The Shinjuku Honten is the latest to join Uniqlo's existing stable of 15 global flagship stores (All photos: Uniqlo)
In Japan, artisans recognise that sharing their culture with the world does not mean losing it. When a mochi master offers you rice flour cake pounded with water from a small spring that burbles into the shop, he is inviting you to partake, insofar as a foreigner can, in how nature is intertwined with the way of life. Delivering a gift wrapped in furoshiki — sturdy sheets of cloth that, when properly tied, can hold anything from gifts to groceries — is an indication of politeness, dignity and an added note of respect in a nation that values indirect communication. For Uniqlo, the retail conglomerate simply wants to elucidate how the entrenched Japanese philosophy of kaizen, or continuous improvement, is deeply woven into the fabric of its company, facilitating every decision from product design to service.
One does not hear about this cultural cornerstone rooted in humility, perseverance and dedication anymore, but not because it is no longer in fashion. Quite the reverse is true: The methodology has become so widely adopted that it is no longer newsworthy. Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai, who begrudgingly inherited his father’s men’s tailoring chain in 1972 and turned the languishing business into an international clothing phenomenon with flagships in London’s Oxford Street as well as New York’s Fifth Avenue, rejects the idea that innovation is the province of an elect few. Instead, incremental transformation has become an everyday task for which each layer of the organisation is responsible. Cumulatively, one knows a little more, and does things a little better than the day before.
The fundamental ethos of steady gains, rather than sudden leaps, guides Fast Retailing (Uniqlo’s parent company) to not be haphazard when setting up global flagship stores — these monoliths, different from regular hero outlets, are envisioned to be visually dramatic, while offering an expanded selection of products, exclusive collaborations and special-edition lines that may not be available in other locations. The latest to join an existing stable of 15, which includes Shanghai’s stately outpost and the tourist-friendly emporium in The Paris Opéra that melds French architectural elements with Japanese minimalism, is the Shinjuku Honten (新宿本店).
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Uniqlo’s swelling prominence runs counter to the fading imprint of many storied local firms such as Casio, Panasonic and even Fujifilm, the pioneer of digital cameras. This may be because the apparel empire thrives on a disruptor ideology that diverges from the lockstep salaryman lifestyle of the older generation, forging a path that optimistically appeals to a diverse worldly audience. Its tagline, “Made for All”, is intended literally — not idiomatically — embracing every age, gender and ethnicity. Few things lift the spirits of shoppers, who are being hobbled by a struggling economy, like a durable and affordable sweater available in every size or shade on the colour wheel.
Of course, basics that are gentle on the wallet will not be the only draw at the honten (central store), which carries every product in the country, as well as items exclusive to the US and Europe. Although Shinjuku, a roaring shopping and entertainment hotspot where pedestrians could pummel you from different directions, already has four Uniqlo stores, this newly opened stronghold aims to “meet overwhelming customer expectations especially those visiting from overseas”, explains Fast Retailing group executive officer Masahiro Endo. The three-floor setup currently boasts a sales area of 4,000 sq m.
“Even if there are other outlets nearby, we aim for co-existence and co-prosperity. Each of them has different strengths: The Takashimaya store has wide aisles that allow easy access for strollers since it is usually frequented by many families. On the other hand, the Shinjuku West Exit option is curated for the business crowd as it faces the commercial district. Shinjuku is like a town made up of various shopping streets. We want to be the No 1 store in the area.”
Street smart
Fast Retailing often taps the cultural cachet of being embedded within a city’s most iconic creative epicentre. Uniqlo’s honten may benefit from a strong boon: It is only a five-minute walk from Shinjuku Station, one of the busiest transport networks in the world, which sees an estimated 3.5 million passengers and travellers every day. But how does the shop stand out from the neighbourhood’s labyrinthine layout, sensory overload and constant whirl of movement?
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Nostalgia plays a great role. The fourth global flagship in the country, following two stores in Ginza and another in Umeda, Osaka, is situated on the same site where Uniqlo launched its collaborative outlet with electronics centre Bic Camera in 2012. The original Bic spanned multiple floors and offered everything from cutting-edge gadgets to niche household items, making it a microcosm of Japan’s tech-driven future. However, the Uniqlo-Bic crossover, fittingly named Bicqlo, shuttered in 2022 when the lease expired. Reopening the honten in this familiar area not only serves as a strategic place to transact but also a social space that peddles a sense of continuity and belonging.
Creative director Kashiwa Sato elaborates, “We are focused on a grand plan that turns store spaces into media. In line with this, our goal is to create a completely new experience suited to the current era. This time, we have set up various display-focused areas and expanded the space for UT (Uniqlo t-shirts) to showcase new projects.”
A company logo bears the peculiar, almost paradoxical task of inspiring both loyalty and novelty. But Uniqlo is determined to make it fun. The four iconic katakana characters evoking hues of the Land of the Rising Sun have been digitised and presented on a massive nine-metre LED display that blends in with the neon-lit shopping precinct. Renowned interactive designer Yugo Nakamura, who utilises mathematical concepts to produce online interactions, was enlisted to create the motion graphics for this cubic visual hallmark that references the brand’s identity.
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Beyond basics
If the Herzog & de Meuron-designed Ginza global flagship store relies on concrete surfaces as raw frameworks to display its vibrant wares, the Shinjuku Honten dramatises the notion that space can be an elastic commodity. Mirrors elongate narrow corridors hemmed in by clothes racks, while the absence of columns and walls augments the overall sense of roominess. Contrary to typical muted Japanese sensibilities, Uniqlo’s aesthetic bemoans the cliché of design palettes drenched in white or beige as that would mean living with one emotion all the time. Therefore, the window displays, arranged like a lookbook come to life, are splashed with paint and patterns in joyful colours.
A lasting first impression is crucial to generate enthusiasm. Potential customers step through the entryway and decide, in a fleeting instant, whether they will linger or leave. The sight of seasonal blooms from the Uniqlo Flower stand placed at the entrance summons a moment of pause and, subsequently, a subtle invitation to stay, browse and discover. Not one to stop for a bouquet of fleeting beauty? Perhaps, the aroma of roasted coffee at the café on the second floor will tempt the avid caffeine acolyte.
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Nestled in a different nook is a medley of goods by other labels under the Fast Retailing umbrella namely PLST (for business professionals), Comptoir des Cotonniers (French tailoring with a chic sport allure) and Princesse tam.tam (lingerie). Occupying the uppermost level is the Re.Uniqlo Studio, which offers embroidery, alteration and repair services; as well as the UTme! corner, where customers can create their own original T-shirts and tote bags.
High-profile fashion names have achieved a sort of mythical status in Tokyo but visiting Uniqlo sometimes brings with it a reward even if you cannot afford the dizzying prices of the merchandise sold in upscale boutiques. Appointing British haute couture expert Clare Waight Keller — who designed Meghan Markle’s wedding dress — as its creative director and linking arms with JW Anderson, whose founder Jonathan Anderson helms Spanish luxury house Loewe, provide customers a chance to build a succinct and stylish wardrobe in which luxury means something accessible, but no less valuable. You will find variations of these creative unions at the honten, paraded alongside local collaborations that highlight the store’s commitment to supporting homegrown artisans. Exploring wearables featuring motifs of rice dumpling confectionery Oiwake Dango Honpo, curry house Nakamuraya, fruit parlour Takano or Castella cake specialist Bunmeido may just prompt you to patronise these eateries after.
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Store manager Masanori Toyama, who joined the retail entity in 1995, sums up the milestone of its new opening. “In a place like Shinjuku, where so many long-standing stores have their honten, it’s a huge responsibility calling this location our own honten. However, I feel that it is truly a place for customers to experience everything Uniqlo has to offer.”
The turnover of establishments in Shinjuku, even by the frenetic standards of Japan’s capital, is fast and curious, meaning that no trip to the city’s heartbeat ever feels 100% the same. This sentiment also applies to all Uniqlo global flagship stores around the world — they may be familiar but most definitely uniquely appealing in their own way.
In the ’hood
The Japanese retailer showcases flagship stores in Shinjuku — each a pioneer in its field — to offer a fresh take on casual wear that connects style with elements of local culture
Takano
Musk melons here are swaddled in foam netting before being tucked into an ornate box that unfurls like origami. Gifting is a common ritual in this part of the world, and this fruit parlour ensures your presents are dressed to impress for every occasion. Founded in 1885, the same year Shinjuku Station opened, the store, which also sells desserts, is a formidable force in the art of fruit carving. Diners may find apples fanned out like a bird’s tail or mango slices twirled into the shape of a rose when they dig into their towering parfaits. (takano.jp)
Suehirotei
Set in an Edo-style building, the entertainment hall is one of the few places in the metropolis that stages traditional Japanese performances such as rakugo (comedic storytelling) and manzai (double act comedy). Technology and the internet have caused many theatre houses to close down but Suehirotei, decked with wooden floors, paper lanterns and tatami mats that exude an old-world charm, is still thronged by long-standing fans who relish a good laugh or an afternoon watching magic shows and gravity-defying acrobats. (suehirotei.com)
Nakamuraya
At this dining institution with a 123-year legacy, patience and a dose of history season the sauce. Indian freedom fighter Rash Behari Bose fled to imperial Japan and found refuge with Aizo and Kokko Soma, an affluent couple who ran a bakery called Nakamuraya, which also doubled as a salon where artists, social activists and politicians met. Bose married their daughter Toshiko, and started a small restaurant above the bread house, doling out authentic Indian curry. Until this day, the chefs still serve shirome rice, made with traditional milling methods, alongside the shop’s famed spicy dish. (nakamuraya.co.jp)
Union Record
The music haunt was not always filled with collectors rifling through prized LPs and poring over album jackets — the company started off as Union Shokai, an import car dealership in Ochanomizu, around 1941 before it was converted into a speciality vinyl store. Now packed to the brim with records and second-hand gems, it stocks every genre imaginable, from rock classics and jazz to Showa-era tunes. Collectors will be hard-pressed to leave this time capsule empty-handed. (diskunion.net)
This article first appeared on Nov 18, 2024 in The Edge Malaysia.
