Straight From L.A. Powered by BerBerJin Shimokitazawa Leads the Scene with the Authentic Thrill of Vintage Clothing

With the global vintage boom in full swing, rare models from iconic brands like Levi's can command prices in the tens of millions of yen. A shop in Shimokitazawa is challenging this very trend. At Straight From L.A. powered by BerBerJin Shimokitazawa, you won't find these ultra-rare vintage pieces.

Instead, you can purchase affordable and unique secondhand clothing by the gram. In an era of skyrocketing prices, this store reminds us of the original thrill of vintage shopping. We sat down with Kazuya Kitaki, the manager of 'Straight From L.A. powered by BerBerJin Shimokitazawa,' to discuss the story behind the store's opening and its unique appeal.

Far from being a fleeting trend, vintage clothing has now cemented its status as a timeless and globally cherished category of fashion. As proof, vintage shops are popping up all over Japan, and events dedicated to secondhand apparel are being launched one after another.

Today's focus is on Tokyo's Shimokitazawa, which, along with Koenji, is known as one of the city's most competitive hubs for vintage clothing. The area's appeal is on the rise, so much so that in 2022, it was ranked 7th in the "The coolest city in the world" (The World's Coolest Neighbourhoods) survey by the London-based international magazine Time Out.

In addition to the urban development centered around the station, the recent boom has fueled a wave of new vintage shops opening up—like mushrooms after rain—in spaces that were formerly restaurants. The area, long known as a 'town for the youth' with its select shops, live music venues, theaters, and quirky eateries, is evolving into something new. It is transforming into a different kind of youth hub with a fresh, new meaning.

Straight From L.A. powered by BerBerJin Shimokitazawa (hereafter, SFLA Shimokitazawa) opened last year amidst this fiercely competitive landscape. As the name suggests, it's an affiliate of the legendary Harajuku vintage shop 'BerBerJin,' a pioneer at the forefront of the scene.

The Long Lines from Opening Day Haven't Stopped

SFLA Shimokitazawa is the second store, following the original Straight From L.A. powered by BerBerJin in Harajuku.

"True to its name, both the Harajuku store and SFLA Shimokitazawa directly import and sell vintage clothing from Los Angeles. Our most unique feature is that we sell by weight. Everything in the store is priced at 7.7 yen (tax included) per gram. For instance, a T-shirt weighing around 200 grams would cost you about 1,400 yen."

The success of the Harajuku location was a major catalyst for opening SFLA Shimokitazawa.

"We had a ton of customers, especially younger people. The whole idea for the Harajuku store came from our president's vision to create a welcoming entry point for young people to discover and get into vintage clothing. I feel like we're successfully fulfilling that mission."

The decision to open in Shimokitazawa was deeply influenced by the company president's vision.

"Our Harajuku store has a large selection of true vintage, which draws in a lot of knowledgeable young customers. For Shimokitazawa, however, we wanted to create a store for a more casual audience—a place where people can have fun even if they're not experts in vintage clothing."

"It's always been a town for young people, and recently, the term 'Shimokita vintage' has even emerged, showing how it's spearheading the vintage scene for the current generation. Given that context, we felt a strong connection to Shimokitazawa."

"The town itself has a deeply rooted subculture, so we thought it would be a perfect fit for the band, anime, and movie T-shirts that have become so popular lately."

This unique by-the-gram sales model reflects the pride of a shop that is a true leader in its field.

"At 'BerBerJin,' we have a company culture of taking on challenges that no one else has. The idea of selling by weight came out of a brainstorming session with the entire staff. We want our customers in Japan to experience that 'treasure hunt' feeling, too."

A team of buyers, led by Kitaki, heads to the US to handpick every single item. With shipments arriving from America once a week and new items hitting the floor daily, the store's inventory of over 2,000 pieces is constantly turning over. This means you'll find fresh gems every time you visit.

What's more, the prices are a steal compared to the current vintage market. Band, movie, and anime T-shirts, which have seen their prices soar in recent years, can cost a fortune at other stores. But here, they're all sold by weight.

Saturdays are especially buzzing as the shop drops a fresh batch of popular items, drawing crowds who line up long before the doors even open.

"Besides T-shirts, pants are also really popular. For example, Carhartt duck pants typically go for around 15,000 to 20,000 yen on the market, but we sell them for about 6,000 yen. They're so popular that our Shimokitazawa store has a rack dedicated just to duck pants.

Also, Levi's yarn-dyed black denim, which can cost around 20,000 yen at other stores, is available here for about 5,000 yen."

A Fresh Take on the Thrifting Culture Shimokitazawa Nurtured

Shimokitazawa has long been home to many affordable vintage stores catering to a younger crowd. However, as mentioned earlier, recent station-front redevelopment has boosted the area's popularity, causing prices and rent to climb even higher.

This trend has inevitably affected the price of vintage clothing. Let's take character T-shirts from globally popular Japanese anime and games as an example. A T-shirt from the popular game 'Kingdom Hearts' typically fetches around 20,000 yen on the market.

And this isn't even for a particularly old item—it was produced in the 2020s. Even if a piece isn't technically vintage, it gains rarity and value simply because its artwork or design is unique to that era. Kitaki finds this way of assigning value fascinating.

"One of the major draws of vintage items is their 'age' by default, but for the younger customers who visit our store, that industry standard doesn't seem to matter as much.

It feels like they're discovering new value in vintage clothing on their own terms and enjoying it more freely. Having previously worked at the Harajuku flagship store, I tend to view vintage through the lens of 'age,' so interacting with customers here is a learning experience and incredibly refreshing."

He also mentioned plans to stock items you wouldn't typically find at other BerBerJin locations.

"First up, we're looking at '80s and '90s leather blousons and lightweight coats. We're aiming to source brands like Dockers, Nautica, and Gap. Leather from this era has become really popular lately, and you can find it selling for around 40,000 yen at other vintage shops in Shimokitazawa.

But with our by-the-weight pricing, you can get them for about 10,000 to 15,000 yen. If you actually weigh them, you'll see that very few items cost more than 20,000 yen. Even the popular Carhartt duck jackets, which look heavy, come out to around 12,000 yen when sold by weight."

Finally, we asked about his vision for the store's future.

"Personally, I'm thinking about opening a new store somewhere in Tokyo, possibly in another part of Shimokitazawa or a different neighborhood. By bringing cool, affordable vintage clothing to more people, I hope we can spread the joy of thrifting even further."

Vintage clothing, once valued simply for being old, is evolving with the times. "Wear what you love, freely and affordably." At a time when soaring prices have made us almost forget the true appeal of thrifting, Straight From L.A. powered by BerBerJin Shimokitazawa serves as a powerful reminder.

Furthermore, at the end of April, 'BerBerJin COLLECTIVE' opened in Harajuku. This new hub brings together sister stores like the main store, Fake α, YUHODO, and & BerBerJin into a single space in the heart of Harajuku. Another must-visit spot has been born on Tonchan-dori, a mecca for vintage clothing stores.

Straight From L.A. Powered by BerBerJin Shimokitazawa
2F, 2-13-15 Kitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6453-1963
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Closed: Irregularly
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BerBerJin COLLECTIVE
B1, 3-27-17 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
TEL: 03-6447-2240
Hours: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Closed: Irregularly
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