Muji Opens First West Coast Store Today in San Francisco

Despite the constant downpour, a small but eager group of Muji fans huddled in the doorway waiting for the brand’s newest U.S. store to open in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood.

The 7,250 square foot store is the brand’s first foray outside of New York, where the first U.S. store opened in 2004. “It took us that long to finally open here in San Francisco,” said Hiroyoshi Azami, president of Muji USA. The company plans to open another store in San Jose in March 2013.

The store’s first floor is largely devoted to the brand’s contemporary men’s and women’s wear, a strategy that may make sense in converting new customers.

The store faithfully showcases what Muji is known for around the world, beautiful and simply designed products. However there are still many in the West (coast, that is) who have never heard of the brand, and that is very much the point for this “showroom” of sorts; a place to convert new customers before the brand launches other pop ups, shop in shops, and “Muji To Go” corners such as the one at New York’s JFK.

That may be why customers are immediately greeted by a large sign reading, “WHAT IS MUJI” and then goes on to explain the brand’s philosophy. It’s a simple and direct way to define the brand experience in a retail setting.

Above, a store employee tidies a row of denim shirts, which are folded and stacked with military precision. Below, the paper goods and office supply section. In Asia, it’s not unusual to see students enjoying time here buying notebooks and pens.

Well over half of the first floor is devoted to men’s and women’s wear, a collection of straightforward contemporary clothing, Japanese interpretations of such classics as the duffle coat, denim shirts, khaki pants, and impeccable t-shirts. This is not a fashion destination, per se, because in the words of design guru Bruce Mau, Muji is “not an anti-brand, but a non-brand,” with no visible logos or names and a color palette that does not stray far from brown, beige, navy, and black. “We keep our color palette within the bounds of simplicity,” says Azami.

Above, Muji’s sturdy modular shelving with optional drawer units on the second floor of the new store. Below, the brand’s sturdy and lightweight polycarbonate suitcases.

Also on the first floor is the brand’s popular selection of office supplies, all in plain brown paper, clear lucite storage containers, and scores of pens and pencils, many in neat, tidy cardboard cylinders.

Upstairs is Muji’s “Real Furniture” collection, an exclusive to San Francisco, which includes minimalist oak tables, chairs, benches, and beds. With so many Japanese forced to live in extremely small quarters, its no wonder they have managed to devise such stylish and simple ways of storing and ordering a tiny home. Muji is celebrated for affordable style that is not only pure of design, but honest in its integrity. Unlike that other brand from Sweden, Muji’s products do not pretend to be anything other than what they are, both sensibly designed and priced to boot.

> BUY the definitive book about the brand | Muji, Rizzoli Publishers, 2010. $65. VISIT the store | Muji SOMA. 540 9th Street, San Francisco, California. www.muji.us.

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