Gear shops in Japan

[Steven Killion]

So, I`m in Japan for the next couple of weeks and would love some recomendations for places to shop besides Montbell. I am currently in Sapporo. Then, off to Kansai and from there to Tokyo. Thanks, Steven

二週間程、日本に滞在中です。ただ今札幌、そして関西に飛びまして、それから東京へと移動予定です。モントベル以外でお勧めのアウトドアショップがございましたら是非ともお知らせ願います。

[nategfunk]

I was in japan in december of last year. I spent almost all of my trip in Tokyo and managed to visit the Montbell store in the shibuya district. It was pretty difficult to find so i would suggest mapping it out from the subway stop. The store is very well stocked and the prices were surprisingly good compared to Montbell gear in the US. If you are in the area and need outdoor stuff chances are the store will have it.

[Miguel Arboleda]

Wow, Steven, your Japanese is great! Have you lived here before?

Some outdoor specific shops in Tokyo:

• Sakaiya Sports in Jimbocho (divided into five buildings: clothes, footwear, Montbell store, main gear store, Patagonia store and tents)
• ICI Sports in Harajuku (there's another branch in Shijuku, but the one in Harajuku, right across from the station, is the best)
• Kamoshika Sports in Takadanobaba (very knowledgeable staff and a wonderful, lightweight range of proprietary tents, but somewhat conservative)
• OD Box in Okachimachi and Shibuya (Very up on UL gear. They sell a lot of the American cottage UL gear like Jacks R Better and Antigravity Gear. The store in Okachimachi is best… and it is divided into two buildings, one for clothes, one for gear)
• Nippin in Akihabara (somewhat threadbare place, but great tents)
• SRC in Shinjuku (caters mainly to car campers, but there are some great deals on clothing and backpacks

Those are the main ones. Hope that is some help.

[Arapiles .]

Miguel hit the main ones … I strongly recommend Sakaiya – I was back in Japan a couple of weeks ago and went to Sakaiya and the tencho came up and maido arigato gozaimash ita'd me (sorry for the spelling – remarkably, the profanity filter doesn't like the Japanese term for thank you very much…), which was great since it's been two years since I left Tokyo so they get full marks for remembering their customers! Their prices are also noticeably cheaper than places like OD Box, which is also unusual in Japan. The only others shops I frequented were a climbing shop called Calafate near Mejiro station on the Yamanote line (it's underneath the Patagonia store in Mejiro – http://www.calafate.co.jp/) and the Mont Bell outlet in Ebisu, which is currently being rebuilt but is supposed to reopen in October. The only remaining outlets Mont Bell seem to have are in Hachioji and Grandberry Mall in Minami-Machida – your Japanese seems to be pretty good so I won't provide the addresses as they're on the Mont Bell website, but each is about an hour from Shibuya and Shinjuku respectively.

I went to Sapporo a few years ago and they had a Patagonia outlet store that was the cheapest I'd ever seen – is it still there? There was also a good gear shop near Hokkodai.

A good thing to do is to go to Jimbocho station to visit Sakaiya and then walk along Yasukuni-dori towards Ogawamachi station – the street is lined with gear shops (and book shops) including Nippin which has the best value 800 FP down sleeping bags in the world …

[Chris Jones]

There's also L-Breath in the Ochanomizu district. Ochanomizu is also the place to go for skiing and snowboarding gear. You won't believe how many of these shops there are.

There is a Patagonia store in Shibuya/Harajuku.

[Steven Killion]

Thanks Miguel, I wish I could take credit for typing the message in Japanese but I had my interpreter (wife) do it for me. I visited the Montbell stores in Shibuya and Nara last time I was over here. I apreciate the suggestions and hope to have time to visit some of them outside of family obligations.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

So, my family and I are leaving Japan in early April. We are flying to Tokyo from Tottori (our home here), and then flying from Narita to Aus.

I have one night in Tokyo, as I've been invited to a function at the Australian Embassy. It just so happens, and looks like, I've by chance booked myself a capsule hotel within a few hundred metres of one of the best UL shops on the planet!

OD Box here I come! I'll definitely be leaving Japan on a high :-)

PS, if any Tokyo BPLers are keen to meet up for a morning coffee on the 4th of April there (or nearby) let me know :-)

Adam

[Rick M]

del

[Miguel Arboleda]

Adam, after all the interchange we've shared since you came to Japan, it would be a shame not to get together. And April 4th is Friday, so let's do it! Be great to finally meet in person.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Hi Rick

the OD Box right next to Ueno station. I had a browse through their weblog and it looks unbelievable. They even have a bunch of zpacks and MLD gear! Unless that has been sold off of course. Gear nerd heaven :-)

100m from the Embassy is kinda close! The function is from 1pm to 3pm on the 3rd. I've no idea what will happen there…I'm expected to "network" so that could mean I am busy afterwards having further liaisons with people. But maybe before we can meet on that day if you are free? I'll need to do something for lunch. I get into Haneda a bit after 8am then get trains to that area.

Miguel; definitely keen to meet up! Do you have Friday's off? It would be good to have someone "escort" me in OD Box so I don't spend my baby's inheritance…

On the 4th I need to get to Narita around 5pm to meet my wife for our flights home.

Cheers guys!

[Rick M]

del

[Miguel Arboleda]

Narita at 5:00… that's cutting it pretty short! You'll have to leave around 2:30 or 3:00 just to be sure you're there on time. Luckily Nippori station is just a few stops away. (that is, if you're thinking of taking the Tobu Line Skyliner out there).

O.D. Box is at Okachimachi station, one over from Ueno, though still in the Ueno area. I think they open at 11:00, or maybe 10:00.

Too bad you don't have time to go out to Mitaka to Hiker's Depot, where my friend Tomoyoshi Tsuchiya, the owner of the store, and one of the pioneers of ultralight in Japan, works. Everything in the store is dedicated to UL, and they've recently expanded (still a small store, though.

O.D. Box has recently gotten in the first batch of 2014 new gear and clothes, so it ought to be interesting.

My school is off until April 7, so my Friday is free.

Rick, you should join us! Be great to see you again, too! Especially since we haven't had any chances to talk UL while with other hikers!

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Yeah I first looked at Hiker's depot but realised that it would take way to long to get out there and back again. Maybe on the next trip to Japan (next World Scout Jamboree is next year in Yamaguchi, 50/50 I'll be going).

Checking on Hyperdia, I can leave Okachimachi just after 4pm to get to Terminal 2 at 5.01pm. So hopefully that will give us enough time to try out all the packs, tents, and maybe fire up a few stoves…

Yeah Rick, you should come too, will be fun! I don't think I've ever been to a Michelin star restaurant…are they expensive? The closest I've been is probably Carnivore in Nairobi which is pretty amazing and world famous (don't know if they have Michelin stars).

[Chris Friesen]

Thanks for the list. I'll be coming through Japan this fall with my family. We'd like to do some hiking and I'm going to use that as an excuse to check out the Japanese UL gear as well. Does anyone know of Locus Gear has a retail store?

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Watch out boys. If they have these in stock in OD Box, I'll likely be trying them on

http://www.finetrack.com/product/floodrush_powermesh.html

[rmeurant]

I can hear that sweet sound of purse strings loosening…

[Adam Kilpatrick]

My purse doesn't hold that much Japanese shrapnel. This will be a card job…

Seriously though that mesh stuff looks awesome. I know Miguel has mentioned it in threads in the past. I've wanted some of the Swedish mesh stuff for a while, but this is half the price and much lighter.

[Miguel Arboleda]

I love Finetrack. They make some truly innovative clothing… but unfortunately everything is sized for Japanese. When I complained at O.D. Box, over and over again, they finally, two years ago, came out with one model of pants (the Alpine Doughtsensor Pants) with a longer version. And I hear the Camino Pants will come out in long this Spring, too.

Adam, if you're going to get one of those mesh skin layers, you may want to size up 2 sizes! They work, but boy oh boy are they expensive!

[Rick M]

del

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Ok, hopefully that doesn't mean that they'll cut down on their inventory levels or variety, but rather increase it, and accidentally find themselves with way too much stock and have to have a big sale :-)

[Adam Kilpatrick]

I just went to my local (tiny) outdoor store. Had a look at the Finetrack stuff there, he just carries about a dozen pairs of tops/bottoms/briefs/socks in the mesh L1 (layer one) series. I pulled a couple out of the packet to take a look. Incredible. I wish I had access to this years ago.

I might buy a piece or two (if I can get the right sizes) from him before I come to Tokyo (I want to support him). Definitely want to get at least a top for my wife too. He might not have my sizes…he only stocks up to L and I might need XL, especially in pants/boxers.

One thing I'm wondering, is do they do like a bike short length boxer/bike short? If they did, and I could get a size to fit, then I'd probably buy 5 pairs on the spot. Its exactly the thing I need down there. Polypro/wool is too warm for me most of the time, yet Lycra and its derivatives holds too much moisture…ok if its hot but if it then gets cold (eg at night) its a pain, and it takes too long to dry out. The boxers they have would solve most of my chafing issues but I literally just need a few more centimetres of leg length, but preferably normal bike short length so they don't ride up my quads. I've searched but I can't find it if they have it, but then I can't read Japanese at all and Google translate only helps a tiny bit.

Cheers!

[Mark Verber]

It’s been 9 years since this thread has been touched.  Any updated recommendations?

[Author]

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