"Come out of the station and turn left"... Popular Japanese Shops Without Signs or Addresses

Popularity of Shops with Hidden Names and Addresses in Japan
Monthly Fees and Reservation System... Customers Seeking Uniqueness
Shoe Repair Shops Gaining Reputation as 'Hardest to Find in Japan'

A Japanese cafe that has established a full membership system and the principle of address confidentiality
[Photo source = Official website of the cafe]

"First, to get to our store, please get off at JR Fukushima Station on the Osaka Loop Line. After passing through the ticket gate, go to the right, and in front of Yoshinoya, you will see Hotel Hanshin Annex and Fukumaru Street. Turn left there. Pass through the park again, enter the alley, and look to your left. Then you have arrived. Oh, it will be even harder to find on rainy days because there is no signboard."

This is the "how to find us" guide posted on the homepage of a company that aims to be "Japan's hardest shoe repair shop to find." There is also an easier route. The company said, "If you come as we instructed, you will no longer have to worry about getting lost. However, if you absolutely cannot find us, please contact us. We will rescue you," adding, "But we do charge a rescue fee. Just kidding."

Stores without signboards or with hard-to-find addresses have become a hot topic domestically as well, described as having a "secret charm" or the "fun of finding hidden gourmet spots." Similar stores are popular in Japan too.

An image summarizing four photos showing directions to a shoe repair shop in Japan that promotes itself with the slogan "The hardest shoe repair shop to find in Japan."

Recently, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported in its online edition on "Why people want to visit hard-to-find restaurants without signboards and with undisclosed addresses." A caf? in Shibuya, Tokyo, featured in the article has no signboard and keeps its address private. If you pay a monthly membership fee (about 5,000 KRW), they will give you the address. It opened two years ago and reportedly has 500 members ranging from their late 20s to their 70s. One customer said in an interview, "I like to visit about once a week, and the surprise feeling when the door opens is great. I have also brought friends." Another customer said, "It's nice because members can get close to each other."

Similar cases include a parfait bar with six locations in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and other areas. This place also charges a membership fee starting from 3,000 KRW per month. When the media visited in August, about ten seats inside the store were occupied by women in their 20s and 30s. The prices for parfaits and cocktails easily exceed 40,000 KRW. Membership recruitment is conducted irregularly by lottery, but it is said to be popular every time. An owner of a ramen shop in Tokyo said, "We provide the address after taking reservations. Customers say it feels like a hideout, and they don't want to share the address with others," adding, "Some people feel that finding the store is like a spice that makes the food taste better."