[OGZ Yamamachi Extra Edition] A rush of new store openings in 2025! Zain Arts Jimbocho store / Salomon Futako Tamagawa Rise / New Kawara Kitake and new developments, plus event information [2025 Spring Event Information]

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Yamamachi , ZANE ARTS , Column , Salomon

Written by yans

Well, the spring of 2025 is here and a huge wave of outdoor shops opening and relocating is coming! Outdoor Gearjin has no choice but to join in this trend! So we went to visit some new stores!

table of contents

Starting at Zane Arts Jimbocho store!
And next up is Futakotamagawa Salomon!
Flowing into Tochigi and Kawarakidake!
And information on New Year's events related to Kawarakidake!
Plus new development information!

Starting at Zane Arts Jimbocho store!

Kanda Jinbocho. It is no exaggeration to say that Yasukuni Street is the street of outdoor shops

One of the landmarks of this street is Ishii Sports Mountaineering Main Store

Apparently, the second directly managed store of Zain Arts has opened on this same street, so I wonder if there was a space for it? I recently passed by it but didn't notice it at all

Yes, there is. I never thought it would be possible to create such a space!

I see, that's why I didn't notice it was on the second floor. And so I arrived at the Zane Arts Jimbocho store!

I arrived five minutes before opening, but there was already a huge line, and I'm in awe of everyone's keen sense of humor and Zayn's popularity

And it took me just under an hour to get to this door (lol)

What was even more surprising was that CEO Kosugi himself came to greet them! This was a long-awaited moment that would bring a smile to the faces of any Zain Arts fan

The interior of the store is a slightly L-shaped, tightly packed space, and the sight of almost all of Zane Arts' items lined up in such large quantities is truly impressive!

On the right side of the narrow passageway was a sleeping bag, another item in the sudden rush of new products

Looking the other way, there was also the Zig House LED lantern/attachment. This was also amazing as it was difficult to get hold of immediately after its release

The base of the Zig House is the ZIG. Three of these (!) are used to create a powerful lantern, and the Zig House is a product

Beyond that was the main space. On the first day, there was a limit on the number of people allowed in, so once inside, I was able to look around in a fairly relaxed atmosphere. There was a pile of new T-shirts in the center, and they were selling like hotcakes

In his left hand was a sample of a shell that had not yet been released, and although it was said that this shell would be arriving soon, it depended on when you visited whether you could buy it or not, so at this point it was just a matter of luck whether you would be able to find it or not

While touring the store, the DCF stuff sack series was just as popular as the T-shirts. Compared to overseas brands, it's certainly a good value, so it sells well

There was also a Waz Kettle, which I rarely get to see in person

There is also Compact Lube, an evolved version of the original Resin Cutlery Lube (still on sale and receiving rave reviews)

This lightweight mountain tent, Yar, suddenly appeared and caused a stir in the mountain tent world. You can even try out the sleeping bag and spider we mentioned earlier by using the inside of this tent. It's an idea that can only be thought of in a small store, and in a sense, it kills two birds with one stone by allowing you to try it out in a practical way

I'm sure the Zain Arts whirlwind will be sweeping Jimbocho for a while, and I'd like to visit again once things have calmed down

Zain Arts Jimbocho Store
・2F Jimbocho HY Building, 1-8-1 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
・Tel: 0263-87-2954 (general store information desk) Reception hours: Weekdays 9:00-18:00 (excluding weekends, holidays, summer holidays, and New Year's holidays)
・Nearest station: Subway/Jimbocho Station A5 exit, JR/Ochanomizu Station
・Parking: None
Please check Instagram

Official website : https://zanearts.com/

Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/zanearts_outdoor/

And next up is Futakotamagawa Salomon!

Next up is the brand new Salomon store, located almost in front of the Futako Tamagawa station

The building is conveniently located just a 1-minute walk from the ticket gate at Futakotamagawa Station!

The new store is located on the second floor of the town front of Futako Tamagawa Rise, a complex directly connected to Tokyu Futako Tamagawa Station. There's a huge poster at the entrance

There it is, still as stylish and sophisticated as ever

The lineup is centered around items from the sports style category, which is highly popular in the fashion scene

It's true that Salomon shoes are often seen in town as well as on the mountains. However, they are not so popular as outdoor shoes because they are also loved from a fashion perspective

The silver-toned interior of the store has a mysteriously futuristic and cyber atmosphere

There are T-shirts with designs like this too

The lime green gradient of the RX Mock is also nice. I have the orange one, which is also nice

We also have a wide selection of clothing and backpacks

Trail running packs are also available

Salomon backpacks are well-made and reasonably priced, so they're definitely worth trying out at least once. A review was recently published on Geargin

Geargin Review

The Futakotamagawa store is currently running an opening celebration novelty campaign!

Customers who spend over 22,000 yen (tax included) at the Salomon Store Futako Tamagawa Rise will receive an original waterproof bag on a first-come, first-served basis! Quantities are limited, so it's on a first-come, first-served basis

To celebrate the partnership with Fujiyoshida City, Salomon is running a campaign at its directly managed stores. S/PLUS members who purchase the X ULTRA 5 Series and AEROTREK Series, ideal for hiking, will receive a special gift on a first-come, first-served basis! There are limited quantities available at each store, so if you want one, you'll have to hurry! For more details on the partnership, click here

https://salomon.jp/pages/fuji-partnership-campaign

"If you come to our store, please take a look at this!" says store manager Kobayashi

The design wall at the back of the store is also worth seeing, it's beautiful

The new color of XT-WHISPER that we reported on previously also matches surprisingly well with flowers!

From the event report

Salomon suddenly holds an event that really piques your interest right before the event! That happens quite often (bitter smile). I can't miss those either, but I do miss them quite often. So, I can't miss Salomon's movements any more

Salomon Store Futako Tamagawa Rise
- 2-21-1 Tamagawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Futako Tamagawa Rise Shopping Center Town Front Section N-2090
- Business hours: 10:00-20:00 / irregular holidays
- Tel: 03-6431-0708

Official website : https://salomon.jp/

Salomon Japan Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/salomon_japan/

Flowing into Tochigi and Kawarakidake!

Next we headed to Tochigi Prefecture and visited Kawarakidake in Kaemoncho! We are also grateful for your help with our Gearjin Travelogue

From past explorations

Kawara Kitake has been going strong up until now, but suddenly they announced that they were closing down!? I was wondering what was going on, but they moved about 30 meters north and reopened. Oh (wry smile)

We sneaked in on the first day of pre-opening and it was brand new!

If you turn 180 degrees from the entrance, you'll see Mannenrou's new special edition pants! Apparently they were a huge hit at the outdoor event Off the Grid that was held the other day

There is also the "Mita-san" plastic bottle, which is a best-seller at various events! It's amazing that it's an outdoor item but also collectible

They managed to make it in time for the pre-opening, but apparently they weren't able to stock even half of the items they had planned, so when they officially open this weekend, they may be able to welcome you with an impressive lineup

It's still in pre-opening, but it's already bustling

Joe Nimble's trail running shoes are something you won't find anywhere else, and they have an excellent design

From this selection of barely gray?

The selection is so close to being out of bounds that it's mind-blowing (lol)

I think Kawara Kitake's serious selection and pedestrians are gradually becoming more and more popular

The wide selection, from garage to mass production, is unique to Kawara Kitake

By chance, I was able to attend the pre-opening greeting event for the new store

Seeing the bright smile on the owner Mr. Kojima's face, we can only look forward to the future of Kawarakitake

During the pre-opening, customers were given a free novelty towel when they made a purchase! I'm sure they'll do the same at the official opening

Kawarakidake

・New store address: 3-9 Kaemoncho, Tochigi City, Tochigi Prefecture

・Business hours: 11am-6pm

・Please check Instagram for opening hours
・℡ 080-9512-8155

Official website : https://kawarakidake.com/

Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/kawarakidake/

And information on New Year's events related to Kawarakidake!

Firstly, on April 26th, 2025, Kawarakidake will officially open and suddenly have a pop-up! There will be an event where you can order custom sizes from pentapetala, the handmade trail running shoe brand that is currently the only garage brand in Japan!? This is a big deal, as it is a product that you would want right now but don't often have the chance to order. What's more, on the same day, ACUT, a shirt brand from Sapporo, and TAKAO MOUNTAIN BOOK, an up-and-coming backpack brand from Tokyo, will also be holding a joint pop-up, making this a very exciting day at Kawarakidake

Venue: Kawarakidake (new store)

Date and time: April 26th (Sat) 12:00-18:00

*Please note: ACUT and TMB will start their pop-ups from 11am, but pentapetala will start around 12pm due to staff travel time

*To allow for fittings in order, numbered tickets will be distributed at Kawarakidake from 11:00 AM

*Limited to 10 pairs (orders will close once this number is reached, but you can try them on and have your feet measured all day!)

*If you are driving, please use the free parking lot in the Kaemoncho Traditional Building District (4 minutes on foot). Please do not park in the gravel parking lot next to the new Kawarakidake store

This alone was amazing, but the next day..

This has also been held twice so far, and the hugely popular event, Gentle Hiker Stand, is coming for the third time, Tochigi is awesome!

The event will be held at the same location as last time, Gogyogawara Green Space in Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture, and with even more stalls than last time, it's sure to be a blast! You can find out more about the second event by searching my personal blog (at the bottom), so be sure to check it out beforehand

GENTLE HIKER STAND 2025
, April 27 (Sun) 10:00-17:00

・Mooka City Gogyo River Green Space

Official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/gentle_hiker_stand/

And there's more!

Cirque, a multi-purpose facility located in Shioyama, Yamanashi Prefecture, is just a five-minute walk from JR Shioyama Station. Located in one corner of the facility, the shop "Garages 3, 5, and 6" will house around 20 stores focused on hiking but also offering a wide range of outdoor activities

3..5.6 This event, named Shionoyama, will feature some of the most intriguing and unique mountain shops and brands, including Kawara Kitake, so it's sure to be a blast!

3..5.6 Shionoyama

・Day 1: May 17th (Sat) 10:00~16:00 (16:00~18:00 After Party)

・Day 2: May 18th (Sun) 10:00~15:00 *Climbing experience session scheduled for the morning

・Garage on the Cirque premises, 537-2 Shimozono, Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture

For more information, please visit the official Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/3._.5.6_shionoyama/

Plus new development information!

At Geargin, we are extremely grateful to Tanaka Shoten, an outdoor style convenience store in Kiryu Umeda, Gunma

This is Light Heart Gear, which was unveiled for the first time in Japan at last year's Nagano Alps Summit!

From the event report

The tents that were not part of the event have begun to be set up!

It's a type that can be set up with trekking poles, and is said to be a single-person tent that can be comfortably used by a person around 180cm tall, but it seems like it could be used by two small people, or in modern terms, a 1.5-person tent. It seems that it is sometimes on display next to the parking lot on weekends, so if you're interested in seeing it in person, head over to Tanaka Shoten!!

They've also started selling trail food by weight in front of the store, which is a bold move! Tanaka Shoten is a store where you'll discover something new every time you visit, so if you're interested, be sure to check out our travelogue

From Exploration Report vol.1

That was a flurry of information about new store events and developments. I'm sure one of them will catch your eye, so if you're interested, I recommend you go and check it out

yans

My love for gears has led me to write for Gearzine. I'm a hardcore gear enthusiast who loves modifying and building things, and I also love outdoor events. I'd like to focus on brand exploration and shop reviews

Personal blog here