Universal Works Tokyo is now open.

We are very happy to say that Universal Works Tokyo is now open. Our first permanent home in Japan can be found at Hankyu Men's Tokyo in Ginza, bringing together the Universal Works collection and Works Canteen, our first café, under one roof. It is a big moment for us, and one that has been a long time in the making.

David Keyte, UW Co-Founder, first visited Tokyo in the 1990s and was immediately struck by the care and consideration that seemed to go into everything. In clothing and architecture, food and everyday objects, there was an appreciation for things made well, and for the beauty found in the useful, the imperfect and the ordinary.

That way of thinking stayed with him and, over time, found its way into the Universal Works that David and Stephanie, our other Co-Founder, have built together. Not by trying to make Japanese clothes, or borrowing a particular look, but through an attitude. Making things well. Caring about the details. Appreciating things that are useful, honest and made to be worn. Finding beauty in imperfection and understanding that something can get better the longer you live with it.

As David puts it; “It is less about directly referencing Japanese clothing and more about adopting an attitude and an approach to making things. It is that spirit of consideration, rather than any one garment, that has had the biggest influence on Universal Works.”

Universal Works has been sold in Japan for 15 years. In that time, we have built long-standing relationships with shops, partners and customers who have supported us and helped introduce what we do to more people. We are still a small brand in a country with one of the richest clothing cultures in the world. That is not lost on us. So opening our first permanent home in Japan feels pretty special.

It was never part of a grand plan. Like many things at Universal Works, it came about through long-standing relationships, conversations and an opportunity that simply felt right. We have always preferred to grow that way. Not by putting pins in a map and deciding where we ought to be, but by listening to the people and places around us.

“What makes this even more special is that it happened through relationships rather than strategy. There was never a grand plan to open a store in Japan. The opportunity came through people who believed in what we do. In many ways, Japan chose us.”

Universal Works Tokyo sits within Hankyu Men's Tokyo in Ginza. The store itself should feel familiar to anyone who knows our other spaces: green steelwork, simple materials, open rails and practical details. It has been made locally in Japan and designed to change over time. Familiar enough to feel like us, but with a character that belongs to Tokyo.

Alongside the clothes is Works Canteen, our first café and an idea David has wanted to explore for years; the canteen has always been a straightforward sort of place. Simple, practical and unpretentious. “A canteen is an honest, uncomplicated place. It serves simple food, done well, and brings people together. That felt very much in keeping with Universal Works.”

To begin with, the offering is deliberately simple: good coffee, a few snacks and a distinctly British flavour to things. Of course, being in Tokyo, we will serve very good matcha too.

This is very much a starting point rather than the finished article. Like Universal Works itself, we want Works Canteen to develop naturally over time. We will start small, learn as we go and allow the people who use it to help shape what it becomes. British references will meet Japanese ingredients and ideas along the way, bringing something familiar into a new setting. Nothing too complicated and nothing too grand.

Our relationship with Japan has never really been about one side influencing the other. It has been a conversation, and one we have been very fortunate to be part of. That is also what “Locally World Famous” means to us. We want Universal Works to continue travelling, meeting people and finding new homes around the world, without losing sight of the people, places and values that got us there in the first place.

Tokyo is our furthest outpost yet. But somehow, it feels very much like home.