So much of Tokyo is tucked away in a small alleyways or hidden upstairs in a plain-looking office buildings that if you aren’t actively looking for things you probably won’t find the really good stuff. Part of this is because Tokyo rents are amazingly expensive, and part of it seems to be based on the thrill of the hunt. Such is the case for the vintage shop Pueblo. The owner Eiji Asakawa keeps a sign out front, but unless you know what you are looking for or are an adventurous sort you are probably going to miss the place. There are so many randomly named places in Harajuku that if you were to check everything out you would probably just spend most of your day discovering hair salons. The Japanese obsession with hair is something I can’t even begin to understand. The Japanese obsession with vintage Americana, that I have a better idea about.
Pueblo is a great vintage shop with a whole lot of classic old stuff on hand including the obvious denim and workwear, but the shop also has a lot of great vintage dress shoes including a bunch of old Aldens. It was funny to see the old Alden “Foot Balance” boxes stacked up on the floor. I’ve never really noticed them in Tokyo before, but for whatever reason I saw a bunch of vintage Aldens from the last few decades in the vintage shops around Harajuku on this trip, including at Pueblo. Also for sale was a rack of old Brooks Brothers shirts and all of the requisite Ivy League style clothing that one could expect. The only non-vintage label I noticed was Corona, a brand I first learned about from Koji at Extra, and one I saw frequently during this trip to Tokyo. Turns out Eiji and Koji are friends. Not surprising considering the two are so big in the world of vintage, have such similar aesthetics and, like their customers, love the thrill of the hunt.
Curious if the size range in these stores is differnt than the sizing you find in the USA (e.g., do you see fewer XLs or size 11 and more focus on smaller sizes).
Love that sign out front, and that boot lineup.
Prices?
awesome
not sure the brand on the luggage and brief bag but … they are exactly like Lands End old style luggage. Down to the pull tabs. I have some of that luggage and it’s great. Probably the exact same stuff but just branded differently.
edit: actually … I see the stamp on the hang up … it’s LL Bean.
Does anyone know why Americana appeals to some Japanese people so much? There are a few sellers here in Brooklyn that are native Japanese and I’ve never quite figured out what the allure of Americana – especially Western and Workwear clothing – is to their culture. That being said, I remember a white American classmate of mine being fixated on Japanese culture. Maybe some people find their culture and ‘family’ in cultures around the globe?
i lived in a co-op in austin texas in the 90s when i was an undergrad at UT. we hosted a japense foreign exchange student who dressed like a cowboy straight ouf of a 50s western. it was really something to see. he even had one of those leather belts that you’d see at markets across the border in mexico where they stamp your name on the back. his was engraved “Y-O-S-H-I-M-O-T-O” one of my fondest memories is when yoshi and six other buddies all piled into the bed of my pickup truck to head out to luckenbach, texas (pop. 3) to see willie nelson’s annual 4th of July concert. at the end of the day, yoshi came up to me with a tear in his eye and told me it was the best day of his life. miss that guy.
I came to the US a few years ago for college, and I was like, what? You guys don’t care about hair styles?? I used to spend what amounts to half a pair of Red Wings on my hair for a single visit to hair salon. Now I just go to local barbershop and spend less than a Chuck Taylor.
Awesome quote- “I used to spend what amounts to half a pair of Red Wings on my hair for a single visit to hair salon.”
I am going to start saying to my wife “do you realize that you just spent what amounts to half a pair of Red Wings on your hair for a single visit to hair salon.”
‘I used to spend what amounts to half a pair of Red Wings on my hair for a single visit to hair salon. Now I just go to local barbershop and spend less than a Chuck Taylor’.
That has to be one of the best comments ever posted.
Good lookin’ business card!
also like the look of the sign and the business card, goes nicely
The Japanese fixation with Americana, especially “Western” Americana is eerily well depicted (or is it predicted?) in the classic alternate history novel The Man In the High Castle by Phillip K. Dick.
Thanks to your photos, I just ID’d the maker of an unmarked pair of deadstock boots I found earlier this year (Carolina, apparently). Thank you.
What are the boot brands? Thanks…
I really like this guy’s stuff. I can’t make out his email. Can anyone help. Thx.
I found it. I’ll pay more attention next time.
Just shows you how the really awesome things are very hard to find.
wow this post was so interesting thanks for the shopping tips for tokyo
WOW need those wingtips (3rd picture). would go great with my Alex Maine pants