The Reason We Kept a Store in Yanaka - tokyobike Yanaka Soil, Which Started with "Using Things for a Long Time"
Hello.
I am Kamioka, the store manager of tokyobike Yanaka Soil.
We at tokyobike Yanaka Soil are a direct-managed store for the bicycle brand tokyobike, which is designed for "enjoying the city," and our store concept is "valuing long-term use."
Introduction
tokyobike Yanaka Soil was not a store that was planned from the beginning.
The tokyobike direct-managed store that was once in Yanaka was scheduled to close in 2021 due to building contract reasons and relocate to Kiyosumi-shirakawa. However, the Yanaka neighborhood is where tokyobike began, and it is a place where our bicycles are cherished by many users.
It was born from the question of how we could support the "afterward" of the many users in this city.
A bicycle feels most comfortable the moment you buy it new, but if you continue to use it, it is inevitable that it will get dirty or scratched.
Performing maintenance before it breaks, or washing it when it gets dirty.
Not just resetting it from a negative state, but also customizing it for your ideal ride comfort or appearance.
We believe that by taking care of it in this way, an attachment grows, and it becomes a vehicle that acts as a "partner that shares your life."
tokyobike Yanaka Soil is a place to rethink and consider together such ways of interacting with your bicycle.
New encounters that begin with repairs
Initially, the store concept focused on repairs and customization, without handling new bicycles.
Because it is a city where many people already ride tokyobikes,
we aimed to be a place that provides services to help you "love your bicycle even more."
However, if a good experience is created through repairs and customization,
new encounters with people might expand from there as well.
While supporting users to love and continue using their bikes for a long time,
We also want to respond to your first encounter with a bicycle.
When we thought about it that way, selling new bikes also became one of our important roles.
Taking responsibility for what happens "beyond" the bicycle
At tokyobike Yanaka Soil, we are also working on the collection and regeneration of bicycles that have been let go.
We take in bicycles that have nearly finished their service, maintain them, and connect them to the next rider.
Scratches, rust, and welding marks are also part of the time that bicycle has spent.
Rather than returning them to a brand-new state,
we value the "character that emerges precisely because it has been used."
The store itself is a place that tells our philosophy
tokyobike Yanaka Soil is a place that proposes not just bicycles, but how to engage with things themselves.
The interior of the store is filled with reclaimed wood and recycled materials.
The interior was created by the team at
ReBuilding Center JAPAN who are based in Suwa City, Nagano Prefecture.
They regenerate unused old materials and tools into forms that can be enjoyed in modern life.
We resonated with their stance, and we use rescued old materials for the store's walls and floors.
Also, the store displays are overflowing with new ideas that change how you look at things, such as fixtures made from recycled bicycle parts and door handles made from old frames.
When you visit the store, please be sure to pay attention to these as well.
"Valuing long-term use"
tokyobike Yanaka Soil is a place for new encounters with new users, and for those who already own one, it is also a place of support for enjoying your bicycle for a long time.
Even when the time comes to part with your bicycle, we can take it back and transform it into a "re tokyobike" with new value, allowing us to pass the baton on to a new user.
By having tokyobike Yanaka Soil serve as a hub for this cycle, we hope to share the joy of owning a bicycle with each and every user.
tokyobike Yanaka Soil will,
continue to propose the option of "using things for a long time",
from this town, for years to come.