Tokyo

[Monitor]

Friend of mine just went to Tokyo for a holiday and I asked him to check out a few stores with leather jackets for me. Turns out, however, that Tokyo is just too huge for casual browsing - apparently he already got lost in Shin... juku, I think it was? - so anyway, could you guys please recommend some cool vintage/second hand leather jacket shops in Tokyo worth a look? I'm not in the market for a brand new RMC or nothing, ain't got that kind of money, so looking to get something used or a cheap, half-decent repro of a certain vtg style, and I am hoping someone knows of a few good stores over there with a decent selection of leather jackets, that won't cost me a grand.

What's this 'Koenji' place (shop?) I hear people speak of? Worth a shot?

Thanks!

 

[Big J]

I don't like Tokyo personally.
It's like 3 New Yorks clustered together- it's dense and big (people don't realize how geographically sprawling it is).
And most of it is uninspiring low-rise.
Koenji is just the name of one of the many small districts in Tokyo. Last I heard, it was popular with hipsters.

 

[Ishmael]

^Really helpful response.

Not many good deals to be had on vintage here from what I've seen.....

But lots of vintage shops in the Harajuku area, anchored by Berberjin.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...37,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd7949aa6e7d105dc

If you want to do some window shopping for new stuff, from there you are a short walk north to Freewheelers Desolation Row shop and a short walk south to the Real McCoys shop.

 

[Big J]

^Really helpful response.

Not many good deals to be had on vintage here from what I've seen.....

But lots of vintage shops in the Harajuku area, anchored by Berberjin.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...37,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd7949aa6e7d105dc

If you want to do some window shopping for new stuff, from there you are a short walk north to Freewheelers Desolation Row shop and a short walk south to the Real McCoys shop.

lol
Ishihara for mayor 4 times in a row, 'no, thanks' to Tokyo.
But seriously, Tokyo is 'too big for casual browsing', so I wouldn't expect much from the aforementioned friend. Japanese businesses can be extremely 'liberal' cartographically, and the address system is too complicated for even Japanese residents and taxi drivers.
It's asking a lot of a friend on holiday.

 

[Monitor]

Ishmael, thanks a ton! I've already sent my buddy a link so we'll see.

Big J, dunno, never been there myself. Would love to see it some day, though...

 

[Blackadder]

For second hand repros leather jackets then there are tons of second hand chain stores but since they are chain stores and sell all kinds of second hand clothings, it is much easier to browse their online stores.
Koenji has a lot of vintage stores that sell vintage clothings from leather jackets to real military clothings but they are quite expensive compared to ebay.
There is a vintage shop called Marvin's in Harajuku across the road from Real McCoy's that sell vintage clothings from old Levi's early 1900s, some even deadstock to WW2 N-1 deck jacket to deadstock 80s Lee but those are also very expensive.

http://www.marvins-jp.com/

 

[Big J]

Ishmael, thanks a ton! I've already sent my buddy a link so we'll see.

Big J, dunno, never been there myself. Would love to see it some day, though...

I wouldn't bother. Unless you've never seen low-rise sprawl before, you won't be impressed. Try Shanghai or Seoul instead; they've got way much more vitality.

 

[jamespowers]

I wouldn't bother. Unless you've never seen low-rise sprawl before, you won't be impressed. Try Shanghai or Seoul instead; they've got way much more vitality.

Seoul didn't have much when my father was there in 1951.

 

[Big J]

Seoul didn't have much when my father was there in 1951.

That's for sure!

 

[Cyber Lip]

?? I love Tokyo. I've been 6 or 7 times. Different strokes

 

[navetsea]

happy hunting Monitor, hopefully you find something your size/style.

 

[navetsea]

but what you need from Japan directly is Gundam... not leather jacket

 

[PENSACOLA]

MONITOR, I am a native of Japan...You may want to check this place out, it's in Koenji...
However, it's quite expensive, even used ones--to obtain--a good name brand HH jacket anywhere in Tokyo...
Your best bet would be ordering online with RAKUTEN....Also, sizes of these jackets run small in Japan.

FREEWHEELERS are overpriced, but great craftsmanship...
and Harajuku, you can get good deals if lucky--There's a good one on the corner--Omotesando...

Overall, you are looking at money to be spent in Tokyo when shopping.

Let me know if I can assist you in a private message.

http://gorillian.blog19.fc2.com/blog-entry-500.html

 

[Ben Sharples]

I've been in Tokyo for 11 years, and don't find it especially boring, or hard to navigate, but it does take planning....You can't just step off the train and expect to find a load of things....Harajuku is decent for secondhand shops, and good leather jackets as well, but Tokyo (and most of Japan) is expensive in comparison to the US, and on par with my hometown, London....So a decent, cheap leather jacket? Even secondhand? Is unlikely in my opinion...

Both Koenji and Kichijoji are excellent areas for random shopping, as are the back streets in Harajuku, and a day spent there isn't a day wasted, but expect to pay for decent jackets if you find them.....(I've found the best jackets online, when the yen was stronger against the dollar...Now? It's not good at all...)

My town, Tachikawa also has a few great secondhand shops, and I'd recommend them anyday of the week, but for leather jackets, yeah....It's cheaper to buy from the US....With less size issues I suspect as well...

Tokyo, despite what some people might think, is a lovely place to live...It's huge, for sure, and a lot of it is odd, and boring, and concrete, but if you KNOW what you want, and where to go to find it? Tokyo has everything...And that NEVER gets old for me....It just needs to be planned BEFORE stepping out the door....

I reckon.

 

[Monitor]

navetsea, appears Japan values their leather jackets really high. We'll see, something's gotta turn up! My friend said he'll keep looking... Easy for him, though. All he wanted was some anime memorabilia and a gigantic stuffed Pikachu for his girlfriend. That stuff's dime a dozen over there.

Pensacola, thank you much for the info! I've passed it down to my buddy over there. I've been looking at Rakuten all this time, but we can't figure out where to have the jacket shipped to because otherwise, if I order from Japan, I have to pay 45% extra on top of the price of the jacket, for import taxes, etc. And that's something I'm trying to avoid. Do you know anything about this 666 brand? http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/bootsman/item/666-ljm-17/?s-id=borderless_browsehist_en

Ben, closest I've been to Tokyo was Shenmue, and that's not even Tokyo but Yokosuka. But I'm sure it's a place to be seen, where ever from you might be. Some day perhaps I'll see it myself. In another life, definitely.

 

[PENSACOLA]

Monitor, never seen the "666 brand of jackets." Agreed about Rakuten's import taxes, etc...

I hope you and your friend find what you are looking for...

I used to live in Tokyo, Gunma, and Osaka as my family is from there--and surely, living there can give you the convenience of easily finding what you want, and speaking Japanese can get you even further, all depends though....Japan is awesome in terms of "style"--jackets, pants, etc...but again, very pricey...Good findings, MONITOR!