Bullpen — Merchandise with a Story that Adds Vibrancy to your Daily Life

The popular Paddlers Coffee shop in the Nishihara neighborhood of Tokyo’s Shibuya district has started a new venture, Bullpen, which handles artisanal furniture and sundries made in Japan and overseas. The proprietor Daisuke Matsushima only curates items that come with a fascinating story from the artisan. Just ask the staff, and they’ll recount the backstory in careful detail.

For example, the Leather Ball by Sanspenser is a luxury toy: each one is hand sewn using leather from Red Wagyu (Japanese Brown cattle) of Kochi Prefecture. The Platform Bowl, from Good Thing, a product brand based in New York, is a small dish combined with a beautifully formed wooden cylinder, cleverly designed to function as a decorative knick-knack when stacked. Custom-made articles, thoughtfully altered to fit the actual lifestyles of Tokyoites, are also on display. The Tapete Chair, specially commissioned from Ocho Camp, a camping gear brand based in Kochi, Shikoku, is a folding chair that is also easy to use in cramped urban apartments. When specially made for Bullpen, minus the leather strap and camping specifications, the chair blends into any kind of space.

Here you can find a surprising number of clever articles that, just by having one in your room, adds vibrancy to your daily life. Everyone who visits is likely to find something different that resonates deep within.