 63 lanterns crafted by Akimura Taiheido of Osaka. The lanterns feature logos iconizing the 47 prefectures and Shinjuku, the birthplace of BEAMS.
At the back of the floor, wooden plaques bearing the names of "TEAM JAPAN" members are displayed.
The second floor, themed "Clothing," showcases Japanese brands selected by BEAMS. It's becoming a buzzworthy floor for apparel that reflects Japanese and contemporary sensibilities. Central to this floor are the shop-in-shops for "Loopwheeler," which offers comfortable sweatshirts made with skilled craftsmanship and classic loopwheel knitting machines, and "Tailor Toyo," renowned for its enduringly popular souvenir jackets (sukajan). Other esteemed Japanese brands like "RED CARD," "HUMAN MADE," and "UNUSED" are also available.
"Loopwheeler" and "Tailor Toyo" also offer BEAMS collaboration items.
It is said that Japanese brands will be rotated frequently.
The theme for the third floor is "Collaboration." Here, special order items exclusively commissioned by BEAMS from domestic and international brands are gathered. Also not to be missed are the sneaker corner, featuring special collaborations like the triple collaboration between "ASICS Tiger" and "mita sneakers," and the new line corner of "B JIRUSHI YOSHIDA." With a lineup ranging from men's and women's apparel to miscellaneous goods, it's a collection befitting BEAMS, a pioneer in collaborations that has produced numerous hit products.
In the back left is the "B JIRUSHI YOSHIDA" corner. The new line "NIPPON STANDARD," exclusive to BEAMS JAPAN, is a must-see.
With bonsai displays and noren curtains partitioning the spaces, the interior design also incorporates Japanese elements.
The fourth floor, themed "Ambiance," offers a selection from "Tokyo Cultuart by BEAMS," covering everything from pop culture to fine art. The space, imbued with the energy of the streets and the chaos of subculture, truly represents the present moment of Tokyo's Shinjuku. Within the kitschy and fun interior designed by the creative group "GELCHOP," you'll find products by Japanese artists, as well as ZINEs and little presses by popular authors. Vintage boomboxes and unique works by woodcraft artists add to the excitement, making it a joy just to look around.
A Kei truck, a uniquely Japanese vehicle, appears inside the store.
Vintage boomboxes from "Design Underground," headed by appliance collector Junichi Matsuzaki.
The fifth floor, themed "Craftsmanship," showcases Japanese art and crafts. The "B Gallery" presents various exhibitions reflecting contemporary Japan or focusing on Japanese themes. Currently, it hosts an exhibition by Kenichi Asai, former member of Blankey Jet City, displaying and selling numerous original artworks, including new pieces. Meanwhile, "Fenica Studio" focuses on Japanese handcrafts, featuring precious items such as Kokeshi dolls from the Sendai Kiji Seisakusho in Miyagi Prefecture and ceramics by potter Atsuya Hamada.
The B Gallery is currently hosting Kenichi Asai's solo exhibition "FRED&SUSAN."
It's also noteworthy that the globally acclaimed textile artist Saya Saburo Yuge designed the logo for Fenica Studio.
The basement floor, featuring the restaurant "Nikko Kanaya Hotel Craft Grill" produced by general advisor Kundo Koyama, is themed "Food." In cooperation with Nikko Kanaya Hotel, which offers menu items dating back to the early Meiji era known as "Hyakunen Yoshoku" (century-old Western cuisine), food menus embodying Japan's Western-influenced culinary culture have been realized. Additionally, a wide selection of craft beers from across the country, as well as rare craft liquors like gin and sake, are available, offering perfect pairings with the Western dishes.
The "Shinjuku Hyakunen Rice Curry," an adaptation of Nikko Kanaya Hotel's "Hyakunen Rice Curry," is the signature dish here.
Akagi Wagyu "Bifteki Don" (steak bowl) topped with a fried egg.
Hiroshi SHITARAPresident of BEAMS
"With 'Japan' as our focus, we launched 'TEAM JAPAN' to convey Japanese sensibility and wit to the world across fashion, products, culture, and dining. It's rare to find a shop that brings together such extremes, from precious items crafted by artisans to new otaku culture. That breadth is precisely what BEAMS is all about. While the second and third floors focus on fashion, I particularly encourage you to explore the fourth and fifth floors, which brilliantly combine culture and craftsmanship."
BEAMS JAPAN
Address: 3-32-6 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo B1F-5F
URL: http://www.beams.co.jp/beamsjapan/
Phone: 03-5368-7300
Business Hours: 11:00–20:00 (1F-5F) / 8:30–22:30 (Sarutahiko Coffee) / 11:30–23:00 Last Order 22:00 (Craft Grill)
Regular Holidays: Irregular
Inquiries
BEAMS Press Room
Tel. 03-3470-9393
http://www.beams.co.jp