Tokyo Jizake Strolling (The Daikanyama Shopping District)
2024-06-12
With spring fast approaching at the end of March, an event titled “The Daikanyama Shop Association” featured many shops selling niche merchandise at “Daikanyama Address 17dixsept” in Shibuya district, a shopping center located right next to the Daikanyama Station. Our shop selling local sake was also invited and participated for two days during a weekend. The “Daikanyama Address 17dixsept” is a shopping zone located inside an urban shopping complex, consisting of a 36-floor tower above ground on the site of the former Dojunkai Daikanyama Apartment, a housing complex consisting of approximately 500 homes, the Daikanyama Sports Plaza, etc.
Dix-sept translates to seventeen in French, named after their lot number 17 in the Daikanyama district. Four shops lined up in a shared space on the facility premises and sold merchandise not usually sold by the tenants to take a new approach to customers who utilize the facility.
Retailers that participated for two days consisted of my local sake shop, an Asian variety store, a flower shop, a vegan shop on one day, and a specialty gift shop the next. It was rumored that the timing the cherry blossoms will bloom could be announced early in the week of the event, and the weather was forecast to be sunny for cherry blossom viewing. Since Daikanyama is close to Meguro River, a renowned spot to view cherry blossoms, my shop narrowed down our merchandise to only two sake sets for flower viewing – a set of five aluminum cans of Nihonsakari sake with plastic champagne glasses and a three-sampler Nagatorogura sake set. Unfortunately, the rumored announcement on the timing the cherry blossoms would bloom never occurred, ultimately announced two weeks after the event.
Not only did the cherry blossoms not bloom during the weekend of the event, but it also rained with low turnout, both significantly contrary to expectations. Other shops near each other welcomed regulars from other shops. My shop also benefited from their customers since most of the sake sets I prepared sold, and the weekend ended with decent sales.
I had many takeaways from my first attempt at selling merchandise in the chic Daikanyama shopping complex. Staff members shopped at each other’s shops, and I also became friendly with the shop owners. My onsite pop-up shop was personally a fruitful experience. If I was to be greedy however, I think the facility needs to think of ways to enliven the event. Eventually, I think lining up sake breweries to organize “The Daikanyama Sake Shopping District” would be an interesting idea if I’m asked to participate again.
By Ryuji Takahashi
With spring fast approaching at the end of March, an event titled “The Daikanyama Shop Association” featured many shops selling niche merchandise at “Daikanyama Address 17dixsept” in Shibuya district, a shopping center located right next to the Daikanyama Station. Our shop selling local sake was also invited and participated for two days during a weekend. The “Daikanyama Address 17dixsept” is a shopping zone located inside an urban shopping complex, consisting of a 36-floor tower above ground on the site of the former Dojunkai Daikanyama Apartment, a housing complex consisting of approximately 500 homes, the Daikanyama Sports Plaza, etc.
Dix-sept translates to seventeen in French, named after their lot number 17 in the Daikanyama district. Four shops lined up in a shared space on the facility premises and sold merchandise not usually sold by the tenants to take a new approach to customers who utilize the facility.
Retailers that participated for two days consisted of my local sake shop, an Asian variety store, a flower shop, a vegan shop on one day, and a specialty gift shop the next. It was rumored that the timing the cherry blossoms will bloom could be announced early in the week of the event, and the weather was forecast to be sunny for cherry blossom viewing. Since Daikanyama is close to Meguro River, a renowned spot to view cherry blossoms, my shop narrowed down our merchandise to only two sake sets for flower viewing – a set of five aluminum cans of Nihonsakari sake with plastic champagne glasses and a three-sampler Nagatorogura sake set. Unfortunately, the rumored announcement on the timing the cherry blossoms would bloom never occurred, ultimately announced two weeks after the event.
Not only did the cherry blossoms not bloom during the weekend of the event, but it also rained with low turnout, both significantly contrary to expectations. Other shops near each other welcomed regulars from other shops. My shop also benefited from their customers since most of the sake sets I prepared sold, and the weekend ended with decent sales.
I had many takeaways from my first attempt at selling merchandise in the chic Daikanyama shopping complex. Staff members shopped at each other’s shops, and I also became friendly with the shop owners. My onsite pop-up shop was personally a fruitful experience. If I was to be greedy however, I think the facility needs to think of ways to enliven the event. Eventually, I think lining up sake breweries to organize “The Daikanyama Sake Shopping District” would be an interesting idea if I’m asked to participate again.
東京地酒散歩（The 代官山商店）
春の訪れがもうすぐそこまで来ている3月の終わりに、代官山の駅のすぐ側にある商業施設「代官山アドレス・ディセ」にて「The 代官山商店」と銘打った渋谷区のニッチな物販店を集めたイベントが開催された。地酒を販売する当店にも声がかかり、土日の二日間参加することとなった。代官山アドレス・ディセは旧同潤会代官山アパートの跡地に建設された代官山アドレスという地上3６階建のタワーを始めとする約５００戸の集合住宅とショッピングゾーンや渋谷区代官山スポーツプラザなどから構成される都市型複合施設の中のショッピングゾーンのことである。ディセとはフランス語で１７の意味らしく、代官山の１７番地にあることから名づけられたとのこと。その施設内の共用スペースに4店舗並べ、日頃のテナントとは違う販売をすることで、施設を利用する人々に新たなアプローチをしたいといったイベントの様であった。
二日間出店するのは地酒販売の当店と、アジアン雑貨、フラワーショップ、日替わりでビーガンショップとセレクトギフトショップであった。イベントの週の前半に桜の開花宣言が出るとか出ないとかで、週末はお花見日和との情報があり、代官山という立地上、花見の有名スポット目黒川も近いことから、当店は完全に販売商品をお花見セットに絞り、日本盛のボトル缶5本セットにプラシャンパングラス付きと長瀞蔵の3種飲み比べセットの2アイテムのみに特化し販売を行なった。しかし、蓋を開けてみると開花宣言予測は大きく外れ、週末になっても宣言が出る事は無く、結果開花宣言が出たのは2週間後であった。 イベント当日に桜が咲いていないだけでなく、2日間雨が降り、施設の来店客数も少なく、大きく予想を外すこととなった。他店は元々の店舗が近隣ということもあり、常連客らしき人達が来ていたので、その流れに便乗させていただく形となったが、用意していた酒は殆ど売れ、結果オーライで二日間を終えることが出来た。渋谷の端っこからオシャレな代官山への初チャレンジで、学びも多く、店舗間での買い物もあり、他店のオーナーとも仲良くなり、個人的には意味のある出張出店だったが、欲を言えばもっと盛り上がる為に、施設側の打ち出し方を考える必要があると感じた。いつかは酒蔵を並べた「The 代官山日本酒商店」なども面白いのではないかと思う。まあ、次回以降も声がかかればの話なのだが。
