INDUSTRIAL; MUJI Ginza

Have you ever wondered how a man-made, state-of-the-art industrial design could help reinforce positive relationships between the Earth and human life? The famous Japanese company MUJI has seamlessly honed in on these relationships with the forward-thinking layout of its recently-opened global flagship store and hotel in Ginza, Tokyo. Bringing together an innovative hotel with a variety of unique services that deviate far from the norms of the average department store, MUJI Ginza offers a shopping and lifestyle experience that is both highly traditional and ultramodern.

Like other MUJI locations, the Ginza establishment offers a wide variety of items for your daily household and living needs. And as is the standard for everything MUJI offers, these items are all sourced through creative and environmentally-friendly means. For example, MUJI’s clothing utilises organically-grown linen and hand-picked cotton to ensure quality of product, all while resting at affordable prices and retaining a minimalist and versatile aesthetic.

However, MUJI Ginza is also filled with a myriad of other unique services.  Among these new offerings is the store’s incredible selection of produce.  At any given time, the store will supply between 30 and 50 fruit and vegetable varieties sourced from local farms in the Kanto region surrounding Tokyo. By supplying locally-grown produce, MUJI provides smaller farms with special opportunities to supply goods to wider varieties of consumers. Tasting services are also offered to guests each day, with local farmers and suppliers often being present to tell the stories, histories, and sciences behind their products. As a measure to help reduce environmental damage from disposable plastic products, MUJI Ginza does not offer plastic bags or straws and uses paper plates and cutlery for tasting services.

Additionally, the establishment offers a juice stand, bakery, and tea blending service, with each individual service focusing heavily on personalised customisation. Like MUJI always does, the services make use of fresh, high-quality ingredients for creating their finished products. Sweets lovers will also be happy to hear that MUJI Ginza offers soft-serve ice cream made from fresh Shinrinno Bokujo Jersey milk.

But these services are only the tip of the MUJI Ginza store’s iceberg. Daily bentos, rice bowls, noodle dishes, salads, and sliced fruit are available for purchase, and can even be remotely ordered through a new delivery service for customers around Ginza. Not only that, but the store offers a full MUJI Diner restaurant experience – serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day, with daily specials providing fresh and locally-sourced dishes carefully selected to optimise taste.  As its main mission, the diner aims to celebrate the diversity of Japanese cuisine by offering dishes stemming from the country’s wide variety of climates and cultural lineages.

Two samples of the variety of foods available in the MUJI Ginza diner

MUJI in Ginza even offers a special bookstore service for its clients. And, as would be expected with MUJI’s reputation, it is by no means just an ordinary bookstore. This bookstore allows customers to design their own books and modify existing books, offering re-binding, cover design, and photo additions for customers. The store even hosts a support service for clients who are struggling with storage issues, product selection, and home coordination.  In fact, the store actually hosts two full-fledged galleries where exhibitions pertaining to craftwork and design are held.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of this specific MUJI instalment, however, is the hotel accommodations it offers to guests. With 79 total rooms, mattresses designed based on posture and sleep research, and carefully manipulated lighting systems, the MUJI rooms are sure to offer an impressive level of comfort and satisfaction for an affordable price.  Additionally, the interior of the hotel features stones reused from 100-year-old Tokyo trolley ways, demonstrating MUJI’s commitments to the history of Ginza and the memory of older Japanese cultures.

One of the 79 rooms in MUJI Ginza

If you ever find yourself visiting Tokyo and are curious about experiencing a cutting-edge shopping or lodging experience, visiting or booking a stay at MUJI Ginza should be a serious consideration.  If you are interested, more information about the MUJI Ginza store can be found here, and hotel bookings can be found here.