Ureshica

(⁵⁄₅ stars)
Unilocal 100 Challenge — 2015 — ⁶¹⁄₁₀₀
Another installment in the walkabout in the Nishi Ogikubo area, located about 15 minutes outside of Shinjuku going west on the JR Chuo line. As mentioned in other reviews, the areas on both north and south sides of the station are known for tons of shops featuring old books, antiques, art galleries and a full scattering of small gourmet restaurants catering to your every culinary desire. I think it would take me 50 years to review all of the shops in the area — it’s that expansive and varied.
OK, today’s review is a book/​stationery/​art gallery shop called Ureshica. It’s located on the right side of the main street, about seven minutes walk directly north from the JR station. The shop itself is actually a converted two-​storey house that contains the gift shop on the first floor. Ascending the steep, narrow stairs inside takes you to the gallery space on the second floor.
Highlights:
+ Access: ⁴⁄₅ stars (fairly easy to find if you head down the main street going directly north from the station; you’ll pass an Indian restaurant, Amy’s Bakery (separate Review but an excellent shop!) and a few vintage clothing shops)
+ Amenities: ⁵⁄₅ (interesting mixture of stationery goods, illustrated picture books, handicrafts and art goods on display and for sale on the first floor)
+ Variety: ⁵⁄₅ (in addition to the goods regularly sold on the first floor, this shop always has a very interesting line up of artists and their wares. A recent exhibit featured antique Japanese dolls known as «kokeshi»)
+ Value: ⁴⁄₅ (although limited items will vary by artist/​exhibitor, there’s always a very good selection of unique items — it’s fun just browsing to see what cute, interesting items can be found)
+ Service: 4.5÷5 (shop staff are very friendly and always happy to answer any questions you may have about the goods for sale or the current artist)
+ Ambiance: ⁵⁄₅ (it’s an old house — very bare minimum and no-​frills, but nicely lit, cozy and intimate)
Summary:
You almost wish they would take over the shop next door so a nice café space could be opened up to just enjoy the atmosphere and browsing through the art books and goods you just purchased. Of course, that’s not the case but you can see they care about the artists displaying their works here whether it be drawings, handicrafts, sculptures or what have you. Items are usually priced reasonable; at the very least, you can pick up a small token of the exhibit for a few hundred yen.
This shop is a regular stop for me after enjoying a pleasant meal at the Nepalese restaurant across the street. The atmosphere of both businesses is complimentary and a good way to complete an afternoon stoll. There are many more businesses to explore — stay tuned for more reviews.