Tokyo’s vintage stores have no trash, only treasure

Warning: it’s time to put aside any lofty notions of finding a diamond in the rough. You’re not going to sift through someone else’s trash to discover your personal treasure.

Tokyo vintage stores aren’t like that. There’s no rough here. No trash. Everything is good. Everything is well-chosen. Every item of clothing and piece of paraphernalia has already gone through a rigorous selection process conducted by someone with far better fashion sense than you.

It doesn’t matter where you’re going or what you’re looking for, whether you’re perusing rad sneakers in Kichijoji, if you’re sifting through silk scarves in Daikanyama, if you’re picking up ’70s Americana in Nakameguro or trying on French workwear in Koenji. If you’re shopping for vintage in Tokyo, the hard work has been done. The curation is pristine.

This is a blessing and a curse, of course, because yes, everything is super-cool and bang on trend, but it’s also expensive, and you will want to buy absolutely all of it (because, not sure if I mentioned, but everything is super-cool and bang on trend).

There is tremendous respect and love for vintage items in Tokyo. People here love clothing and accessories with a story, something of good quality that has travelled, something you can repurpose to tell your own tale.

The range is stupendous. We’re not talking about charity stores here selling whatever people have dropped at their door. We’re talking luxury items from centuries gone by; rare and beautiful clothing from eras near and far.

Check out Solakzade, a shop in Harajuku that specialises in vintage eyewear. There are frames here that date back to the 1800s, though also a massive collection of 1960s and ’70s Ray-Bans.

See Whistler, in Koenji, which specialises in American leather boots, some of which have been kicking around for 30, 40, or 50 years. Try J’antiques in Nakameguro, another wonderland of post-war Americana, with everything from vintage Levi’s to ’70s ballgowns.