The Lumine department store that surrounds Shinjuku station is one of the most crowded hubs in the city, a place that can drive anyone out of their mind during rush hour, as thousands of weary commuters pass through to catch a transfer. Inaugurated less than a year ago, Bonjour Records, a cafe boutique, is amongst a certain set the trendiest place to be in Shinjuku – if you don’t count Opening Ceremony, its neighbour across the hall.
We were thrilled to stumble upon this nook, as it combines all our favourite things: coffee, music, books and clothing, and an array of accessories from the Bonjour Girl line, which features the designs of illustrator Kelly Smith, a Vogue Australia magazine regular.
The clothing is available for both men and women, and we loved spending time perusing through the hats, ties, iPhone covers, nail polish shades, House of Holland special edition tights, foldable ballerina flats, hair bands, aromatic Diptyque candles, and mohair jumpers. If threads aren’t your thing, you can peruse the art and fashion books or listen to a selection of the CDs they carry. If it’s hip, it’s there.
Oh, and the most important part, the cafe – dubiously named “Brown Water”. After we managed to get over the choice of words, we did sip on a decent cup of hand-drip coffee – all the fun is into watching the process at the counter, where all the cups are aligned with filters.
Even though the Lumine concourse of Shinjuku station is perhaps the least relaxing place on earth, it is surprisingly possible to find a bit of an oasis with some great tunes as a soundtrack and stylish duds and magazines such as Lula to keep your peeps busy – if you’re not already people-watching…
Bonjour Records Lumine (other locations in Tokyo)
Lumine department store, near the South exit.
Text by Vivian Morelli
