Columbia Sportswear Company opened its newest branded retail store, located on Cat Street in the heart of Tokyo’s famous Harajuku district, March 3.


“In addition to being located within Harajuku, one of the world’s renowned fashion capitals, Cat Street has become the hub of Tokyo’s outdoor industry,” said Massimo Lazzari, general manager Japan, Columbia Sportswear Company. “To take advantage of this prime location, we created a store with high-visibility architectural features to showcase Columbia’s innovative products to the millions of shoppers from around the world who visit Harajuku each year. We are confident that this store will quickly become one of our best performers.”


The new store, comprising 225 square meters (approximately 2,400 square feet) on three floors, features Columbia brand outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear. Columbia operates 24 branded retail stores and 12 outlet stores in Japan, which, when combined with sales to wholesale customers throughout the country, have established Japan as one of the company’s largest markets outside the United States.


“Our new Harajuku store is a great representation of the strength of the Columbia brand in Japan,” noted Bill Tung, vice president of the company’s Latin America/Asia Pacific (LAAP) region. “Columbia is well-positioned to capitalize on the increasing popularity of outdoor lifestyles and activities throughout Japan.”