Few, if any, countries in the world are home to as many IYKYK brands as Japan. This sartorially hallowed land offers world-class clothes for everyone from the hypest hypebeasts to the most restrained shoppers. As such, for every world-conquering AURALEE or visvim that breaks through internationally, there is a spate of lesser-known names equally worthy of attention.
On a recent trip to Japan, I stopped by the FreshService flagship, an industrial clothing store in the quieter reaches of Shibuya so well-realized that the space and the brand behind it felt primed for major international recognition. This is the sort of discovery you want to share with the world, even if the brand itself is only focused on providing the best of everything.
FreshService is just one endeavor overseen by Takayuki Minami, who also founded highly touted label Graphpaper, itself in the early days of overseas expansion. As CEO and PR director of Tokyo-based alpha.co.ltd and Alpha PR, which represent some of the Tokyo’s biggest brands, Minami is unequivocally plugged in to anything worth paying attention to around town. It tracks then, that FreshService’s extensive offering is stunningly well-executed at every level.
FreshService began life as a pop-up of curated goods, Minami’s method of curating and presenting his favorite things. It has since evolved into a cohesive collection of what Minami deems “tools,” utilitarian items intended to be used every day, from homeware to OCBDs. The offering is not artisanal — Minami unashamedly admits that these products are produced in large quantities and inexpensive — but remains remarkably high-quality, even by Japanese standards.
The industrial store is simple but effective, echoing the ethos of the products within. Concrete floors and white walls reflect strip lighting in a space divided by a fluorescent-yellow steel cage. This warehouse aesthetic is no accident. What you see is what you get: all items are on show in neat piles, as though you’re wandering the stockroom rather than a shop floor. There’s a fridge stocked with empty “Fresh Drink Service” cans, homeware ranging from stacking boxes to stationery, and a clothing selection anchored by uniform pieces designed to be used every day and in all scenarios, bridging the space between basics like socks and caps to sherpa-lined corduroy duffle coats and Shetland wool knitwear. All this in a space no bigger than a one-bedroom apartment.
Sure, it’s not the place to find luxe cashmeres or artisanal hand-carved chairs, but FreshService didn’t promise that in the first place. What it does promise is top-tier, finger-on-the-pulse tools, clothes, and oddities that rival if not outpace any other foundational gear on the market. What’s more, even after filling your bag, you’ll have enough yen left for a good ramen and dessert from 7/11, you tourist.
