Community Market at MUJI

Last weekend, I had a pop-up at MUJI on 59th Street in Manhattan.

The weather was not exactly on our side. A Nor’easter was passing through, but people still came out and enjoyed the store. I was happy to be there and be part of the community market.

The store itself felt very familiar to me.

It was clean, organized, and calm. It even smelled good, thanks to the aroma diffuser near the entrance. The staff were very attentive and friendly.

For a moment, I felt like I was in a store in Japan.

As a Japanese person, having a pop-up at MUJI feels especially meaningful to me.

When I was a student in Japan, we used MUJI stationery all the time. Their products were simple, reasonably priced, and had no big logos. That simplicity also made them perfect for customizing with stickers, drawings, and whatever else we wanted to add.

Stickers were a big trend when I was growing up. (I guess they're having a revival now!)

I feel like everyone in my generation had at least a few 無印良品 (MUJI in Japanese) items at school. When we started a new school year or a new class, we would buy a new notebook or loose-leaf paper. I remember that some popular MUJI stationery eventually became available at convenience stores, too.

I had a MUJI PP (polypropylene) pen case for more than 10 years.

These memories are from the 1990s, but MUJI was already more than just a place to buy stationery. There was even a word, ムジラー (Mujiler), for people who loved MUJI and owned lots of MUJI products.

Their clothing has always been simple and basic, so people who like that style might shop at Uniqlo or MUJI. But what makes MUJI different to me is that they propose a whole lifestyle.

Clothing, stationery, kitchenware, furniture, cosmetics, food...

The idea is not just, “Here is a product.”

It's more like, “Here is a way of living.”

When I first came to New York in 2013, I remember going to the MUJI store in Times Square. Just being there gave me that feeling of being in Japan.

Now, of course, MUJI is a well-known name around the world.

There is something a little ironic about that. The original idea behind 無印良品 was essentially “no-brand quality goods.” But now, MUJI itself has become a recognizable brand.

Still, I think the idea behind it remains appealing: simple design, useful products, good quality, and a whole lifestyle that doesn't need to shout for attention.

So, even though the weather wasn't great last weekend, I was very happy to be there.

For me, being part of the MUJI community market wasn't just another pop-up.

It felt like a little connection between my memories of Japan and my life in New York.

And that made it special.