Table of Contents
About the store
Mujirushi (aka “Muji”) is an “everything” store. Like IKEA they have stuff for the home, like UNIQLO they sell clothing, and they make food as well. Their products are all Muji original brand which has a minimalist aesthetic. The food has few additives and is health-oriented. It has a cult following like America’s Trader Joes. I’ve known about Muji since I was in high school in the 90’s but it’s been around since 1980 (starting with only 40 products available!) Now you can find them in any big city in Japan. In the beginning their stark aesthetic was not widely accepted but now it’s become a massively popular store that makes my daily necessities – I can’t live without it!
I buy their chopsticks, make-up, skin-care, spoons/forks, clothing -basically anything in my life! If they go out of business I’ll have to move to Mars! Even as I write this I realized my sweatshirt, pants, and fridge are all from Mujirushi too!
Visiting the store
Today Osaka dot com writer Sam and I visited Mujirushi’s Sakai location. When most people think of Sakai they imagine the famous “Kofun” mounds from ancient times that excite the world’s archaeologists. But who knew it would be home to “Muji’s first full-scale food sales outlet” established in 2018 and located in AEON Mall Sakai Kitakahata. What does that mean? It means it’s a GIGANTIC store that has just about everything. I mentioned previously that Muji offers anything you could ever need -but THIS store takes it to another level!
Taking the Osaka Metro from Umeda to Kitahanada Station, the mall was a 5 minute walk from the station -so easy to get to! You come to an imposing building (AEON Mall) and Muji is inside on the 1st floor. It was the BIGGEST location I’ve ever been to, by far!
While most stores have household items, the most important thing about this one is the food! The cafe, bakery, food court, bentos, etc. They have everything! Yakitori, Sushi, fresh fish, brick-oven pizza, and great ingredients. Make sure to follow their insta to see the newest offerings.
For all Muji fans this is definitely worth the trip. I spent the whole day hanging out here (reminds me of going to Disneyland.) They even have a used book store! There is an eat-in space to relax as well. I was impressed by the fine Japanese food and super market with select ingredients (more than the standard offering of just MUJI branded items.)
When we arrived we were very hungry. We looked around the food court and multiple food kiosks and there was TOO much to choose from, it was overwhelming.
The ambience
The sign in the food court was great! It’s easy to understand for foreigners too. I like how you can see what it says from multiple angles! Everything they do is efficient and well thought-out.
Compared to chaotic stores like Don Quixote this Muji is relaxing and simple. You can spend the whole day here and not feel overwhelmed. The food court has plenty of places to sit and you can read a book too!
Muji also has interesting ethnic tunes playing, world music such as eclectic Irish jigs. They even release original Muji music CDS to listen at home and get into the shopping mood. As a side, Muji often teams up with Japanese convenience stores to offer their stuff anywhere near you! (It’s available at Lawson now!)
Filling up on food
The way they set out the onigiri looks very delicious. The display excites your appetite. My favorites were the salt onigiri and dashi egg roll yakiniku sandwich! It was so delicious!
We ended up buying more than we could handle and Sam’s stomach looked ready to explode. He got a chirashi sushi bowl. The salmon was very fresh and they heaped generous amounts on top of the rice including all those cod roe fish eggs.
The bakery was also tasty. I ordered a croissant anpan (sweet red bean filled.) It was very fresh and was made with Japanese domestic wheat which has a delicate fluffy taste! The quality was as good as the independent bakery we love in Kobe. Wasn’t expecting this quality from Muji!
For dessert the fresh matcha ice cream was so delectable. It used gyokuro special premium tea leaves. I usually buy this in Kyoto but it was great to get it here in Sakai! (no long lines and instagrammers to annoy me.)
Also, as a fan of Amazake fermented rice drink (very sweet) I was amazed to be able to buy a fresh cup here at Sakai Muji. It had a spritz of ginger in it in the traditional style and was served hot off the press. It was so refreshing and made with organic Japanese rice! I was impressed by all the healthy traditional offerings available.
The chairs are really comfortable in the cafe, I could sit for a long time and chill out. Compared to IKEA’s cheap stools which give me a back ache this was heaven!
Muji Sakai’s displays
Even Muji’s displays have a lot of thought put into them. I looked on the ceiling and saw these boxes and products lined up on the shelves. Amazing attention to detail!
In the fish section under the decor the seafood was laid out on ice available to be filleted by the fish-monger to take home to cook. It’s very convenient! (Not to mention the rows and rows of read-to-eat sushi!)
The rice tub had these interesting wooden tops that were fancy. They always use natural things for decoration and nothing with loud colors. They like plain wood grain, organic elements, and grey colors.
For the stationary section I was amazed at the giant display of notebooks. Hanging up each one on a string must have taken so much time!
For the makeup section I was impressed by the big hanging display of bottles of skin toner. Who came up with these intriguing concepts?
Speaking of skin care, I buy at least half of my makeup from Muji. Eyebrow pencil, skin toner, cotton balls, lipstick, etc. It’s cheap and it’s good for people who like natural makeup that’s easy on the skin. I even buy my sunblock from Muji because it has low additives.
My Muji household cleaning products (floor wipes, mops, etc) are also made with simple ingredients. Also my toothbrush and toothbrush stand go well aesthetically with the makeup bottles. The soft pastel colors aren’t garish like some other Japanese products. Their visual aesthetic fits in well with a nice kitchen or bathroom. It’s plain enough to fit anywhere. It’s different from American products with neon colors and big form factors
Custom Embroidery and more…
Another thing that intrigued me was the original embroidery service. You can customize Muji products with original designs right in the shop! A lot of people don’t know about it. You can buy a T-shirt and make an original present to give somebody for their birthday or baby shower. It would be a great souvenir to bring back home for tourists!
The designs include Daruma, Fuji Mountain, and New Years mochi! You can choose the art based on what your friend likes to make a personalized gift for them. I love finding presents for my pals, so this service is a must for my present-giving.
There are other designs too such as water, books, and a cub that are based on Muji products. I think the cub is based on the cookies they sell in the food section! But just remember, according to the store rules if you want to have clothes embroidered it has to be done using items you bought THAT DAY.
Another fun thing to do is watch the stitching while you’re waiting in the store. Muji values handmade crafts and it was great to see it on display here.
Another Japanese tradition you can partake in is the Nuka Doko set to make fermented vegetables. It uses rice bran and is very nutritious.
Environmentally friendly
In keeping with their ecological focus, Muji’s system lets you bring your own eco bag to get points. Their rental service lets you borrow a big bag and return it later (or buy it.)
In the same vein, the clothing hangars they have are made of paper. Made with recycled materials, you can return them to the store to be disposed of. Other eco-friendly offerings include toilet paper without a cardboard tube and selling replacement parts for broken items to prevent waste. These are just some of the amazing ways Muji is sustainable.
If you want to find out more about Muji philosophy they have an original book too (also available in English.) It talks about how the store is a reaction to consumerist society and offers the opposite: quality products that are affordable, simple, and useful.
Used items
Here are a few items in the used book store that stood out to me. Books about Japanese folk artists who were inspirational to the Muji brand. Some famous ones I love are Samiro Yunoki , Serizawa Keisuke, and Shirasu Masako. Masako was a big influence on Muji, she had her own select shop that sold many unique items like Mujirushi.
It’s great to be able to buy recycled stuff in a Muji store! They have a “mottainai ichi” which means “shame to throw out market.” They offer slightly damaged or compromised items that are otherwise useful to be sold at cheaper prices (rather than throw it away.) As you can see below, they offer up to 30% off! Nice bargain!
Also in that vein REMUJI takes your old clothing and remixes it into new Muji clothes. They use a die to color it blue in the traditional Japanese style and refurbish it. They have a box in the store to discard your old items. There are other boxes throughout the store for old books, clothes, and other things you can donate.
In conclusion
Many people go right to Umeda or Namba when they visit Osaka but I recommend getting out of the tourist areas and visiting other places. It was my first time coming to Sakai and I’m so glad I did. It’s incredible to think that such an amazing Muji is in “the countryside.” It may be because there’s more space to build an “IKEA-sized” store and explore this interesting concept store.
Make sure to stay up to date on all the Muji news on social media so you don’t miss out on things like their weekly fish market! I didn’t buy any fish this time and I also didn’t get a chance to try their brick-oven pizza, I’m looking forward to going back again to taste it! This is the type of place that offers so much you have to go again and again before to try even a fraction of all they offer. Muji holds a special place in my heart, but coming to this special location was a pleasant surprise, it’s a hidden treasure! And with such easy train access from Osaka’s main center there’s no reason not to visit.
Every year Muji continues to grow and evolve creating things such as a Muji Hotel and Muji homes. Yes, you heard me right, you can even buy a Muji house to live in built according to their philosophy (and it’s earthquake safe too!) I only wish that the house came stocked with all the Muji food and products that I enjoy!
If you get a chance to visit Muji Sakai make sure to let me know in the comments, I look forward to your recommendations on any foods I’m missing out on! Until next time.
