James Bowskill is a British Art Director at A.C.O. Tokyo, where he develops brands on-line.

He also collects Japanese packaging, occasionally writes articles for Tokyo's web magazine PingMag, and is a member of London design team Superblue.

D&Department Oct 17 2004

Strange a name as it may be, D&Department hits the spot on a lazy Sunday with it's laid back restaurant and collection of used and re-issued furniture and interior goods. But are things changing in recycleville?

In the middle of suburbia, about 15 minutes walk from Jiyuugaoka station, D&Department seemed to be one of Tokyo's better kept secrets. However after today's visit I'd have to say the word's out, and I've a nasty feeling it'll be downhill from here on...

Whilst last year it still felt you'd stumbled across a garage sale put together by Wallpaper* staff, today I was dodging pushchairs trying to get past the shelves of mundane glassware to the ever-decreasing used section. I should have known something was up when their ever so stylish website had an unpleasant makeover that seemed to achieve absolutely nothing.

Don't get me wrong, there's still piles of nice stuff lined up, and the restaurant still serves its bowls of steaming shrimps which alone will keep me coming for months, but it seems the magic has worn off. Perhaps the time has come to get the crowds over from Franc Franc and Muji?

Regardless, in the last year or so I've found some absolute gems at D&Department and I don't doubt I'll continue to do so for a long time yet.