Issue #39

Words by Cory Ohlendorf | Photography by Bandana, Hands

If I had to choose one store as my favorite shop in all of Tokyo, it wouldn’t be a shiny designer flagship in Ometosando or a trendy shop on Cat Street. It’s not a stylish under-the-radar vintage outpost. I have plenty of those, but no—if I was forced to choose, my top choice would be Hands, something of an unsung hero of Japanese shopping.

There are no limited releases, no collaborations. No one is taking fit pics and it’s absolutely devoid of hype. But if you know, you know—this hybrid behemoth of a store is part department store, part hardware store and part hobby shop. It is, in my opinion, the world’s best DIY resource and a microcosm of Japanese culture: thoughtful, inventive and a little eccentric. It was where, as a visitor, I picked up many souvenirs and now, as a resident, rely on it for a myriad of needs.

To date, I’ve purchased raw live-edge boards and had them sawed by the staff to make a low table for my living room. The necessary screws and wood stain? I got those there, too. Oh and the cleaner that I now use to polish it? I picked that up there as well. Hands is where I go to grab a lot of my favorite Japanese grooming products along with plenty of well-recommended kitchen and coffee gear.

According to the store’s staff, the brand’s concept is to “create your own life in your own way with what is available within reach.” They believe that’s the most valuable part of living—discovering new things and trying your hand at different tasks in order to develop a life that’s uniquely yours. 

This is why so much of the store’s inventory is available to try firsthand. For instance, if you’re looking for a pillow, the store’s bedding section has an actual bed for you to lie down on, with the pillow (and a disposable protective cover, of course). You can genuinely feel how the pillow interacts with your body, as if you’re really sleeping with it. And that’s how I ended splurging on a $80 pillow that’s specifically shaped and engineered for side sleepers. But, I digress.

Founded in 1976 as Tokyu Hands, it was a “Do-It-Yourself” specialty store that’s grown into a national obsession over the last 50 years. The original Shibuya store is a multi-floor wonderland where everyday practicality meets pure creativity. In 2022, the company was acquired by the home improvement giant Cainz corporation and rebranded with a simpler logo and brand name, Hands.

But at its core, the mission remains the same. Hands is built on the Japanese concept of kaizen—continuous improvement. But here, that philosophy extends beyond self-help mantras or workplace systems. It’s about improving life in the most tangible, delightful ways. Every product, no matter how small, has a sense of purpose and design intelligence. The store doesn’t just sell things; it sells better ways to live.

It’s not just the endless departments, but the sheer variety spread across nine floors (and three sub-levels to each). The original Shibuya store is a literal emporium—packed to the rafters with every useful, clever and downright random thing you never knew you needed. It’s a maze of organization porn, where you’ll definitely need the massive floor guide to find your way. From the practical to the purely ingenious, if it makes life easier (or just more interesting) you’ll find it at Hands.

It’s kind of like walking into the brick-and-mortar manifestation of Amazon. It’s also one of the few stores where browsing feels as rewarding as buying. For locals, Hands is a trusted source for tools and household essentials that actually last. For travelers, it’s a window into Japanese innovation and an unbeatable souvenir stop. You’ll see businessmen comparing pens, students shopping for notebooks, and tourists filling baskets with face masks, chopstick sets, and clever travel accessories.

This stylish Seiko clock actually caught my eye on my first visit to the Hands shop in Shibuya. The bold yellow timepiece is a scaled-down replica of the iconic Seiko race timer seen at Olympics and marathons all over the world. It features a bold digital display with a countdown timer, stopwatch, snooze function, automatic alarm stop and a handy backlight. Compact yet commanding, it’s built for both travel and everyday use—impossible to overlook and even harder to forget. I think it’d look sharp on a desk, bookshelf of nightstand.

Busukawaii (ブス可愛い) is a Japanese slang term that combines two words, “busai-ku” (meaning ugly or awkward) and “kawaii” (meaning cute). It describes something that might be considered ugly, but also somehow has a cute or charming appearance. Think of a Labubu or a hairless cat or a hedgehog. It’s also often used in a joking manner as a part of meme culture to describe strange aesthetics or bizarre characters that maintain a certain unique charm.