SKWAT KAMEARI ART CENTRE

【Encounter...】@skwat.site

I finally made it to SKWAT KAMEARI ART CENTRE, which opened last November!

Walk about 10 minutes from Kameari Station towards Ayase Station, following the tracks under the overpass, and you’ll spot the glowing SKWAT neon sign.

SKWAT

LET'S DIG INSIDE

VDS

VDS（Vinyl Delivery Service）：This is the first-ever Japan location of VDS London—a secondhand record shop with a store in Columbia Road, my personal favorite area in London (especially for its weekend market). The shop is packed with records spanning all kinds of genres—jazz, rock, African music—you’ll lose track of time digging through to find that perfect one.

SO MANY RECORDS

AND BOOKS

twelvebooks：A massive space that’s both a warehouse and a bookshop, with over 60,000 books lining the shelves. It covers a wide range of genres—from contemporary art and photography to architecture, fashion, and design—and the best part is you can actually flip through rare titles, limited editions, and indie publications from all over the world.

Climb the scaffold-style stairs that look like part of a construction site, and you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into a building still in progress. At the back, behind rows and rows of books, you’ll even find the office of the architecture studio DAIKEI MILLS.

tawks（トークス）：I got a little excited when I realised that ‘tawks’ is just ‘SKWAT’ spelled backwards—had to order something right away.

They sell their own original tote bags and coffee beans too. The cute ‘YES TALK YES’ logo with a little sun motif is such a vibe!

You tell them your name, and they’ll call you from the little window when it’s ready.

Weekdays: 8:30 - 18:00

Weekends & holidays: 11:00 - 18:00 (The hours are different from SKAC!)

Once you’ve grabbed your drink from tawks, head over to PARK for a little break.

When I visited, they just happened to be showcasing the ‘Forest Collection’—a collaboration between Finnish interior brand Artek and Amsterdam-based design studio Formafantasma, run by Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin. The space was filled with their desks and chairs, giving off the vibes of Finland’s rich forest diversity, and the whole PARK area was styled around this sustainable design concept. (The exhibition runs until March 30!)

Even the toilet inside PARK had this pop-up, temporary feel—but still stocked with stylish hand soap from the Korean lifestyle beauty brand NONFICTION. Only neon lighting too, which added to the coolness.

The only lighting here is this neon sign, which adds to the unique vibe.

The entire spatial design of SKAC (SKWAT KAMEARI ART CENTRE) takes full advantage of the kind of "urban leftover space" you find under train tracks. Exposed concrete, steel pipes, and shipping materials are all left just as they are, without unnecessary decorations. That raw, unpolished feel, paired with a sense of improvisation, creates a perfectly balanced atmosphere.

From art and photo books to architecture, records, and coffee—there’s a wide selection of things to discover. You’re bound to find something that speaks to you or sparks inspiration. It stands out as a fresh new art spot with a strong, unique presence.

Can’t wait to see how it evolves next!

SKAC (SKWAT KAMEARI ART CENTRE)

3-26-4 Nishikameari, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo

Open hours: 11:00 - 19:00

Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays