FUUDOBRAIN (New! 9/16)

Celebrating 30 Years of Koenji’s Punk Lifestyle and Fashion
[published September 2025]

If you are a fan of punk music and fashion you will certainly want to visit Fuudobrain in Koenji when you visit Japan. They carry a wide range of items from music merchandise like band T-shirts and posters to various fashion and clothing such as leather goods, punk fashion goods like bracelets and pins, colorful hair dyes, sunglasses, hats, bags, sneakers, books, music and more. The space is filled to the brim with a somewhat dark artistic sense and relics of rock music culture. Fuudobrain specifically sells official T-shirts and goods for Japanese punk/hardcore bands like G.I.S.M., Lip Cream, Rocky and the Sweden, and others. Many of these items are rare items, official items, or sold only at Fuudobrain, so they may be higher prices than some more generic shops, but these are all high quality items and worth the purchase if you’re a fan. For example, Fuudobrain has done official collaborations with artists, such as long-time Metallica collaborator, Pushead. You’ll find various art books featuring the likes of Pushead and others, and music releases (CD, vinyl, cassette) that are often limited editions by Japanese labels in Fuudobrain’s inner circle or even released by Fuudobrain themselves. Fuudobrain is also an official seller of the Japanese skate shoe brand, Possessed, as well as the German football club, St. Pauli.

Fuudobrain owner Takeshi Sweden started the store around the same time as his punk/hardcore band in 1996, Rocky and the Sweden, which also welcomes their 30^th anniversary. Takeshi took a lot of influence from a lot of small, interesting shops he used to frequent in Harajuku, Tokyo, as well as many interesting places he visited abroad. He started the shop simply by amassing things of his own interest, collecting things as well as making original items. This eventually developed into a full “select store” for these types of goods, most easily labelled as a “punk/hardcore shop,” but it goes a bit deeper than that, perhaps with nuances that only Takeshi Sweden himself could explain.

But none of those nuances matter, as Fuudobrain has stood the test of time and has become a staple of clothing and goods in Koenji’s punk and subculture scene. The store and its offerings are best appreciated from someone with an open mind who appreciates the intense side of art and music (it also doesn’t hurt if your favorite color is black!) If you’re a fan of underground rock and art and looking for something unique, come check out Fuudobrain in Koenji.

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Writer: Greg
Photographer: Mark