On our recent journey to Japan, we visited our friends at the Kinfolk Lounge, located in a trendy and very fashion-centric area of Tokyo called Nakameguro. From the street, you can view a chalkboard sign and a few Kinfolk bikes hanging upstairs, while the speakeasy sits on the second floor above another cafe. Inside, you’ll see killer Kinfolk Keirin frames of a rainbow assortment suspended from the wooden rafters. The decor is described as vintage Japanese meets modern day safehouse, perfect for meeting locals and travelers of all kinds. Kinfolk isn’t your everyday cycle company; their bikes are classic, lugged-steel Keirin beauties, hand-made in Japan. At the lounge, we hung out with our good friends John and Ryan and had some great times drinking biiru (beer in Japanese) and shootin’ the unchi ’til daybreak. Not only do these guys make beautiful frames, but the drinks are pretty enchanting as well. So, the next time you’re in Tokyo, stop by and tell the guys hello from WMIG. Now we just need to get these bikes here in NYC!
Photos by James Lisle.
