Vintage shops

Now, it is a shame that the vintage British clothes store has closed. It was located under the train tracks and housed some vintage gear with a sixties and seventies style.

Coming from England, there was a real touch of nostalgia in that shop.

Second up, which is still about, is "Peace Face". Koenji has a lot of vintage clothes shops, but the name of this one is one of the best.

PICKUP 高円寺

If, like me, you have a thing for trainers*, then the best place to go in Koenji is "Pick Up".
Located just off PAL.
Turn right past Village Vanguard and head down that narrow street.
There's a few good shops for new and used gear along this street, but that's for another time...

Pick Up has a good selection of trainers, some clothing and bags.
Trainers are deadstock, new and used.
The prices are very reasonable and they do have some vintage, which are, as to be expected, a little more pricey.
They have a website, but they have more trainers in shop than is featured on their site.

http://www.pickup-koenji.com/



*Trainers = sneakers for the US viewers

The Shops of Central Road

South exit from Koenji station,
Turn left,
Keep going past McDonalds and the Mizuho Bank ATM,
You will come to Central Road.
At the top, it's a bit seedy, with what could be described as Koenji's red light area, or one of them anyway: http://koenji-live.blogspot.com/2009/01/gentlemans-relaxation-zone.html

Once past that, you got some small bars, restaurants, Japan's only Tesco's(!), junk shops, and some of the best decorated shop fronts in Tokyo.
This is just two of them:
Nincompoop Capacity and Garter.
Someone's let their creative juices flow with these.

Shops, bikes and shots at night

Around Koenji.
Some near PAL.
Some custom bikes, typical Koenji style.

The Gate

This shop sells new and used clothes, trainers, toys and accessories.
It looks small from the outside, but large inside. Perhaps like Dr. Who's Tardis, but without a metal dog.
It does have a 7-foot Alien inside the entrance though.
Bit of a maze as you navigate your way through racks of clothes and boxes of toys and assorted junk.
Until I take another pic of the exterior, it's the place with the pink chair in the shape of a hand at the entrance.

Some camera phone pics from inside at the top.

Chunk

This place is just up the road from me.

Used clothes, as is the norm in Koenji.

Also has a good selection of mags outside, covering local bands and clubs.

Clothing Time

The picture at the top, you can see Risk darts and billiards. At the top of this street, which is actually a small hill, is POEM coffee house.
Clothing Time is near the bottom of this hill. New and used clothes.