3 reasons to visit Columbia’s new flagship store in Harajuku as soon as you can

Meiji-dori is lined with attractive shops, many occupied by some of the most famous clothing brands in the world. If you’re shopping here, chances are you demand not only top-quality fashion that speaks to current trends, but a relaxing and attractive experience too.

Columbia’s new flagship store certainly delivers in this sense, beginning with an exterior that presents two faces of the company’s vision to its customers. An expansive LED screen covers the entire second storey, with images of outdoor fun and exploration from Japan and around the world. On the other hand, a facade of natural wood and glass allows passers-by a glimpse into the store’s attractive ground-floor space along with its showcase items.

The store’s central concept is to ‘Unlock the Outdoors for Everyone’. With this message of accessibility in mind, the first floor is devoted to footwear and hiking wear, while the second floor focuses more on casual lifestyle clothing and Columbia’s urban outdoor collection Black Label.

Outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs and fashionistas may also enjoy the History Wall display above the main staircase, which charts Columbia’s rise from a local hat company in Oregon to a groundbreaking provider of equipment and apparel that brought the outdoors a little bit closer.

Columbia developed their Japan-born Black Label line in response to growing demand from city dwellers for practical yet stylish footwear and clothing. The company’s decades of expertise designing products for all climates and seasons made this evolution a natural progression, with the city just another new environment to explore.

Items from the Black Label lifestyle line utilise many of the technological innovations that made Columbia famous with its outdoor apparel, including breathable materials, water resistant fabrics, and fibers that offer heating or cooling effects. While some items are more casual in style and others more suited to business, including tailored jackets, none would look out of place in the wild either. Most Black Label products use minimal tags and logos for greater style and versatility.

One of the highlights of the collection is the Logriver BLK Vest, inspired by tackle vests used in fly fishing and available in stone green, collegiate navy or black. The pockets on the front offer a stylish accent while providing easy access to your wallet and smartphone.

The line also includes sleek accessories such as the Star Range XP Backpack II and Great Smoky Garden BK Shoulder bag. Both of these urban essentials are ideal for carrying laptops, books and whatever else you need for the day.

The Black Label section on the second floor of the Harajuku flagship store includes items that can only be found in Japan, having been designed with the country’s specific climate and fashion sensibilities in mind. Collections change throughout the year in response to the seasons and emerging trends.

As the brand new flagship enterprise of Columbia Sportswear in Japan, the store will be offering a range of limited-edition apparel that can’t be found anywhere else in the world – not even in Tokyo’s other Columbia stores.

To develop this unique collection, Columbia Japan has turned to DJ and designer north NADO for inspiration and design advice. With the store’s central concept in mind, the DJ-designer has sought ways to convey the message of unlocking the outdoors for everyone simply and effectively.

Together with north NADO, the company has developed a line of limited-edition Columbia Tokyo T-shirts for sale in the Harajuku flagship location. Some of these incorporate the conventional company logo, while others adopt a more impressionistic or abstract design.

Columbia Tokyo water bottles, tumblers, button-up shirts and other limited-edition items will continue to appear in the store as time goes on, making repeated visits to the new Harajuku flagship location rewarding, surprising, and fun.

Columbia Tokyo Flagship. 6-27-8 Jingumae, Shibuya (Meiji-Jingumae, Harajuku stations). 11am-8pm daily.