I was visiting Taiwan.
I first met the owner, Luke,
two years ago.
He came to our office to tell us that he was opening a shop in Taipei,
and wanted to carry BasShu products.
At that time,
he said something that stuck with me:
"Taiwan doesn't yet have the culture to spend money on interiors and lifestyles,
so we're starting by educating people."
Two years ago,
in Japan, apparel shops were already rebranding as lifestyle shops left and right,
and I thought that perhaps the same trend was finally reaching Taiwan.
But I was completely wrong.
After coming here this time, I feel like I finally understood the meaning of Luke's words.
Taipei's streets are wide and clean,
and luxury cars zoom around.
Scooters too, zipping everywhere.
But as soon as you turn off the main thoroughfare,
you find yourself in a scene, a way of life,
where you even feel hesitant to casually take out your iPhone.
Rapid development, and a "backstage Taiwan" that hasn't caught up.
---
When Luke asked me,
"How was Taipei?"
I frankly told him,
"I didn't see many stylish people walking around,
and I couldn't imagine who would come to buy things at such a distinctive shop."
He just laughed and said, "I know, right?"
Luke's shop,
This shop is almost always featured in the "BRUTUS Taiwan Special Issue."
It's filled with his particular tastes from around the world,
He doesn't carry any apparel.
His commitment is to only sell carefully selected daily necessities brands and vintage items from various countries around the world.
Sweden's first skincare brand "L:A BRUKET" and USA steel canvas. Coincidentally, the shampoo at the hotel I was staying at was L:A BRUKET, and it was so good that I immediately checked what it was and bought it.
My friend YUAN (left), Luke, and staff member KIMI (right). Probably two men who dislike being photographed. Their natural camaraderie creates the atmosphere of the shop, and it was a really nice place.
The igusa rug corner (yay!) is currently selling well, and the quality is apparently perfect for humid Taiwan.
Even with the significant economic disparity, the average starting salary in Taipei is around 100,000 yen (approx. $900-1000 USD). It makes sense that many of the customers are from the industry.
...Even so,
luxury daily necessities are a niche within a niche. Super niche.
It's a challenging shop, I thought again.
In the evening, Luke guided me through the city.
He took me to a restaurant, saying we'd go eat traditional Taiwanese food,
and it had a cozy, Japanese izakaya-like atmosphere,
full of local flavor. Zero tourists.
Everything I ate was truly delicious.
In particular, the Lu Rou Fan served in a bowl was unforgettable.
Taiwanese cuisine surprisingly features a lot of offal. I wouldn't have dared to eat it at a street stall, but here, I devoured it.
With my friend YUAN (left), Luke, and staff member KIMI (right). Probably two men who dislike being photographed. Their natural camaraderie creates the atmosphere of the shop, and it was a really nice place.
This place is definitely good. Delicious.
My Zao:
https://www.facebook.com/myzhao91/
From there,
we went to a vintage clothing store,
Vintage clothing store "70s Vintage": Affordable and relatively orthodox selection. But I thought it wouldn't make it in Tokyo.
and then a bar,
drank welcome shots,
and my memory gets a bit hazy after that (lol).
---
Anyway,
Taiwanese men are just so kind.
Even though I casually told him I was coming a week in advance,
from the day I arrived,
he texted me to ask:
"Did you arrive safely?"
"Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Let me know if you have any problems."
For example,
when I texted, "I feel like having hot pot for lunch,"
he immediately sent me two restaurants near my hotel,
and asked, "Which one do you prefer?"
"They're popular, so I'll make a reservation for you."
Moreover, his choices were excellent:
an old-style restaurant and a stylish, trendy one.
He's really on the ball! (lol)
So, my trip to Taiwan was filled with taking advantage of his kindness.
When I told another friend who lives in Taiwan about this,
apparently that's quite normal there.
Since returning, I've been urging the girls in the office,
"You should definitely marry a Taiwanese man!!!"
If only the humidity wasn't so oppressive...
↑↑ Igusa rugs in Taipei.
You can almost feel the humid heat from the photos.
---
Finally,
a recommended hotel that I was very satisfied with
during this stay.
A relatively new hotel, opened in 2016. It's affordable, spacious, and has huge windows, which is amazing. However, it's uniquely located on a sports ground, so young people exercising can see right into the rooms.
This turned into just a travelogue, didn't it? (lol)
Well, see ya!
posted by A. Imoto
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