Drink and Shop in a Host Club: Kabukicho's Experience-Based Souvenir Store Launches on June 19

A Kabukicho host club is being reborn as a cultural hub.

Smappa!Group (Chairperson: Maki Tezuka), which has operated diverse businesses including host clubs, art spaces, and care facilities in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho for over 20 years, will renovate the host club 'BOND' into a souvenir shop called 'BOND Souvenir Shop - Kabukicho Information Center (KIC)', opening on Friday, June 19, 2026. The shop allows visitors to enjoy drinks while experiencing Kabukicho’s unique culture.

In conjunction with the opening, a pop-up event featuring 'TENGA AHEAD'—a new label formed by TENGA and Tokyo’s iconic vintage clothing store 'STEP AHEAD'—will be held from June 19, 2026 (Friday) to July 19, 2026 (Sunday).

Why Open a Shop in Kabukicho Now?

Since the pandemic, inbound tourism has surged, yet many visitors only 'observe' Kabukicho without truly engaging with its culture or values. This awareness of a missed opportunity is the driving force behind KIC’s creation. Beyond managing entertainment districts, Smappa!Group has long worked to transform Kabukicho from a mere 'tourist spot' into a 'cultural epicenter' through initiatives like the 'Host Poetry Gathering,' where hosts compose tanka poems, and the contemporary art project 'NARAKKY.'

KIC aims to create a new point of connection with the city, driven by the philosophy: 'Experience Kabukicho and take it home with you.'

What is the 'BOND Souvenir Shop - Kabukicho Information Center'?

KIC is a platform based in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, launching original products that blend traditional Japanese culture with modern subcultural elements to present the district’s charm in new forms. It offers original products that reinterpret the chaotic energy and unique atmosphere of Kabukicho—where desire and daily life intersect—into playful graphic designs.

[Shop Features]

- A one-of-a-kind space preserving the original interior, lighting, and ambiance of the host club 'BOND'

- Guests can drink alcohol while purchasing merchandise

- Original apparel line expressing the values of Kabukicho

- Official merchandise from the 'Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition WA,' which elevates Edo-era erotic art into modern products

Operating the former host club BOND as a souvenir shop, KIC maintains its distinctive club-like interior, lighting, and atmosphere. Visitors can purchase goods while drinking, fully immersing themselves in the culture of Kabukicho through the entire space.

・KIC Website: https://kic.tokyo/

・KIC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kic.tokyo/

TENGA AHEAD Pop-Up Event

A pop-up for 'TENGA AHEAD,' a new label by Tokyo’s leading vintage store 'STEP AHEAD' in collaboration with TENGA, will run from June 19 (Friday) to July 19 (Sunday), 2026. The event focuses on a subtle, alluring charm—'eroticism' not defined by explicitness or sexual imagery, but by an irresistible appeal. Alongside one-of-a-kind vintage pieces embodying this 'stylish eroticism,' original TENGA merchandise will also be available.

※The event may end early if stock runs out, regardless of the scheduled dates.

TENGA Co., Ltd.

The TENGA Group believes that enriching sex lives leads to more fulfilling lives and a happier world.

Rather than treating sexuality as something shameful,

we aim to make it a joyful part of everyone’s 'living happiness.' Through inspiring product design and new proposals for mental and physical wellness, we create systems that embrace diverse ways of living.

・Official Website: https://tenga-store.com/

・Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenga_land/

STEP AHEAD

Curating primarily vintage items imported from the U.S., we offer an eclectic mix—from authentic vintage and regular wear to rock tees—catering to both daily use and collectors.

・Official Website: https://stepahead.jp/

・Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stepahead__official/

Featured Original Products at KIC

A collection of original lines that use the proper noun 'Kabukicho' as material, reconstructing the city’s multifaceted nature into graphic forms.

Using the district’s name 'Kabukicho' as a base, these designs visually represent layered urban values such as pleasure, labor, tourism, and transgression. Fluorescent ink illustrates the relationship between neon lights and urban memory, presenting Kabukicho not as a consumer product but as urban culture.

KABUKICHO S/S KABUKICHO CREW

Inspired by the hidden challenges within Kabukicho’s public spaces, these designs convey messages through friendly illustrations rather than regulations or warnings, encouraging visitors to reflect on their behavior and awareness in the city.

TERMINATOR S/S TERMINATOR CREW TERMINATOR HOODIE

Drawing inspiration from Japanese kanji learning, these pieces reinterpret opposing elements of Kabukicho—pleasure and labor, order and chaos—using the format of elementary school kanji workbooks. 'KABUKICHO FIRST GRADER' serves as an entry point for those beginning to decode Kabukicho.

Answer keys are printed on the back.

KABUKICHO FIRST GRADER S/S KABUKICHO FIRST GRADER CREW KABUKICHO FIRST GRADER HOODIE

Official Merchandise from the 'Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition WA'

Smappa!Group hosted the 'Shinjuku Kabukicho Shunga Exhibition WA' at the Shinjuku Kabukicho Noh Stage and BOND, with full cooperation from world-renowned ukiyo-e collector Mitsuru Urakami.

KIC is responsible for producing the exhibition’s official merchandise, launching the popular original products both in-store and online.

Shunga, born in the Edo period, candidly reflected the values, humor, and sexual attitudes of its time. This initiative transforms shunga from 'something to be viewed' into 'something to be held, used, and shared.' The goal is to create products that naturally integrate into modern life without compromising the artwork’s strong lines, use of negative space, or historical authenticity.

For details, please visit the official Kabukicho Information Center website and social media.

Store Information

BOND Souvenir Shop - Kabukicho Information Center

Address: Social Building 9F, 1-2-5 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Opening Date: Friday, June 19, 2026

Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays

Business Hours

Souvenir Shop

Wednesdays and Thursdays