The building with a yellow exterior is modeled after the US headquarters.
The Patagonia Kanda store has been renewed.
Located in the town of Kanda, which is lined with shops selling ski/snowboard and mountaineering/outdoor gear, the store has emphasized its technical side since its opening in 2000, but with the renovation, the concept has become even clearer. .
This renovation is more than just a makeover. For the first time in Japan, we will start selling second-hand items, suggesting repairs, and renting. At the same time as establishing a perfect system to meet the needs of all players, from beginners to veterans, it will also function as an antenna to powerfully transmit Patagonia's message. Let's take a look at the reborn Kanda store.
All Patagonia technical items for women and kids
The new Kanda store carries all technical items handled in Japan, with the exception of the fishing and surf categories. In a nutshell, it is a store where you can touch the core part of Patagonia. There is no better store than this for users who want functionality in their products.
This is the age of online shopping. The online shop has detailed photos, detailed explanations and size charts. It goes without saying that it is convenient, and it can be said that it is already an indispensable infrastructure, especially in local cities. However, on the other hand, no matter how much experience and knowledge you have, there is a limit to imagining an unknown model based only on photos and specs. There must be more than a few people who have the experience of "It was different from what I thought."
For example, it is difficult to describe the feel and texture of clothing in words. However, it is often these parts that affect the usability of tools (wear is also a tool!). If you don't like the usability, you won't be able to fully enjoy the activity, but if you can pick and choose the product directly, the risk of choosing a disappointment is reduced. How reassuring it is to say, "If you go to Kanda, you'll definitely find it."
You can get advice from experienced staff only in a real store. Many of Patagonia's directly managed stores have staff who also work as guides and instructors. The Kanda store is probably no exception. A diverse line-up of ski guides, mountaineering guides, and trail runners stand in the shop. Advice based on real experience in the field is reliable not only for beginners but also for veterans.
While we have all technical items, we do not have any lifestyle items that are popular with the general public. There's a reason I've made it this far. Rio Mitsuhashi, store manager, explains.
“When this shop opened in 2000, there were ski/snowboard shops in the back alleys, but those gradually decreased, and due to the coronavirus pandemic, they have decreased even further. Or even feel that the city itself has lost its energy.
Even so, there is no other area in Tokyo, or even in Japan, that has so many ski/snowboard shops. Many people, from young people just starting out to veterans, come to this town. Even in summer, there are people walking around with skis and snowboards. I would like to become a place where I can convey the appeal of sports and messages to such people.”
Those who have used the Kanda store before may be surprised by the completely different interior. By stopping handling lifestyle items, the number of fixtures was reduced, creating more space. Although the number of products has decreased, it has become easier to see and select.
“The sizes and colors have been thinned out a little so that the items lined up now are easier to see, but we have everything in the backyard.”
From skiing/snowboarding to alpine, which is the company's roots, to mountaineering and outdoor activities. It is also news that women's and children's items are well-stocked. Ski/snowboard wear can be seen in all colors. There aren't many stores that stock high-end models, but this store has a generous selection of sizes and colors.
As an aside, the high-end model Pouslayer Jacket is said to actually sell the most in November. As soon as they are lined up in the store, they come to the store and are delighted that they finally found their favorite color. If you are interested, hurry up.
Suggestions for repair | Extend the life of your wear, wear your favorites for a long time
Patagonia has been running a program called Worn Wear since 2013. Along with the slogan, "Much better than a new product," we are proposing to continue using one product for a long time through repair and reuse. This is an effort to reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing and disposal.
We are now in an age where it is not uncommon for a manufacturer, whose mission is to sell, to call for “use it for a long time,” but Patagonia has been advocating environmental protection since the days when everyone looked the other way. Our mission is to be the first to recycle PET bottles and to "minimize the environmental impact of our corporate activities."
Worn Wear looks like a way to communicate with users after years of trial and error. The message "Let's stand up to prevent global warming" doesn't reach us easily, but there are few people who refuse to be told, "Let's repair the clothes you like and use them for a long time." Especially if it's your companion for the activity you're passionate about.
The Kanda store calls it a quick repair, and simple repairs are handled on the spot. Small holes in jackets and pants hem cut on the edge should be covered with repair tape as soon as possible to prevent further damage. It is also possible to replace the pull tab of the fastener slider and the slider itself depending on the item. If the parts match, they can also replace buckles and snap buttons on the spot. Quick repair is performed together with the user while explaining the repair method and advantages/disadvantages. Wear damage is also a memory spent together on the field. It goes without saying that the repaired wear will become even more attached.
Sale of second-hand goods | Don't throw away. Those that can still be used go to the next person
The Kanda store also sells used items. In August of this year, a second-hand pop-up store was opened for a limited period of one month, but this is the first time that a permanent store has been installed in Japan.
The purpose of selling second-hand goods is to "keep playing with the gear and not send it to the landfill", but it is a great advantage for users to get high-performance wear at a reasonable price. When I heard that I could get a high-end model that I had been dreaming about for about half the price, I was immediately intrigued.
Currently, we sell what we buy from Patagonia staff. The second-hand clothes collected are washed and water-repellent treated by a cleaning company that specializes in handling functional materials, and after inspection, they are displayed in stores. Those whose functions are impaired, such as peeled seam tapes or detached membranes, are excluded as a matter of course.
Since it is second-hand, there is no warranty, but if you compare it to a car, it is like a certified used car sold by the manufacturer, so you should carefully inspect it. Old things that are likely to have progressed in invisible deterioration are shunned even if they look beautiful. As a result, it seems that there are many items in relatively good condition.
In the United States, purchases from users have also started. It is said that Japan is also considering it, but since there is a limit to the amount supplied by the staff, you can expect it to be realized eventually.
Wear rental | Only buy what you really need
As the first initiative, we will also start renting snow wear.
We thought that many of the users would be entry-level users, or people who had experience in the past but had a gap and would ski for the first time in a while, so the lineup changed from padded slope use to all-mountain models.
Men's: Insulated Snowshot Jacket & Snowshot Pants, Powder Bowl Jacket & Pants, and Snowdrifter Jacket & Bibs. Women's: Insulated Snowdell Jacket & Pants and Powder Bowl Jacket & Pants. Sizes range from XS to XL, and there are plenty of S and M sizes that are in demand.
The maximum period is one week, and the fee is 4,000 yen once regardless of the number of days. Considering that the market price for rental wear at ski resorts is 3,000 to 4,000 yen per day, it's quite reasonable.
Reservations will start in November. Reservations can be made by phone or directly at the store. Rental starts from December. This season, we will donate the same amount as the amount used to POW.
Other than shell products, such as insulation wear and summer rainwear, are currently under consideration. There have already been requests for kids rentals, and we are considering this as well. The dream spreads as to whether the day will come when trials and subscriptions for high-end models will come true.
Responsibilities and possibilities of life with snow.
The first floor of the store became a place to express Patagonia's new initiatives. When you enter the store, you'll be greeted by seasonal focus items (currently, the new Down Lab products are lined up), but the products are lined up on the second floor, which is up the back stairs.
Along with repairs, second-hand sales, and rentals, an important corner has been created on the first floor that will become the new core of this store. Next to the entrance, a board was placed in a position where you can naturally see it when you come down the stairs. It has the following message:
is our field
To protect the snowy mountains,
Let's unite and take action.
The board introduces the activities of the general incorporated association Protect Our Winters Japan (hereinafter referred to as POW) and the Kanda store that collaborates with it.
Kanda hosts the Kanda Sports Festival every autumn. It's a kick-off event to get you in the mood for the upcoming winter season.
The year before last, Mitsuhashi made a proposal at a meeting for the event.
“We touched on the current climate crisis and talked about how our business wouldn’t be possible without snow.
Sensitive shops responded immediately, putting up POW posters and placing flyers. Some stores began to ask for more leaflets.
The Kanda store exhibited together with POW at the sports festival that year and proposed to protect their field, the snowy mountains, from the climate crisis. In response to this action of the Kanda store, a new movement was born in the area.
“A local school called Masanori Gakuen learned that some ski resorts in Hakuba had started to switch to renewable energy, so they changed the destination of the ski school to Hakuba.”
The first ski school that changed the destination to Hakuba was canceled due to the corona disaster, but instead, a workshop was held with Mr. Goro Komatsu, the representative of POW Japan.
This is a symbolic story that shows how a small shop in a back alley can move a community. And Patagonia is trying to reach out to more skaters by keeping them informed of what's going on in the mountains.
The Patagonia Kanda store has been reborn. It's no longer just a store that sells things.
the person who taught me
Patagonia Tokyo Kanda store manager
Rio Mitsuhashi
Born in Tokyo. He has been skiing since he was a child with his father in a group of good friends. She learned about skateboarding in junior high school, and when she entered high school, she was invited by her skateboarding friends to start snowboarding. He began to stay in Niseko in the winter and joined the company after working at the Patagonia store in Shugakuso, Sapporo. I still go to Niseko in winter.
Patagonia Tokyo/Kanda: https://www.patagonia.jp/patagonia-kanda-japan/store_924604488.html
Text by Toshiaki Ito
I want to read together
