The Art of Creative Energy: Why Tokyo’s Most Famous Art Supply Warehouse Wasn’t For Me

As an abstract expressionist artist, my creative practice is deeply rooted in exploring texture, fluid layers, and the emotional resonance of colour. When building premium modern layered artwork for contemporary collectors, the raw materials I use are everything. I travel to Japan annually with my partner and artist Perry,  PEZ. We coincide these trips with whatever events we can find on the art calendar, good coffee experiences and always, always go shopping for materials. 

For us, visiting the exquisite design-led, boutique magic of Pigment Tokyo is a given, but if we really wanted to find the unfindable we knew we had to head for the other end of the spectrum. And, as luck or stupidity would have it... we showed up at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena a day before our allocated ticket - doesn't work apparently - so we tried to turn it into a positive and headed home via Tokyo’s most famous mega-store for creatives: Sekaido Shinjuku.

If you are a contemporary art buyer, a collector tracking my studio process, or a fellow artist planning a creative trek to Japan, here is my honest, firsthand look at this legendary creative landmark.

The Scale of Sekaido: Unparalleled but Uncompromising

Let’s start with the sheer magnitude of the place. Spread across five massive retail floors (with an exhibition gallery on the sixth), Sekaido Shinjuku is huuuuuuge. It is unparalleled as far as stock and size—I've not come across a larger volume of materials anywhere else in the world so far.

From specialised sketching tools on the lower levels to endless aisles of local and imported acrylics, custom framing, and giant blank canvases higher up, it has everything. If a tool exists for visual creators, it's on a shelf.... somewhere.

The Vibe Check: An Atypical Japanese Department Store

If you’ve researched art shopping in Tokyo, you have likely swooned over Pigment Tokyo, me... well, just a little. It's a highly curated, hyper-focused pigment specialist... with some wicked brushes. Pigment Tokyo feels like an architectural museum; it's a quiet, meditative space where rare minerals are treated like fine jewellery.

Sekaido is the absolute antithesis of that.

The feel here is completely different. Sekaido operates like a bustling, raw, high-volume warehouse. It feels exactly like an atypical Japanese department store - think pure sensory overload, endless escalators, rushing crowds, and long, loooong checkout queues.

To be completely candid... it is soulless.

If that matters to your creative psyche, you need to prepare yourself. You are simply not going to get that curated, tranquil "magic of Japanese design" feel that we love to combine with my artistic explorations. There are no quiet corners to contemplate the soul of a brushstroke here. It is loud, commercial, and intensely practical.

To Be Honest? I Had to Get Out of There!

I have to confess - despite being surrounded by endless walls of amazing acrylics and brushes, we actually walked out empty-handed.

The whole scene was just way too overwhelming and hectic. Between the wall-to-wall crowds, the noise, and the chaotic energy of the escalators, we hit our limit pretty quickly and just had to get out of there!

Maybe I'll brave it again another day - ideally early on a quiet weekday morning, minus the crazy tourist rush... tourists 😫 (the closest I could find to an irony emoji). 
But for this trip, escaping the madness back to our rooftop view and a wine in nearby Shimokitazawa was far more appealing.

Watch the video on YouTube!

Traveler’s Note: How to Get There

Store Address

Sekaido Shinjuku Honten, Sekaido Building 1F–5F, 3-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022

Directions via Train from Shibuya

1. Head to Shibuya Station and make your way to the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line platforms.
2. Take the northbound train directly to Shinjuku-sanchome Station (a quick 5-to-7 minute ride).
3. Look for Exit C4.
4. Once you step out of Exit C4, Sekaido Shinjuku is just a 1-minute walk down the street—you can't miss the giant building with the quirky, historic signs out front!

A quick tip if you do brace the crowds: Keep in mind that Sekaido uses separate point-of-sale registers on each floor. You have to pay for your items on the specific floor where you found them before moving on via the escalators!

Want to see the art that comes out of a peaceful, uninterrupted studio space? Browse my latest collection of original abstract paintings online or explore my About Cheryl profile to see my true creative process.