Shibuya’s Hands store to close after 48 years

Hands, one of Tokyo’s most beloved stores, announced on Monday that it will close its doors permanently in November after 48 years in business. 

The flagship store, located in Shibuya, one of the most vibrant and visited neighbourhoods of the Japanese capital, has been a beloved shopping destination for tourists and locals alike since 1978.

The company also explained that the reason behind the closure is to be found in the expiration of the store’s lease agreement. 

A Tokyo landmark

With its seven floors and 5,500 square metres, Hands has been a landmark in Tokyo’s shopping panorama for decades. 

The store offers a huge selection of products, from homeware to souvenirs, but also everyday accessories, stationery, and knick-knacks.

In 2023, it changed its name from ‘Tokyu Hands’ to simply ‘Hands’ after the company’s acquisition by Cainz Corporation, a home improvement and retail chain.  

The Shibuya flagship store is not the only one in the capital, obviously: there is another Hands store in Shinjuku, another one of Tokyo’s major centres. 

The Shinjuku store has 8 floors, and it is located only a few stops away from the Shibuya shop, but that does not mean the news was well-received.

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‘There is nothing like this store’

“The only reason to go to Shibuya is now gone,” a Redditor commented on the news.

“There is just nothing like this store in central parts of Tokyo.”

“Losing the Shibuya store is depressing – I remember going there in the early 1990s and marvelling at the different things – camera bags and hiking packs on one level, bicycles on another level, hobby goods on another level, carpentry goods on another level,” another person wrote. 

“We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all customers for the warm patronage and support we have received over the years,” Hands representatives stated on Monday. 

“The spirit cultivated at the Hands Shibuya Store will not disappear even after the physical store closes,” they added. 

The Shibuya flagship shop is, according to the company, different from other Hands locations as it aims for visitors to feel “like [they] are turning pages of an encyclopedia and discovering a new world each time.”

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