Kabutocho is a great starting point; a place to stretch your legs and visit plenty of places. The Nihonbashi area is flat and easy to traverse, with lots of great scenery to enjoy along the way. Whether you’re looking to visit the latest must-see store, or looking to find your own quiet hideaway; that only those in the know, know—you’ll find it here in Kabutocho. 

For VOL.2, we introduce florists and plant shops that add color and richness to your everyday life. We’ve picked four shops, each with unique design and aesthetics; perfect for a urban lifestyles.

Fête, which is often in charge of floral arrangements for events in Kabutocho, is located on the basement floor of the centrally-located complex ‘BANK’. It’s a flower shop housed in a unique interior; free from natural light. Bundles of dried flowers hang from the high ceiling, making for an impressive space. In addition to fresh flowers, the shop offers a wide range of dried flowers and potpourri—created in-store, alongside aroma diffusers and colorful vases—making it the perfect spot to pick up small gifts for someone special.

Shop director, Hosokawa, also uses the space as a studio, and holds workshops on an irregular basis, teaching students to create original products that combine dried flowers with aromas. Unusually for a florist, the store employs a system whereby customers are assigned to a specific staff member.
“This way I feel that I can make proposals based on an understanding of my customer’s tastes—just like a hairdresser would do!”

fête
Kabutocho Dai-7 Heiwa Bldg. B1F, 6-7 Nihonbashi Kabutocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
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TOUCA, which just celebrated its first anniversary, is located down the street from Heisei Dori in the direction of Kayabacho Station. The owner, Saito, worked as a floral artist in France before opening her own store. “I was looking for a place in the Nihonbashi or Ginza area, and then suddenly came across this place and decided immediately that this was the one! In France, independent stores, like florists, grocers, and fishmongers, are highly individualistic in their appearance—they tend to be decorated in a way that reflects the owner’s taste. I hope to emulate that and stock what I truly love so that my store can enrich and add color to the town.”

Customers at TOUCA include people who work in nearby offices. “We’re only open during the day on weekdays, but it makes me really happy when people drop in. Sometimes, I’ll see a gentleman in a suit who normally won’t strike me as the type to be interested in flowers, stopping in front of the shop window to look at the flowers. I want people to feel free to come in, even if they are new to flowers.” As well as chic, stylish flowers reminiscent of modern art, Saito also produces original vases—all of which can be found in the shop.

TOUCA
KT Building 1F, 1-6-3 Kayabacho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
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If you’re interested in indoor greenery, be sure to visit THE GREEN SHOP TOKYO, which has a store along the Sumida River to the east of Kabutocho. This interior greenery store started as a business that produced organic, nutrient-rich soil, but has since expanded to include wholesaling plants to major variety stores and other shops. According to Nakamura, the founder of the company, the client base is largely made up of repeat customers who live in the area. “We give advice on the best environments for plants and also take care of customer’s plants when they have grown too large and require re-potting—so we feel that our customers see us as their plant’s ‘family doctor’!”

THE GREEN SHOP TOKYO also has a greenhouse in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture, and offers a service that can recover a plant’s health, alongside a consultation service on the communication app, LINE.  “We can also recommend plants that will suit the conditions of each customer, including factors such as dwelling size, sunlight, and lifestyle. Customers can send us room layouts, photos, and atmosphere ideas and we can then make a suggestion.” This March, they also opened a branch in Nakameguro, which specializes in creating and managing house gardens.

THE GREEN SHOP TOKYO
1F, Ozeki Building, 2-25-4 Higashi-Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
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MOTH is a plant consultation service available by appointment only, housed in ‘Keshiki’—a small complex in Kabutocho that regularly hosts art events and exhibitions. MOTH is the atelier and outpost of ‘Yardworks’, a landscaping brand operating out of Yamanashi Prefecture that is responsible for the greenery in several well-known spaces, including Kabutocho’s K5 Hotel. Located in front of the Vietnamese pho and che restaurant, ‘Just Pho You’, you can find everything from large potted plants to small tabletop pots amongst other original goods.

Many of the plants and pots may look like restaurant décor but are actually plant displays that can help you imagine how each plant will feel when displayed in an actual living space. “As our original business is landscaping, the pots also express the world of gardens,” says staff member Kasahara. “In addition to personalized planting consultations, Yardworks can also provide a ‘bulk arrangement service’, such as collecting congratulatory money from multiple people to gift a space design by Yardworks, instead of sending individual flowers or gifts when a new store opens.”

MOTH
Keshiki, 1F Kabutocho Dai-6 Heiwa Building, 6-5 Kabutocho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
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