KIN29SHOP NEO

A Shop in Koenji That Will Pump You Up
[published July 2021]

Koenji has for long been a gathering place for various subculture outlets including fashion, music, things retro and vintage, and more. For this reason Kin29Shop Neo fits perfectly here on Koenji Pal Shopping Street, being a shop selling merchandise and apparel related to the manga character Kinnikuman (“Muscle Man”). Kinnikuman started as manga in 1979 by the manga artist duo Yudetamago, and gained popularity in the 80’s also as an anime series, and relaunched as M.U.S.C.L.E. in North America.

Even if you aren’t a fan of the series, Kin29Shop (the “29” can be pronounced as “niku” in Japanese) Neo has an impressive line of apparel that just screams “Tokyo”, and is thus perfectly suited as a place for gifts or souvenirs. Cool canvas art, T-shirts, sneakers, highly collectible figures with price tags to match, and even a stainless steal helmet for the character “Robin Mask”! So whether you are into cosplay or just finding that unique element to add to your style, the selection here could suit you well. If you have any questions, feel free to ask the knowledgable staff, who will do their best to assist you, despite any language barriers.

Kin29Shop has other locations in Japan including Ikebukuro and Tokyo station areas in Tokyo as well as Osaka. While the majority of items are related to Kinnikuman or KMA (Kinnikuman Muscle Apparel), only the Koenji branch only features other select items, such as T-shirts by Karate Chop. They even have an event space here. Another Koenji branch specialty is its mascot character, Stecasse King, a robotic stereo cassette player character from Kinnikuman, selected due to Koenji’s ties to Japanese rock music culture and history. You’ll find his image at the entrance of the shop, beckoning you to enter, along with the awesome life-size Kinnikuman figures!

ACCESS

Writing: Greg
Photography: Mark