INSIDER INTEL
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LUCAS VALLECILLOS/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; EDU VISION/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; WORLD DISCOVERY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; COURTESY OF XANADU TOKYO50 SEPTEMBER 2019 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM
really cool vintage shops around
Shimokitazawa. It’s a very
interesting place for younger people,
although it can get crowded right
around the station. They have a
unique cityscape and there are so
many cool, little shops. Another
vintage area clothes area is Koenji, a
little west of Shinjuku. They have a
market street, which is really lovely
on weekends.”CREATIVE STIMULATION
When he’s searching for inspiration,
Koizumi often heads to the ritzy
enclave near his apartment.
“Daikanyama is a really posh area
along the river that’s famous for its
sakura. You’ll find some nice cafés,
along with fancy pet salons and
shops selling Leica cameras,” he
says. His favorite place to go sit is
the Starbucks at Tsutaya Books
(store.tsite.jp/daikanyama/english),
where customers can peruse coffee
table tomes to their heart’s content.
“I’ll ride my bike over there at
midnight when there are no people.
You can read the books while
drinking coffee until 2 a.m.” He
never tires of browsing the shelves at
second-hand bookstores. “If you like
photo books, you should check out
Jimbocho district on the east side of
Tokyo,” Koizumi says. “There are
tons of vintage bookshops. I go there
all the time for research.”CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:
Local jewelry designs at
Xanadu Tokyo; cosplay
along Takeshita Street;
vintage clothes in
Shimokitazawa;
wandering around
Jimbocho district.BEYOND HARAJUKU GIRLS
“When I have fashion-loving foreign
friends in town, I bring them to
Harajuku,” Koizumi says. While
most people associate the
neighborhood with tacky animal
cafés and shops selling cutesy
trinkets, he insists there’s more than
meets the eye just off the main drag.
“Takeshita Street is too touristy, but
there are some good shops hidden
around the area if you know where
to look.” One of his go-to spots for
menswear is United Arrows (united-
arrows.co.jp/en/shop), an upscale
chain with a cult following
throughout Japan. “In Harajuku,
there’s also one shop called Xanadu
To k y o (xanadutokyo.jp). They only
sell young Japanese designers, so it’s
perfect if you’re on the hunt for
something a little different,”
Koizumi says.VINTAGE FLAIR
“I love vintage clothing, but I don’t
usually buy the fancy kind,”
Koizumi admits. “There are some